Understanding Social Welfare Policy at the Doctoral Level
An individual’s well-being does not exist in a vacuum. Social determinants of health such as income, housing access, education level, and nutrition are all major factors, as is social welfare policy. Policy guides the government programs that address these factors, ensuring that the most vulnerable among us have access to the resources to meet their needs.
Students interested in shaping social welfare policy should consider earning a Doctor of Social Work (DSW) degree to ensure that students have the skills and knowledge to evaluate policy and implement it through social welfare programs.
What Is Social Welfare Policy?
Social welfare is a broad concept that covers the overall well-being of individuals, communities, and society at large. Social welfare policy consists of the laws, guidelines, and programs designed to ensure that individuals, families, and communities have what they need to live fulfilling lives. This set of laws and principles addresses the fundamental social needs of communities, including:
- Healthcare access and affordability
- Education access and affordability
- Unemployment support
- Housing security
- Food security
Part of social welfare policy is ensuring that basic human needs are met: access to food and shelter to keep families secure. However, social welfare also addresses needs that go beyond physical health, such as promoting social inclusion for vulnerable populations and offering access to educational resources that prepare individuals for fulfilling careers.
Social welfare policy generally functions under two frameworks: social insurance and public assistance. Social insurance includes guaranteed social service programs that are available for all members of a society. For example, all Americans over 65 are eligible for the federal health insurance program Medicare, regardless of income.
Public assistance programs are typically considered “means-tested,” meaning that only those who meet certain requirements are eligible. For example, while Medicare is open to all over 65, the free or low-cost Medicaid is only available to those who meet certain income thresholds.
How Social Welfare Policy Shapes Social Welfare Programs
Social welfare policy works to address social inequity and promote social cohesion. These guidelines and laws must have set goals and values; be capable of being implemented across different communities; and demonstrate the potential for a positive impact, particularly in vulnerable communities.
Social welfare programs translate social welfare policy into actionable steps to improve the well-being of individuals and society as a whole. Those working in policy advocacy ensure that these policies address the needs of individuals, families, and communities and that all those who need it have access to services.
Examples of Social Welfare in the United States
Various social welfare programs work to meet the needs of individuals and communities.
Supplemental Security Income
Supplemental Security Income (SSI), which the Social Security Administration (SSA) manages, provides monthly payments to people with little to no income or other resources. These monthly payments vary depending on household income, living situation, assets, and other means-tested factors.
The program works to reduce poverty and ensure that populations more likely to experience poverty, such as people with disabilities or older adults, have the support they need. To be eligible for SSI, one must have little or no income, have little or no additional resources, and either be blind or disabled (of any age) or be over 65.
Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program
The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), administered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food and Nutrition Administration (FNA; formerly the Food and Nutrition Service), provides food benefits to low-income families via an Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) card. These benefits supplement families’ grocery budgets and help cover the following:
- Fruits and vegetables
- Meat products
- Dairy products
- Breads, cereals, and other grains
- Snacks and nonalcoholic beverages
- Seeds and plants that produce food
SNAP helps families access the food they need, so they can allocate income toward other necessities, such as housing and health care. Eligibility depends on gross and net monthly income and household size.
Temporary Assistance for Needy Families
Overseen by the Administration for Children and Families (ACF), a division of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program delivers block grants to states to design and implement programs that help low-income families with children achieve economic security.
Acknowledging that economic security looks different across communities and locations, ACF allows states to create programs that best fit the needs of their own constituents. In Louisiana, this program is called the Family Independence Temporary Assistance Program (FITAP).
Shape the Future of Social Welfare Policy With Tulane University
Social welfare policy informs the government assistance programs that allow families to not only survive but also build toward a brighter future. With goals such as reducing poverty, homelessness, and food insecurity, social welfare programs promote higher well-being for entire communities.
With a DSW from Tulane School of Social Work, students learn to become researchers and program evaluators who ensure that social welfare policies have a positive impact. As the only DSW program in the United States with a clear focus on building policy research skills, our program helps graduates become impactful social work professionals with the knowledge to turn policy into successful programs.
Designed to be completed in just two and a half years, the Tulane DSW was ranked as one of the top 10 online doctorates in social work programs in 2024. It is one of the first to be accredited by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) and gives students the skills they need to make social work programs more effective.
Find out how Tulane School of Social Work can help you develop effective social welfare policy and programs.
Recommended Readings
How You Can Build Social Work Skills for Leaders in a DSW
MSW Concentrations: Specializing Your Practice
What Are MSW Dual Degree Programs?
Sources:
Administration for Children and Families, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF)
Food and Nutrition Administration, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)
Organization for Economic Co-Operation and Development, Social Policy
Social Security Administration, “Social Welfare in the United States”
Social Security Administration, Supplemental Security Income (SSI)
United States Census Bureau, About Program Income and Public Assistance