Suddenly thrown on the world, with a wife and four children, with but the wages of a week for his and their support, they had travelled thus far on the way to a neighboring parish, where he said he had a right to, and must seek, public assistance.

Bush has made public assistance—specifically welfare—a constant target of his campaign rhetoric.

She also signed up for public assistance, and gets $356 a month and $388 in food stamps.

The Tobacco Fund is financed by a deduction from the premiums granted to tobacco producers and it is therefore justified to propose that all public assistance for measures financed under the Fund be provided from the Community own resources in the Fund. http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=OJ:L:2002:331:0016:0022:EN:PDF

Public assistance

Meaning

Noun