In 180 wards, more than half the children are in families receiving out-of-work, means-tested benefits.
But fee-paying schools will probably not be able to avoid offering many more means-tested scholarships.
And the government's strategy of targeting cash on poorer pensioners through means-tested top-ups is discouraging saving.
Winter fuel payments should be means-tested to help pay for care of the elderly, a former minister has said.
Already, 40% of pensioners are eligible for the means-tested pension credit that Mr Brown introduced in 2003.
But there are 184 additional federal, means-tested welfare programs, most jointly financed and administered with the states.
And it is still possible that the final plan may defer the mooted increase in means-tested pensions.
That is foolish. although top-up fees might deter poorer students if applied universally, they could be means-tested.
At present, besides the means-tested help for poorer pensioners, there are two state pensions available to all.
He takes issue with what he says is an over-narrow emphasis on means-tested bursaries offered by fee-charging schools.
As a means-tested benefit, Pension Credit payments are assessed on someone's current income not their National Insurance Contributions.
It also begins to open the door to a proper debate about social transfers, including things like means-tested benefits.
In 50 years' time, claim ministers, one person in three faces retirement on means-tested benefits if current policies continue.
Today, the overwhelming majority of Americans on entitlement programs are taking "means-tested" benefits.
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It is also bolstering the income of poorer pensioners with generous means-tested benefits.
Around 330, 000 households in Wales receive means-tested help with their council tax bills.
Brown was so shaken by the outcry he invented the non means-tested winter fuel allowance to placate his elderly critics.
However, the party's proposals are not without difficulties because some pensioners in receipt of means-tested benefits would be worse off.
By the time I am 65, I suspect it will be means-tested away from anyone with two nickels to rub together.
Finally, they voted down an amendment that would have exempted some cancer patients from being means-tested by ESA, by 63 votes.
The government cites this as the reason why 1m eligible pensioners fail to claim means-tested benefits to which they are entitled.
Medicare also needs to be means-tested: taxpayers no longer can afford to provide health care for Mitt Romney or Barack Obama.
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The problem is that, because the pension credit is means-tested, those who think they will get it have no incentive to save.
And the government's means-tested pension credit, designed to help today's pensioners, makes saving for many workers on moderate incomes a foolish idea.
At this writing, about 35% of Americans (well over 100 million people) are accepting money, goods or services from "means-tested" government programs.
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Younger adults with disabilities are less likely to have such assets, and as a result get care free through the means-tested system.
Deputy Prime Minister and Lib Dem leader Nick Clegg has argued that such benefits may have to be means-tested in the future.
The statement comes amid speculation that the winter fuel allowance and other payments could be means-tested under a new round of spending cuts.
For those who need assistance, means-tested vouchers would be a fairer way of targeting scarce federal resources to those who most need them.
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One way to ease the disparity the CBO found would be to put the Internal Revenue Service in charge of all means-tested government programs.
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