An estimated 6 million people—2 percent of the US population—have no income other than food stamps.

[dana_b]

5. A small part of the problem

and from the same article:
"In California, people with convictions for non-violent drug-related offenses are banned for life from receiving TANF cash assistance (called “CalWORKs”), as they are in twelve other states."

So if I as a single mother EVER was charged with a misdemeanor drug possession, I cannot receive welfare in California. There are some other reasons outlined in the article but this is some of the b.s. that the poor have to deal with.