The 2015 USA Welfare Plan

[crocoduck_hunter]

It's because there's a serious prejudice against disabled people and/or spending government money to help disabled people.

[GenYus234]

And sometimes a touch of "no one is truly that badly off so I don't have to worry about some misfortune making me that badly off".

[Coughdrops]

Exactly. The person who wrote this, like most of the disabled/homeless/poor haters, probably has never once felt emotional pain or not gotten his way, and thinks starvation is what he feels when the servants are two minutes late with the buffet.

If the world were just these people would be bankrupted by an incurable illness that leaves them unable to work and be forced to live on disability, while a constant chorus of "Get a job you bum!" rang in their heads.

[ASL]

Originally Posted by Coughdrops

The person who wrote this, like most of the disabled/homeless/poor haters, probably has never once felt emotional pain or not gotten his way, and thinks starvation is what he feels when the servants are two minutes late with the buffet.

I've met plenty of middle and lower class people who are vehemently opposed to other people getting government assistance. Let's not pin this all on the wealthy. Sometimes it's the people who have felt quite a bit of pain who are the most vehement critics because they make the mistake of generalizing their ability to get out of a rough situation and assume that if they did it, everyone else can if only they work just as hard. Call them on it and they use their personal experience (anecdote) as a club to beat you over the head with.

[Bill]

Originally Posted by ASL

I've met plenty of middle and lower class people who are vehemently opposed to other people getting government assistance. Let's not pin this all on the wealthy. Sometimes it's the people who have felt quite a bit of pain who are the most vehement critics because they make the mistake of generalizing their ability to get out of a rough situation and assume that if they did it, everyone else can if only they work just as hard. Call them on it and they use their personal experience (anecdote) as a club to beat you over the head with.

I'd tend to agree with that.

I'm thinking about my aunt, who had a problem marriage and raised two kids by herself, complaining about people on welfare.

Thanks.

Bill

[Bill]

There was a thread a while ago about the rumor that people on public assistance receive, or can receive, the taxable equivalent of $90,000/year in benefits (i.e., a package of benefits equal to a $90,000/year income before taxes).

http://message.snopes.com/showthread...ght=assistance

There was a study by a conservative group based on 1995 figures, linked in the thread. The $90,000 figure seems high, and the study has been criticized (e.g., a given person or family wouldn't be likely to receive all of the possible benefits).

Thanks.

Bill

[Esprise Me]

Originally Posted by ASL

Sometimes it's the people who have felt quite a bit of pain who are the most vehement critics because they make the mistake of generalizing their ability to get out of a rough situation and assume that if they did it, everyone else can if only they work just as hard.

It's not just people who have experienced and then escaped poverty, either. Some people actively using government assistance still manage to complain about other people doing so. See Alexandra Pelosi's video on Mississippi Republicans that aired on Real Time with Bill Maher a couple years ago, assuming you haven't had the cognitive dissonance-inducing pleasure of meeting such a person in real life.

[Ducky]

SSI and SSDI take YEARS to get approved for, including initial rejection (you're almost always rejected), time and money to retain a lawyer, go to the needed doctors, get said doctors to approve your disability, meet with court appointed doctors, go to hearings, etc and so forth.

I have to wonder if this is by state or something. I know of some people who were rejected first time applying and also took years but many of them applied more than ten years ago- that I know. I could be wrong.

But I applied for SSDI last year- did the paperwork (requested info from doctors/audiologists etc), talked to someone via phone and was approved in less than 6 months. No hearings or court. I of course had to wait for 6 months before it kicked in (standard waiting period). I was quite surprised I was even approved- figured I'd have been rejected right off.

[Avril]

It was similar for my father. No big honking deal. But he does have to fill out paperwork every year to assert that he is still disabled, which is quite odd given that every year all his doctors will continue to agree that he is permanently disabled.

There are some interesting rules, however; if you get SSDI you can't be a stay-at-home parent without a nanny or putting the children into day care if they aren't old enough to look after themselves, for example. And there may be independent verification that you aren't looking after children, even your own.

[Esprise Me]

My WAG is that it might depend somewhat on the disability. Certain things are easier to verify (therefore harder to fake) and may be viewed as more debilitating, whereas others might limit your employment opportunities but not necessarily foreclose them entirely.

[smittykins]

I was approved for SSDI the first time(after being warned by everyone I'd be initially rejected). I was going to apply for SSI but was told I had enough work credits for SSDI(which surprised me since I'd only had one "real" job for 2.5 years).

[Ducky]

Originally Posted by smittykins

I was approved for SSDI the first time(after being warned by everyone I'd be initially rejected). I was going to apply for SSI but was told I had enough work credits for SSDI(which surprised me since I'd only had one "real" job for 2.5 years).

I think back in college I was encouraged to apply for SSI but they rejected me for that because the total income/assets of everyone living in my home was too high. Years later (as in now) I did read up on both... SSI will count any income you have against you, including anyone else's in the house, family or not. SSDI does not count income but relies on your work history and amount you made in the past. I don't know how the SSI is figured though.

[Saitaina]

I'm honestly surprised by those of you who got it first time (surprised, but happy you didn't have the stress and glad to have more data points).

I do wonder how many first time approvals are physical, and how many are mental (no one has to answer, it's more a rhetorical wondering) since physical is often easier to prove (like I said, I've been disabled since eight, with files that out classed encyclopedia's in length and still got rejected the first time).

This moment is both why A. Anecdotal evidence is not always true and B. an interesting look at how similar circumstances can be fundamentally different, both points that are often touted on the site. Life, forever a learning lesson *grins*

[DawnStorm]

Originally Posted by Ducky

But I applied for SSDI last year- did the paperwork (requested info from doctors/audiologists etc), talked to someone via phone and was approved in less than 6 months. No hearings or court. I of course had to wait for 6 months before it kicked in (standard waiting period). I was quite surprised I was even approved- figured I'd have been rejected right off.

Same for DH--we were amazed at how quickly he got it!

[Dasla]

I am on a disability pension. It is an intellectual one for memory problems after develping late onset epilepsy. It is hard to describe but anyone who knows me notices it. My family and workmates etc. Basically I can remember my childhood etc really well but struggle to remember what happened yesterday. But once it gets into long term memory it pretty good. It means I have great differculty learning new tasks. Therefore returning to study or starting a new job is differcult to impossible. Especially as one of my careers is as a clean room Laboratory techinician. In this type of job, getting the technique exactly correct is very important.

I got the pension after half a days testing with a government psychiatrist.

I am now trying to get disabitly insurance through my superannuation provider. I started the process at the end of last year and I am still waiting. I think the super provider just put barriers after barrier untill you give up because you can't afford the lawyer anymore. Fortuantly my lawyer is my Aunt, so I am not paying her. And she has been through this before.