Working the SSI/umemployment system.

[Blayze]

I think its sad that some people abuse the system, while others that actually need SSI are unable to get it.

 

[Modelworks]

We'd starve to death before we could.


I see this quite often. Another wink and nod going on. There are drugs for bipolar. Never understood how this a disability.

Drugs do not resolve most of the more severe conditions. They only help enough to keep the person stable. Put them in a job or stress them and the medications fail to be enough.

Example:
They hire a guy who does fine at home for a year on medication. Three weeks into the job a customer starts yelling at the guy, he breaks down and starts crying then picks up a clip board and hits the customer.

Things like that happen all the time.

 

[JulesMaximus]

<--Currently on unemployment.

 

[keird]

http://www.ssa.gov/OACT/COLA/SSIamts.html

$674 for individuals or $1,011 for couples. Add free rent for Section 8 housing and whatever other benefits you can get and you start approaching my $50-60K bracket for doing nothing.

Edit: I've seen a 'disabled' 20 year old injured playing vollyball. It made me a little jaded.

 

[highland145]

Drugs do not resolve most of the more severe conditions. They only help enough to keep the person stable. Put them in a job or stress them and the medications fail to be enough.

Example:
They hire a guy who does fine at home for a year on medication. Three weeks into the job a customer starts yelling at the guy, he breaks down and starts crying then picks up a clip board and hits the customer.

Things like that happen all the time.

Not disagreeing. I just see more people in my business that get checks that don't appear to have anything wrong with them, doing side work and the like. Gives me a bad attitude.

Yes, I am very thankful to not need the system and do not begrudge anyone assistance that needs it.

Got a friend with PNE confirmed by 3 Dr's, one of which is the top in the country. Can't work, massive pain (fentanyl patch), wife left him, been trying for 2+ years for SSI. Finally will have a hearing 8/10.

Jules, IIRC, you're fixing to get a job. Luck.

 

[ichy]

Paying disability for "depression" and other nonsense psychiatric problems is just begging for abuse.

 

[Wyndru]

Paying disability for "depression" and other nonsense psychiatric problems is just begging for abuse.

I'm depressed cause I have no job, and I can't go out and get a job cause I'm depressed.

Pay me.

 

[highland145]

I'm depressed cause I have no job, and I can't go out and get a job cause I'm depressed.

Pay me.

Catch 22 disqualifies you for benefits.

 

[Mursilis]

<--Currently on unemployment.

Still?

 

[Beev]

Not really on topic, but I saw the word mentioned earlier in the thread and I just have to say:

Welfare should not exist. Period.

 

[SillyOReilly]

Shouldn't you all be referring to SSD? You get ssi on top of it if you can't live on SSD.

If you receive SSD, you don't ever have to pay it back. If you get SSI and ever have some type of windfall or start to work, you have to pay those benefits back.

 

[boomerang]

Not disagreeing. I just see more people in my business that get checks that don't appear to have anything wrong with them, doing side work and the like. Gives me a bad attitude.

Yes, I am very thankful to not need the system and do not begrudge anyone assistance that needs it.

Got a friend with PNE confirmed by 3 Dr's, one of which is the top in the country. Can't work, massive pain (fentanyl patch), wife left him, been trying for 2+ years for SSI. Finally will have a hearing 8/10.

Jules, IIRC, you're fixing to get a job. Luck.

There's another way to look at this. Yes, some people that truly need it are possibly being denied. But the system makes an individual have to really put forth the effort to get into it. This is not necessarily a bad thing. Imagine how high the numbers would be if the process was easy.

Also, your friend should he be ruled eligible for SSI, will get benefits back to the date of application. That's a good thing. We have a lot of safety nets in place in this country. I live in a rural township and even we have a meals on wheels program for people who need the help.

 

[highland145]

Shouldn't you all be referring to SSD? You get ssi on top of it if you can't live on SSD.

If you receive SSD, you don't ever have to pay it back. If you get SSI and ever have some type of windfall or start to work, you have to pay those benefits back.

No idea. For the last bunch of years I've always lumped any fed disability $ into "SSI". Easier on my brain and it came from my tax $$.

 

[highland145]

There's another way to look at this. Yes, some people that truly need it are possibly being denied. But the system makes an individual have to really put forth the effort to get into it. This is not necessarily a bad thing. Imagine how high the numbers would be if the process was easy.

Also, your friend should he be ruled eligible for SSI, will get benefits back to the date of application. That's a good thing. We have a lot of safety nets in place in this country. I live in a rural township and even we have a meals on wheels program for people who need the help.

Agree that it shouldn't be easy and it's asking too much for a first time competent review and get it settled.

Mentioned before wife's day job is for a congressman. They have a lot of people asking for help with the process. There are some sad cases out there.

My Grandmother delivered meals to her "little old people" til she was 86.:thumbsup:

 

[Kelvrick]

My wife works at the county qualifying people for this. She comes home all the time complaining about people who abuse the system. The process just doesn't let people care because if you do, you'll go crazy.

Example, one of the programs requires that people attend "work training" and things like that in order to continue getting aid. Well, if you don't show up, a letter is sent out and a waiting period before a second letter is sent out. But, at any point in that if they contact the office and say they will show up to the next meeting, the process starts all over.

Double this with the fact that the federal government mandates that a certain percentage of people are required to participate in the program. If not, then the county loses funding but can't reduce the amount of aid, so they gotta cut somewhere else.

EDIT: Oh yea, and the fact that my wife is in the union is a double-edged sword for me. The county is millions short on their budget but she not only got her yearly raise but the yearly cost of living increase as well.

 

[1sikbITCH]

Just took an application on a 22 year old. Her income is federal disability (SSI) and UNEMPLOYMENT. WTF? Asked her how she could draw both. If you can't work for a medical reason, you can't draw unemployment. You get SSI because of some disability. You can earn a limited amount of $$ while drawing SSI. So she earns her max $$, quits her job, waits her penalty period and draws both checks. I am stunned.

Believe I'll be making inquires about this.

A few years from now Social Security will finally discover that she has defrauded them and send her a letter demanding x amount of thousands of dollars be repaid immediately. She will then have no SSI and no unemployment check.

Then she will call an attorney's office such as the one I work for where someone like me will laugh and tell her to go back to whoring for a living because the free ride is over.

 

[1sikbITCH]

Shouldn't you all be referring to SSD? You get ssi on top of it if you can't live on SSD.

If you receive SSD, you don't ever have to pay it back. If you get SSI and ever have some type of windfall or start to work, you have to pay those benefits back.

This is misinformation.

Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) is money drawn off of your retirement benefits. If you have earned enough work credits (you get a letter from the government every year) you are eligible for DIB (disability insurance benefits) if you should be deemed disabled. You can work up to a point but cannot cross the line. For 2010 that line is about $1000, and that number is called Substantial Gainful Activity. With this program you are also eligible for Medicare after you have been disabled for 29 months.

If you do not have enough recent work history and therefore do not currently have enough credits for DIB, you are stuck applying for Supplemental Security Income (SSI). This is the federal welfare program. If you are approved and own a home or a car or even a life insurance policy with cash value, SSA will not pay you. I think the current limit is $2000 in assets. If you get money or aid (even such as free rent) from any other source, SSA will deduct that from your $674 check. This program allows you to have Medicaid, which sucks far worse than Medicare as far as benefit to the claimant.

If at some point you go to work or get a "windfall", you call SSA and tell them about it and they cut your checks off. You don't pay anything back.

The people that have to pay money back are those that defrauded the system by working or collecting money while still collecting SSI checks.