Research on US programs for the needy (i.e., welfare, unemployment, housing assistance, Food Stamps and health insurance), published by the New York Times, reveals that as millions of people seek aid, they are finding a complex system that reaches some and rejects others.

 

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/10/us/10safetynet.html

 

A multimedia presentation of results across states can be found here:

 

http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2009/05/09/us/0509-safety-net.html