Number of Iowans on welfare goes up

After seven years of decline, there’s an increase in the number of Iowans who’re signing up for welfare. Bob Krebs of the Iowa Department of Human Services says from July through April, there was a three percent increase.About 20-thousand Iowans were signed up for welfare benefits in April. Krebs says the increase can be linked to an economic downturn.Iowa enacted “welfare reform” in 1993, hailed by then-Governor Terry Branstad as the means for breaking the cycle of dependence. A recent report found about a third of Iowans who leave welfare end up back in the system within a year. Krebs says they’ve reached a point where the number of new cases going on welfare has matched those going off. He says that means any slight change in the numbers is noticeable.Several other states have recorded recent increases in their welfare rolls.