If SSD/SSI Disappears, What's Your Backup Plan?

Post Reply New Topic

I lost faith in the government years ago, I've been slowly figuring out ways to live off-grid and sustainably for years. I'm already looking for work. That off-grid house isn't gonna pay for itself. Even if benefits are available, they turn it in to a full-time job to get them. I'd much rather be useful to have around than spend my time arguing about why I need benefits, people love to judge, and love isn't a strong enough word here.

It is hard to get help, even if you're the victim of a crime, the government can be slow or unwilling to respond. The same government would fine me in a heartbeat if a traffic cop saw me drive the wrong way, or I parked too long. They will unapologetically and mercilessly throw you under with outrageous fines and fees. And to think if you live off-grid and sustainably, at the very least you'll still have to pay property taxes.

Sadly, I have no plan.

I tried to look for a job for the last year, and got interviews for a couple jobs, only to be turned down each time. If the government revokes my SSI, that means I have to leave my volunteer job at the animal shelter, and go through the hell of finding a job again. I would also be forced to be dependent on my husband for money, and I don't want that, because would lead to finance troubles, and eventually, divorce. I would feel so hopeless.

I'm finishing a masters off of my second bachelors, yes, and intend to enroll in a PhD program next year. I took a medical retirement in 2010 from my job as a lower-level manager in a small IT company. I receive a combination of private disability insurance from when I was working and standard SSD.

I have spinocerebellar ataxia, which is a degenerative neurological disease that's kind of similar to ALS. It impairs the way I move, speak and see. Right now I can pass as normal on most days, but it continues to worsen because there is no treatment or cure. That sounds awful, but it's not a big deal.

This is why I've been trying so hard to get a full time job that includes a retirement plan in addition to health benefits. If I could just get through the interview process, I'd have been able to support myself much sooner. That's why my Asperger's counts as a legitimate disability because I've never been hired based on an interview, and when layoffs hit, I'm usually the first one without a job.

I do think that if SSD/SSI were to go away, you would see the homeless population increase, since for many, they're unable to work so SSD/SSI is their only source of income, and it barely keeps a roof over their heads and the lights on as it is.