English

Noun

welfare bum ‎(plural welfare bums)

1. (Canada and US, derogatory) A person whose source of income is government public assistance payments, especially one who is lazy and unwilling to work.
   • 1971 June 22, "New Welfare Plan," Palm Beach Post (US), p. A14 (retrieved 9 Nov 2015):

     The program also can shatter once and for all that "welfare bum" myth that has served as an excuse to avoid obligation and sacrifice to aid unfortunate people.

   • 1982 May 25, "Making Welfare Work," Schenectady Gazette (US), p. 26 (retrieved 9 Nov 2015):

     Welfare has long been scorned by those who see only the "welfare bum," able to work but preferring to sit home and collect a government check.

   • 1986 Nov. 14, Jacquie Miller, "Single mothers use song, skit to plead for higher family benefits," Ottawa Citizen (Canada), p. 26 (retrieved 9 Nov 2015):

     Marin, who receives $576 a month in family benefits, says she has to get groceries from a food bank every month to survive. . . . "The other kids tell my kid: ‘Your mother's a welfare bum.’"

   • 2014 Dec. 1, Larissa Burnouf, "Saskatoon landlord tells First Nations woman to kill herself when applying for apartment," APTN News (Canada) (retrieved 9 Nov 2015):

     He also told Sewap to “get a job and stop being a welfare bum.”

Synonyms

• welfare parasite

Derived terms

• corporate welfare bum

See also

• welfare Cadillac
• welfare queen