Public Charge

Most legal jurisdictions have a legal principle that restricts or prohibits private agreements, policies and practices that may result in costs being imposed on the state, i.e., the public. Thus for example, contractual provisions that may render someone unemployed or unemployable, and thus dependent on welfare benefits or charity is are least legal suspect or void because they may, without public (and taxpayer) consent, create a liability that the public and taxpayers are then burdened with, known as a ‘tending to create a public charge.’

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