Am I being Judgemental?

[darlak]

You took care of your mother? She worked right up until her death according to you

I was just about to post that same question.

 

[dsnycrzy]

You took care of your mother? She worked right up until her death according to you

she was on the heart transplant list for a year which is when I was working 3 jobs while my 2 fat lazy sisters that lived there did nothing. After about a year of that and me almost killing myself on the road half asleep, she got the okay to go back part time. I then gave up the bus station job. It was during this time that she died.

 

[MN_Gal]

(OK-I will preface this post by admitting I only made it to Page 5 before replying)

I work as a Financial Worker for my county (my job is to determine eligibility for public assistance).

Keep in mind that Medical Assistance, Food Stamps & Cash Assistance are all federal programs, but each state has some leeway in determining the eligibility guidelines within the federal mandates. Here, there is a time limit to receive cash assistance and there is a component to be in compliance with working with Employment Services.

If you are unsure about how benefits are calculated in your state or what the income & asset guidelines are, check your state's DHS website.

All states have a welfare fraud hotline where you can report suspected welfare fraud. All reports must be followed up at the county level. If you suspect it-Then call the number for your state.

Regarding how the EIC & tax refunds are considered towards receiving public assistance (and remember each state can determine within the federal mandates how to handle these types of income). Here, one-time yearly receipts (tax refunds, EIC & the upcoming tax rebate) are not considered income in the month received, but would be considered an asset if any of the funds remain in the month after receipt. We do however look at the receipt of these funds for determining Emergency Assistance this time of year. (ie-You have a utility shut off and you didn't use the refund to pay your bill)

Also-regarding the woman who had a special needs child (or for information for anyone who has one)-Each state has guidelines for disabled children. Here there are different guidelines/income limits for certified disabled (receiving SSI) or state certified disabled. Always ask if the child would qualify as disabled. Depending on what was submitted for the child, the agency might not have known about the disability.

And even though I work with this stuff everyday, I always try to remember that things catch up with people and that I work very hard to verify what the clients have reported on the applications, etc.

And what I always tell people that say "So and so gets all this assistance, etc...." is that others may not know all the details of why that particular family receives assistance. (However, many of you know first hand the details)

(And for the record, I too feel that an overhaul is necessary with the public assistance system. And agree with many of the posts I read.)

 

[MN_Gal]

I am guessing a Head Start Teacher, which is hourly pay (low scale) and does not require a degree per se, in Ohio an Associates is preferred but classes can be taken while you are already considered a teacher (also, the JVS EC degree allows someone straight out of HS to teach at Head Start as well).

And yes, her situation disgusts me as well. Taking gifts from family (trips, money, ect...) needs to be counted and reported to the caseworker so it is absolutely illegal for her to take these "gifts" she speaks of unless she does report them, which I doubt as the FS, Medical Card, subsidized housing, help with heating bills, ect... would all be affected or done away with.

Disgusting!

Had to respond to this:

Keep in mind the differences in the states, but if she directly received cash from a relative, the YES it needed to be reported as income.

HOWEVER, payments made on someone's behalf (towards rent, etc) being paid directly to who it is owed (landlord) is not considered income in my state.

It is only considered income and needs to be reported if the cash is given directly to the person, even if that person turns around to pay the landlord with it.

 

[Scrapfriend]

Regarding being "entitled" to a vacation at WDW: As much as I would love to have a vacation at WDW (it has been 11 years since the last one) I do not feel in any way entitled to one. Taxes, mortgage, food, charitible donations, church tithe, tuition, utilities, children's sports and retirement funds all take our income. NO WAY would I sacrifice our charitible donations just to go to WDW, let alone take govn't assistance to do it.

I went to the Philippines this year, if I wasn't already very thankful for my country and how blessed I am, that trip made me even more thankful. I would love to send those who abuse the system to that country so they could witness how other people in this world have to live WITHOUT assistance of their government. I suspect though, that it would not make much of difference in their feelings of entitlement. Too bad.

