“I Could Work If I Wanted to…”

[indago]

From Fellowship of the Minds 22 October 2014:
----------------------------------------------------------------------
She said the government sends her $1500.00 a month disability check. And, she gets $700.00 a month on an EBT card (food stamps), plus $800.00 a month for rent.”

In addition a free cell phone and 250 minutes free on her phone, per month. It all adds up to $3500.00 a month.

When she was working, she was taking home about $330.00 per week, $1,320 per month. Do the math and then ask yourself why the Hell should she ever go back to work?

If you multiply that by millions of people, you realize the scope of the real problem we face as a country.
----------------------------------------------------------------------

article

[JTA]

From Fellowship of the Minds 22 October 2014:
----------------------------------------------------------------------
She said the government sends her $1500.00 a month disability check. And, she gets $700.00 a month on an EBT card (food stamps), plus $800.00 a month for rent.”

In addition a free cell phone and 250 minutes free on her phone, per month. It all adds up to $3500.00 a month.

When she was working, she was taking home about $330.00 per week, $1,320 per month. Do the math and then ask yourself why the Hell should she ever go back to work?

If you multiply that by millions of people, you realize the scope of the real problem we face as a country.
----------------------------------------------------------------------

article

This sounds like my family.

[O Really]

From the comments... "Why do you post crap like this? Do your research and find out what a disabled person with her wages would actually get for disability. I would bet you’ll be surprised. What are the rules limits for those other benefits? I’ll not believe some rumor based on zero facts without some documentation..."

Getting SS disability is so complicated and tightly governed that it has it's own cottage industry among attorneys. Why should you have to get an attorney to get a benefit for which you qualify? I don't know if this lady is a crook or if the "car salesman" suddenly discovered how to tell an accurate truth or what, but it's not a realistic portrayal of where this money goes.

[rstrong]

[Mr.B]

Lot of intelligent thought went into that post and reply.

[Boatrocker]

From the comments... "Why do you post crap like this? Do your research and find out what a disabled person with her wages would actually get for disability. I would bet you’ll be surprised. What are the rules limits for those other benefits? I’ll not believe some rumor based on zero facts without some documentation..."

Getting SS disability is so complicated and tightly governed that it has it's own cottage industry among attorneys. Why should you have to get an attorney to get a benefit for which you qualify? I don't know if this lady is a crook or if the "car salesman" suddenly discovered how to tell an accurate truth or what, but it's not a realistic portrayal of where this money goes.

That's all well and good, but it doesn't make as good a bumper sticker as the teabagger bullshit.

[O Really]

Lot of intelligent thought went into that post and reply.

Here's one with the same viewpoint as the reply, but with actual facts and no vulgarity.
http://thinkprogress.org/economy/2013/1 ... insurance/

[Mr.B]

"Getting SS disability is so complicated and tightly governed that it has it's own cottage industry among attorneys. Why should you have to get an attorney to get a benefit for which you qualify?"

You wouldn't believe the amount of paperwork and hearings my wife went through to get disability. She was turned down twice.

I agree with your question as to why should you have to get an attorney to get a benefit for which you qualify?

I believe it may have been a class-action that caused her to get a letter advising her the right to have one more hearing, but she would have to retain an attorney to represent her; an attorney appointed by the SS Admin. The attorney would get nothing if she lost again, but would be paid a nice sum if she won.

After two more years of wrangling, she was awarded disability status with back benefits and her attorney got his nice share of what should have been a good part of her benefits package.

I don't see where anyone gets off saying that there is very little fraud in our disability system....that's why benefits are so hard to get to begin with.

[O Really]

I don't see where anyone gets off saying that there is very little fraud in our disability system....that's why benefits are so hard to get to begin with.

The effort to prevent fraud is why benefits are hard to get. Only about 40% of applicants actually get benefits - even after appeals. Not to say nobody has ever defrauded the system or has received benefits under pretense, but every valid audit shows a low rate of successful fraud. Much lower than workers' compensation; much lower than private short- or long-term plans.

[rstrong]

...Lower than "Pretending to be a Canadian"...

(A while back, Ontario had to issue new health cards because of the number of Americans using forged cards to get free health care in Canada.)

[Mr.B]

Let's change gears here a moment.....

Social Security recently announced a 1.7% increase in monthly benefits (wow!) citing the current inflation rate of groceries and everyday needs. That amounted to the average SS recipient receiving around a $20 increase in benefits. (my wife's was $13, mine was $21).

Now...what is not taken into account is the following:
Increases in property taxes...
Increases in insurance deductibles...
Increases in insurance premiums....(health, auto, home, life, etc.)
(my wife received a notice that her health premium would be increased by $43 a month; not received my notice yet)
I recently saw on TV where one of the local towns levied a $45(?) increase in water/sewer rates to offset the costs of major repairs to their systems.

The list goes on; I can't remember all the situations, but y'all get the picture.

It's like the old saying: "Take two steps, slide back one". I don't expect SS to completely supplement my lifestyle, but it seems just as soon as an increase is announced, the cock-eyed money-grabbers are lined up to increase their grabbings!

“I Could Work If I Wanted to…” You work your hiney off all your life, paying in your SS and Medicare; the gummit hopes you will die before you become eligible for benefits, then they do their damn-nest to screw you out of what you earned if you do live long enough to draw benefits.

[Mr.B]

"Who should we credit most for limits on Medicare, SSI and SSD compensation?

My answer: The Pentagon, the GOP and some CS Dems."

...and some sane Dems.....providing there are any.

[Mr.B]

"Re-read your addition to my post. In a thread where you're griping about limits on Medicare, SSI and SSD compensation you just said that we should credit "some sane Dems" for those limits."

Opps.