Are you self-supporting, on disability, or what?

Post Reply New Topic

Most get denied the first try. My niece's mom hired a lawyer to help her navigate the system. The clock starts when you first file, and when you finally get benefits, you receive a lump sum that brings you up to date -- the lawyer gets his fee as a percentage of that lump sum.

I can relate a good bit, I think. I'm still in teens (that's "teens," not "tens") of thousands in credit card debt due to impulsive and compulsive spending. The vast majority of my debt it almost directly attributable to my "special interests." I also signed a mortgage on the first house I walked into (not the wisest of choices, by the way).

I feel fortunate that I'm able to 'earn a living' and help support myself, my wife and our dogs & cats. If it wasn't for them, I doubt I'd get out of the bed, most days. If it wasn't for my loved ones, in general, my ass wouldn't be posting here, you can believe that.

Actually, my ability to earn a living is yet another thing that I just feel guilty about. I've always been fully aware that talent and desire aren't enough to be successful, even before stumbling across this forum (and even without taking mental/physical conditions into account). I've always known how flipping lucky I was: and not just 'cause I was an middle-to-upper-middle-class white kid who was probably going to be given chance after chance. I've known I was lucky because I've been able to see someone else have it much harder, first hand.

My older brother (half-brother, legally; full-brother, emotionally) has AS, too. (As an aside, my father has AS, and I'm growing more convinced that my mom does, too). Anyway, my older brother's intellect absolutely crushes mine. His recall truly does boarder on 'savant' level. And yet he's worked 3 or 4 out of the last 15-20 years, almost always at gigs that were way below him (not to sound snobby or whatever, but the dude is a f___ing genius). How is this fair? Who am I to feel bad about myself when others have it so much worse?

Yes, I am that assh_le who has to take the struggles of others and make it about himself.

Once you're an adult, there is very little help at all. Ideally, I need some equipment which is very expensive. (cheapest being around £2k) If I was a child, I would get a lot of help. As an adult, I get virtually no help at all. Apparently, benefits will pay for it.

I had to check other because I retired after about 45 years of employment. I got a job in 1967 and moved out of my parents house. Even though I've had some serious job related issues I managed to stay employed until I retired in 2009. I'm now on Social Security that was taken out of my paychecks every week and still on my own. I also get a small pension from a place that I worked at for 19 1/2 years. But, I'm still perfectly capable of working part time, prefereably as a backhoe loader operator to supplement my SS and be busy. But it is a b***h out there and no one wants to give me a chance. I don't want to work in nursing homes at Goodwill, Walmart, in an office or any boring job like this. I would rather not work if I can't for once do something I would really love to do.

I can totally relate to this. I don't carry quite that much debt, but several thousand nevertheless. For years and years I didn't have a credit card and got on fine; then I got stranded in some bad weather and had to spend a very cold and miserable night in my car because I didn't have enough money on me to stay at the nearby hotel to which the police were ferrying people. That experience made me decide it would make sense to have a credit card...but within three or four years it was virtually useless in an emergency because I was almost up to my credit limit! I'll certainly never have one again if I ever get the balance paid off. It'd be massively cheaper to hide £150 in the car for emergencies and risk having it stolen.

No-one can understand why I've got myself into this position, and I'm completely unable to explain it – I'm an otherwise pretty grounded and rational person, who just doesn't seem able control the impulse/compulsion to spend if there's something I've convinced myself I've got to have and there's a way of buying it. I'm really glad I came to this thread and read other people's experiences, because it's something I feel really ashamed about. It's good to know I'm not on my own.

I've never had a credit card. No one would give me one because I don't have an income.

I do have a prepaid credit card. It's the kind you go to the store and put money on and you can only spend what is on it.

Self-supportive.

Sometimes you've gotta suck it up, find a job you can do/tolerate, and deal with it... "miserable" or not. Actually, working can make you feel productive and take your mind off of worse mental quams. Better yet, having a plant/pet/kid to take care of gives you an excuse to get out of bed. Assuming you don't want a plant/pet/kid, a job and volunteer role gives you a reason.

Chin up. You'll find a way to support yourself again, be productive, and enjoy life.

Some people can't do that. Sometimes there aren't any jobs that you can do/tolerate that you can actually get.

At some point in time, most people who can communicate in this forum could perform SOME job that is available during some time in their lives. Being on welfare for 50 years would be a travesty. The available job that a person can do might not be one they like, or one that is respected or "meaningful," and they might not keep that job for many years, but we can at least find something we can do for a while. If you can physically perform the job, and you're looking at starving and being homeless-- what you "tolerate" is a hell of a lot more than when you have some family or welfare aid to sponge off for years. The purpose of welfare should be rehabilitation.

Aside from, say, triple amputee war veterans who suffered strokes, PTSD, and all sorts of horrors or, say, terminal cancer patients, we as a society rely on welfare way, way too much. Sometimes it's necessary to find a way to support your own life... and if that's truly impossible, to allow your family to support you.

I do get SSI, since right now I haven't been scheduled to work at my current job since the end of March, so I'm trying to find another job. My ultimate goal is to get a job that pays more than the SSI does so I can completely support myself and be able to pay back into the system through the Social Security deduction on paychecks.

That story is bunk. In order to receive for SSDI or SSI you cannot have more than $2000 in assets. You can't own a home. You can't own multiple vehicles.. Either someone is lying, or you don't understand his situation correctly (are you sure the jet skis, cars and home are owned by him? are you sure that he is on SSDI or SSI? Are you just repreating a story you heard on the radio?)

Was on disability allowance for 5 years, had my annual assessment last month and theyve decided i suddenly dont qualify anymore. Went to my doctor to try and get a note of sickness so I can appeal and she refused (wasnt even my normal doctor, just a stand in). So now Im facing a very f*****g uncertain future. Im gonna go and sign on for job seekers allowance tomorrow, but I dont know how they expect me to find a job when I get panic attacks just going to the shops to buy groceries.

Doctor refuses to prescribe me buspar or anything for my anxiety either, as Im already taking Escitalopram. Basically im f****d for lack of a better term. Its all really stressful and I can feel myself on the verge of shutting down, just trying to cling on and hoping sopmething works out.

I semi support myself. My SO will sometimes help me out, but I live on my own and pay my own bills whenever I can. My parent's don't support me.

I get Ontario Works every month...$230 and my parents help me by providing a place for me to live and food. I go to college but I get OSAP for that which is basically a student loan. I'm in the middle of the process of applying for disability.

You do realize employers can fire employees who can't keep up or don't fit what the company wants in an employee, or they can choose not to even hire you. One can be as willing as they want to work but someone also has to be willing to hire them or let them keep working.........unless of course they can create their own job because they are that creative, but of course not everyone is capable of starting their own business.

I wouldn't mind working.......but who is going to hire someone who might cause problems for the business if they freak out and damage people or objects. Sure I could always not mention it, but then if I get put in a situation that sets me off there would be no covering it up and then I would feel like an ass for allowing that to happen by lying about my mental state.

I imagine your comment is more for the OP, but that is just my perspective on that particular topic. If one has supported themself before it is likely they can again.......the trouble is when you never really have been in a totally self sufficient position.

Last edited by Sweetleaf on 10 Jul 2012, 7:23 am, edited 1 time in total.

I don't think you know very much about mental disorders, because you don't seem to understand they do interfere with functioning and can prevent someone from working at a job. I mean what exactly do you think mental disorders do.....also what good does rehabilitation do if you where never able to function in society in the first place?