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Disability benefits in various countries?

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Ukguy
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04 Sep 2015, 12:32 pm

GiantHockeyFan wrote:
In my area of Canada, yes. I know someone with 3 degrees (BSci, BEd, MEd) and one with 4 degrees (BCom, BEd, MEd, MBA) and throughout their 20s they made about $2000 a month. I would not say it's cheap to live here: I have a steal of a deal paying only about $850 a month in rent but most pay much more. That is why most people I know under 30 live with their parents. I once applied for a job that paid $10 an hour ($15 in today's $$$) and the other applicant had a CA *and* CMA (accounting) designations along with a Bachelor's Degree and extensive experience.

Even working full time it's is hard to save anything, especially since a car is pretty much mandatory outside of Montreal or Toronto. I was lucky that "only" 450 qualified people applied for my $2100/month job. Not to sound like a jerk, but nobody deserves to make such a ridiculous amount for sitting around, disabled or not.

Just because someone is getting disability benefits doesn't automatically mean they are 'sitting around', they could be doing charity work or other useful activity when their health / disability allows. Also as they are on disability benefits it is not unreasonable to think much of their time could be taken up looking after their health, which is different from just 'sitting around'.

Also you seem to simultaneously imply that $1600 is not a generous amount to live on (given the living costs you mention) but also that it is too much for anyone to 'make' on benefits. So are you saying those on benefits should be really poor or are you just pissed that wages and work conditions are so bad?

In the UK things are similar; there is an over supply of labour and employers can demand applicants have a degree and years of experience even when they are offering low paid work with terrible conditions.....still there are hundreds applications for the job.

But I don't think just because work conditions are crap that the disabled should be forced to live in poverty just so those working can feel better about how crap their own situation is. Those in good health that work are still better off than those on benefits.



GiantHockeyFan
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14 Sep 2015, 7:12 am

Ukguy wrote:
Just because someone is getting disability benefits doesn't automatically mean they are 'sitting around', they could be doing charity work or other useful activity when their health / disability allows. Also as they are on disability benefits it is not unreasonable to think much of their time could be taken up looking after their health, which is different from just 'sitting around'.

True, but even though I felt suicidal, had panic attacks and could barely get out of bed I still never missed work. Even when I would have preferred to be a dentist's chair, I went to work. I could take a fully paid stress leave but I could never look at myself in the mirror to get paid to do nothing.

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But I don't think just because work conditions are crap that the disabled should be forced to live in poverty just so those working can feel better about how crap their own situation is. Those in good health that work are still better off than those on benefits.
I totally agree but the poster was acting like $1600 a month was nothing when he was literally doing nothing to earn it. Disability is not supposed to be a substitute for a full time job. My mother is permanently disabled far worse than the person from Alberta due to a traffic accident and do you know how much she gets? $0 a year.