There's 2.6 people per household in the US (try and figure out who the .6 is in your household, if you live by yourself, you must be fat), so, if half of all people live in a household with one person drawing a benefit, then 25% of people are on benefits. Right? My maths skills are soggy.
However, receiving benefits doesn't mean people don't work, or haven't worked.
No it is a bull**** statistic... the OP one.
For example, you move home with your parents because you lost your job and cant keep your home.. this happens quite a lot these days. Your parents are retired.. and bingo, the whole household is now on benefits! Even if you have a job but live with your parents who are retired.. half your house hold (actually more if you are single and living with both parents) is on government support.
We have to be careful with this kind of statistic, since what it includes is often key. Does it include people on Social Security? Yes it does, but that is over 13% of the US population that is on that. Is that fair? They have paid for that privilege after all. How about government workers? Are they included.. dont know as it does not say, but that includes the military. Is it a government benefit? Technically yes. How about students who got government student loans? They included? How about people on food stamps.. yes they are included, but as we know even middle class people are on food stamps these days due to the economic crisis. Is it fair to demonize people on food stamps for something that they had no influence on?
The fact of the matter is not the statistic it self, but why people are part of that statistic.
First off we have to disregard people on Social Security. So the real % is down to 35ish%, still high for some.
Secondly why are people getting government benefits of any kind? Poverty and income inequality. Tackle them, and lower the amount on benefits.
Problem is of course, no one wants to tackle this stuff and find it much easier to just cut benefits and force people into "finding out themselves". In reality it just pushes people into worse poverty and eventually crime. Why? Because the fundamental problems that caused the joblessness and inequality still exist and without fixing them you dont change anything. It is 1929-1933 all over again.. and people on especially the right, cant see it for partisan political reasons.
Lets tackle one issue... the nr. 1 reason for personal bankruptcy in the US... medical expenses. And no, you dont tackle it by making it harder to go bankrupt over medical expenses... But tackle the medical industry and lower costs.. there is no reason that an operation should cost 100k+ when it costs 1/10th of that outside the US. It is stuff like this, and many other issues, that cause the rise in people on government benefits.