Explain These Attitudes Toward Disability

[Maul the Koala]

I dont have a lot of experience in knowing very many people who are on disability. The one experience I do have is a super poor example so my vision is cloudy by most standards.

Here, in Alberta, we have a program called AISH. It is a income suppliment for people to are disabled. I believe it was set up for the mentally handicapped so they could live on their own or in group homes. It is widely abused now by all sorts of people.

My BIL was dating a woman who claimed she was on AISH for Graves disease. In truth she would have been a functioning member of society if it wasnt for her love of crack. She was using the government run program as a suppliment to her addiction including receiving perscriptions.

The other example i have is a former friend applied for AISH because she didnt want to work. Had a doctor claim she was too depressed to function normally in society but spends alot/most of her time at various church groups.

I feel that if you have a disability and require help you should receive it but abuse of the system is rampant. Also, how or why does your neighbour know that you are on disability, who you vote for, or if you are wearing pink panties. There are just somethings you just dont mention in any conversation.

You know what? Fuck you. Abuse of the system is not rampant. You and your typical 'pull yourself up by the bootstrap' mentality is the reason why people like myself are shy about getting the resources we need. The person may be depressed but you don't know the reasons why they can't work. Get off your judgmental horse and thank whatever deity is present that you aren't disabled and aren't subjected to the constant judgement of 'why can't you work? Your legs work perfectly fine' or the humiliation of trying to get the funding needed to better yourself.

[azzyschnu]

All this? This is the story I'm used to hearing. I don't actually know anyone who's faked it in order to get on disability, but I know plenty of people who should be and aren't.

Yes.

I don't know why people think fakers go on disability so they can live large. Even with the maximum amount you can get on disability here, you'd be paying 70% of your income for rent alone (not including utilities, food, hygiene, other expenses) to live in a tiny bachelor apartment in a small town outside the city. They give you 45% less than a CHEAP bachelor apartment costs - you have to cut into your budget for food and other expenses if you want to live alone. The only way you can possibly afford to live alone on disability without constantly worrying about being able to eat is if you're on the low-income housing list, and the wait list is over 2 years for a place. Seniors get $200 more per month than people on disability here and there's still an epidemic of seniors who are desperately struggling to make ends meet.

Not to say that there aren't people who abuse the system - but the number of people who should be on disability and can't get on it FAR, FAR outweigh those who get on it falsely. You also have to consider when you hear stories about people who aren't disabled being on disability that many disabilities vary in intensity or are invisible. Considering the amount of medical evidence required and the number of people you have to go through in order to get on disability, plus a pretty universal policy of always denying applications the first time to make you 'work for it', it's a safe bet that the vast majority of people who are on it deserve to be - regardless of what your personal opinion based on no personal experience or knowledge of their condition and individual circumstances may be.

Edited to remove personal info.

[Guest Anonymous]

I'm having my own battle with disability. I have Meniere's Disease, and it has been confirmed as bilateral. It's awful, and I wouldn't wish it on anybody. Anyway the company I work for offers free short-term disability, and I also opted to pay for long-term disability. My short-term disability is about to reach it's limit, so I have applied for long-term disability. The insurer is giving me the run-around, and I yesterday I got a denial of benefits letter. I filled out all the necessary paperwork, and my doctor's office is doing everything they can by sending in my medical records. It's just one huge mess right now. :x

[lilwriter85]

Is it easier to get for children?

I have a distant relative who has a boyfriend who gets it for a hurt back--he works under the table mowing lawns. At least 5 of the children in their blended family get it. One is very obviously disabled, the rest get it for ADHD. When two of them were in foster care they were weaned off the medication and were successful, but they were re-diagnosed and applied for social security the second the mom got them back.

The process for children can be difficult at times. I think it comes down to different factors I'm friends with a couple who has an 8 year old with cerebral palsy. This child is wheelchair bound and has difficulty speaking. The process for get benefits for her went pretty smoothly, but my friends have seen other people struggle at times to get benefits for their kids.

[oscar]

It's not just about GETTING benefits - it's also about KEEPING them.

My sister, who has spastic quadriplegia, uses a powered wheelchair and depends on personal care assistance for all of her basic needs, has come perilously close to losing her disability benefits multiple times. Despite being an intellectually capable adult trying her best to comply with all of the policies and requirements of the various programs through which she receives aid, she's accidentally run afoul of poorly-communicated regulations designed to catch people "cheating the system" and wound up in insane bureaucratic tangles while trying to get things reinstated. It's been like hell.

Given the actual experiences of my sister and other people I know, I don't see how pervasive, rampant, long-term cheating could possibly be the problem some people like to claim it is.

geniebelle, my mother-in-law has bilateral Meniere's - that's a rough thing to live with. Wishing you all the best.

[Terrie]

Also, pointing to people who work "under the table" even though they are on disability is a red herring as far as abuse of the system goes. You can work on disability, though there is a limit to how much you can make and still be on disability. It also depends on what system you get your disability through. Work comp is very different from SSD.

The idea that people on disability are lazy is prejudice, plain and simple.

[oscar]

Also, pointing to people who work "under the table" even though they are on disability is a red herring as far as abuse of the system goes. You can work on disability, though there is a limit to how much you can make and still be on disability. It also depends on what system you get your disability through. Work comp is very different from SSD.

The idea that people on disability are lazy is prejudice, plain and simple.

My sister was actually told to work under the table by a social security administrator, rather than risk losing benefits.

Before she went back to grad school, she was a freelance translator, and the way in which income caps for various programs were set did not accommodate fluctuating income.