 

[MN_Gal]

You know, you are right. When my MIL (who was VERY disabled) lived in assisted living, we paid her bills. We actually had to send a letter to Medicaid to report where the money came from. And they go back 60 months. How in the world is this trip getting past Medicaid is what I'm wondering unless they withdrew the cash and had receipts that showed them buying stuff other than the trip costs. They have to be cheating the system somehow.

ETA: Isn't taking money "under the table" illegal, too?

OK-had to reply again (guess I should have gotten past page 5 the first time I replied):

Medicaid for elderly for assited living/nursing homes is calculated differently that a young family.

The reason to go back the 60 months is to ensure there were no improper transfers to qualify for Medical Assistance. Meaning that someone may have $500,000 in assets and just gives it to their children to be below the guidelines. There are seperate guidelines for the Long Term Care portion of Medicaid and each state does have differing guidelines within the federal mandates.

And regarding "under the table income"-It is not illegal to accept it per se, but it is considered fraud if that "under the table income" is not reported to the worker. Counties do prosecute for this and will determine overpayments which are recouped from current benefits or after a period of time go to tax intercept.

 

[hentob]

http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=12859425&postcount=42

Did you put your dates in because we know you're going to disney AGAIN. I say "yes I am and my dates will be in tomorrow". They all wonder how I can afford it with 3 kids being a single mother. I have my ways and it motivates me to not buy dumb stuff and let my bill become things I need to catch up on with my tax refund. I pay for the majority of my trip with my taxes and do the spending money throughout the year. I manage and every year I squeeze out a little more. This year we are going for 30 days, no I can not afford to stay on-site that long ,I wish, but we get in our fun. Howard Johnsons MGE-6 nights, nick-3 nights, Pop Century-7nights and back to HoJo MGE for 11 nights. I hear "WOW YOUR SO LUCKY", Nope I don't think so, I'm thrifty because I love the Mouse and the magic. They ought to try it.

So, you don't work during the summer? How do you get money

At this point, I guess i have to admit I am playing with you a bit You know you are lying. So do we.

Are you a troll? Nobody could hold their head up high and be proud that they are on food stamps, all the while going to WDW for 30+ days

 

[MN_Gal]

The problem is not debt...it is laziness. They do not want to work because they will lose Government charity. That is what it boils down to. I know someone who is on food stamps, medical, and just got a house, 100,000 dollars in an inheritance AND a free car.

Of course they do not report it...I am sure they keep it somewhere it cannot be found, etc....

this is a total rip off of our system. I have no problems with financial aid, single moms who work and cannot put food on the table, etc....but this kind of stuff is CRAZY.

Again-PLEASE call your state's welfare fraud hotline if you suspect welfare fraud.

 

[tasha99]

OK-had to reply again (guess I should have gotten past page 5 the first time I replied):

Medicaid for elderly for assited living/nursing homes is calculated differently that a young family.

The reason to go back the 60 months is to ensure there were no improper transfers to qualify for Medical Assistance. Meaning that someone may have $500,000 in assets and just gives it to their children to be below the guidelines. There are seperate guidelines for the Long Term Care portion of Medicaid and each state does have differing guidelines within the federal mandates.

And regarding "under the table income"-It is not illegal to accept it per se, but it is considered fraud if that "under the table income" is not reported to the worker. Counties do prosecute for this and will determine overpayments which are recouped from current benefits or after a period of time go to tax intercept.

You'd be amazed at how many people think they can gift their house to their kids, then still get Medicaid. We had an elder abuse case last year where a daughter convinced her mother that was the best thing to do, then when the mother was advised otherwise, the daughter wouldn't give the house back. Of course the elderly woman did get her house back, but the nerve of some people! That's gratitude for you--thanks for raising me, mom, but I'm keeping your house even if it means you can't get into a nursing home!

