I think there are different kind of safety nets. When economy is good in the US, credit is easy, interests are low and if you have a problem you can pay in the long run.
I think depending where in Europe is the same but you still have some other things that you pay as taxes.
On some other countries you pay for everything and sometimes you have it sometimes not.
It makes me feel that the levels of accessibility to the thing are about the same but they way the uncertainties of life can hit you are different.
There are the negative effects as well. There is all the incentives in the US for health to cost more or for people to do deals with pharmaceuticals or similar businesses.
In other countries a more general public policy is required to make things standardized.
About people only willing to work.
I am 100% sure there people who are not willing to, but in the UK and France and Italy, the illegal immigrants cannot work, literally.
They are not allowed. So what can they do?
Most of them needs to use fake accounts to get a gig job which certainly is more exploratory than a anything.
I was told that Brazil has a policy to integrate immigrants more similar to what Spain is doing now.
The idea is that as soon as you get the safety of not being kicked out, which seems to be quite fast, you need to start working.
Brazil does not have as many public funds available other countries in Europe, but to be honest, some of them have all the incentives for locals to not work as well.
Not saying it is right or wrong. In the UK if you go to a uni and start earning after a certain threshold, you need to start paying back what you spend, but now as the economy is bad it is likely to not have a related job that allows you to pay it back and live a normal life, so you might be better living on benefits because the other option is much worse.
I think it is time for UK to reshape how to pay these bills and the thresholds so people can start working.(And maybe not offering support for random stuff too)