 

[MN_Gal]

ITA. We should be taking care of people who need to get on their feet. We should be caring for elderly people who cannot afford their drugs. We should be helping families of children with disabilities (a good friend of mine has a child with Down Syndrome and gets no assistance because of how much she makes, but could really use assistance for related medical costs). We should not be helping people because they want life to be all butterflies and roses.

Please have your friend contact social services. States have different Medicaid programs when there is a disabled child. Even when an income limit is higher.

Sometimes just asking more pointed questions would be beneficial.

 

[Took]

I would love to spend all of my time volunteering at the local animal shelter. I really, really love animals. My family would like me to be happy too. Unfortunately, the utility company, the water company, the grocery store, and the mortgage company don't care if I'm happy. They are only interested in their own happiness! So, I work in a career that wasn't what I wanted, doing a job I never planned on doing. Why? Because they pay me and offer health benefits. But my children have grown up knowing that you should work for what you want, and take pride in being a productive member of society. I would take any job, and sacrifice my own happiness many times over to instill values, ethics, and character in my children.

My mom always said "There's more to life than personal happiness," meaning, I think, just what you've said above. Words like "sacrifice" and "responsibility" seem to have little meaning to some folks (perhaps, none at all). I just wish the American system was better set up to reward the hard-working poor, of which there are many.

 

[MN_Gal]

Sorry, didn't read through most of the posts but I just wanted to say, No - you're not being judgemental. It drives me crazy how some people manage to "work the system" while so many others are working thier tails off and still losing their homes, etc. I have a friend who also gets financial assistance from the gov't - she is married and lives at her parent's house with her hubby and 3 kids. They pay absolutely NO "household" bills (electricity, heating oil, etc - all paid for by her parents) - once in a while they grab groceries, with food stamps of course, that's about it. She actually told me straightforward once that she has to keep her cell phone plan because that's the only bill she has in her name at her parents address and that she would loose her "benefits" if she didn't have that bill as "proof of address".

PLEASE call and report her to your state's welfare fraud hotline.

I can say that workers try VERY hard to verify the information we are given by the client, but if no one reports things like this, then unfortunately the fraud will continue.

 

[sl_underwood]

I can understand your frustration. The problem is that system works for people who abuse it. Sadly, it rarely helps those who need it most. It is flawed just like the majority of our government programs. I have seen moms who encouraged their teenage daughters to get pregnant just to receive more money and a single mom in a higher education program denied assistance because she was trying to better herself. Why should hard working people be penalized and people who are lazy be rewarded? It doesnt sound right but its the way our welfare system works.

 

[bluesaturn]

That includes WDW tix, Universal ticket (Usually the autotrain but we are driving this year), Howard Johnsons MGE for 14 niights, Nick for 3 nights and pop for 7, gas, food and shopping. That's for my 3 kids and I and my niece. And that was an estimate.

How are you paying to continue your education? Are you receiving tuition assistance for that? Because your month long vacation would pay for an entire year's tuition at a public university.

 

[aka-mad4themouse]

Could we please try to focus on the OP's question and steer away from tangents? There have been a number of snarky comments having to deal with a subtopic on this thread. I'd like to keep this thread open so that the OP can get the feedback she was looking for. But if the conversation continues to venture into baiting posts and snarky responses, it will be closed.

 

[twinsr241]

So much for getting to bed early!! I totally got sucked in and just ready every page.
I won't name any names but someone isn't telling the complete truth, or at least keeps changing their story. I could point out several examples, but just don't have the energy!
Arguing with her is a waste of time!! You won't get a 100% honest response and you will get more and more irritated.
I am going to bed and vowing not to look at this thread ever again!!!!

 

[belle&sebastiansmom]

Good Night Everyone! Happy Posting!

 

[bluesaturn]

Nevermind

 

[bluesaturn]

Nevermind

 

[acename]

This frustrates me. When my daughter was first born and I was staying home for a little while, we could have used some help but my husband made 200 a month too much. The lady actually told me, "If he didn't work you'd be able to get it." I don't understand why people who try can't get help but those who work the "system" can.