The epitome of entitlement mentality!

[peanut1967]

Do disabled people get disability allowance in the States?

in the UK a portion of the allowance is for travel, so wondering if this is the case with your allowances....if so then she gets allowances for travel, she needs to use that portion for travel and not 'other' things.

Like others have said this time tell her that the comittee can pay a portion directly to the transport company you would like to use, and I mean directly, then its up to her to make the rest up.

Angie

 

[Imzadi]

I think we're off the hook now. Sue put the word out on FB that this woman needed a ride, and one woman from town offered to go ahead and drop her off, then go shopping and see a movie and take her home. What an angel. Nothing is engraved in stone yet, but that offer was more than we'd hoped for!

If this woman's car seat breaks too, that $250 donation should go to help pay for that. You might want to warn her ahead of time that last year's ride had his seat broken.

 

[dispor]

Do disabled people get disability allowance in the States?

in the UK a portion of the allowance is for travel, so wondering if this is the case with your allowances....if so then she gets allowances for travel, she needs to use that portion for travel and not 'other' things.

Like others have said this time tell her that the comittee can pay a portion directly to the transport company you would like to use, and I mean directly, then its up to her to make the rest up.

Angie

Here you just get a check and you can use it however you choose.

I agree with the PP, this new volunteer should be warned that her car seat may be broken.

 

[Planogirl]

Wow, your committee is nice. You've definitely gone well beyond what anyone reasonable would expect.

 

[MushyMushy]

Wow, your committee is nice. You've definitely gone well beyond what anyone reasonable would expect.

Back when we were planning our 20th, one of my best friends had suffered a heart attack and lost his business, so we wanted to go ahead and cover his ticket (he ended up not coming because he was so depressed and embarrassed about his situation). Then we decided to have a few tickets set aside for any others who would want to come, but couldn't afford it. We didn't "publish" this offer, but rather brought it up if someone said they couldn't make it for that reason. We grew up in a low income area and wanted the reunion to be all-inclusive rather than just people who could afford to come.

This woman was the only one who took us up on it and then just went WAY overboard in behaving like it was owed to her. In no way did we expect any takers to grovel at our feet in thanks, don't get me wrong. But geez, a bit of gratitude or some form of sincerity is too much to ask?

 

[fey_spirit]

That's not quite how it works here in the states... we barely get enough to live on. (Thank goodness my partner makes a living wage).
That said I have never heard of anyone getting disability for being fat... which makes me really wonder if there aren't mental illnesses at play here.

Do disabled people get disability allowance in the States?

in the UK a portion of the allowance is for travel, so wondering if this is the case with your allowances....if so then she gets allowances for travel, she needs to use that portion for travel and not 'other' things.

Like others have said this time tell her that the comittee can pay a portion directly to the transport company you would like to use, and I mean directly, then its up to her to make the rest up.

Angie

 

[Imzadi]

This woman was the only one who took us up on it and then just went WAY overboard in behaving like it was owed to her. In no way did we expect any takers to grovel at our feet in thanks, don't get me wrong. But geez, a bit of gratitude or some form of sincerity is too much to ask?

I said earlier this woman has an insatiable personality. She devours. She does not give.

That said I have never heard of anyone getting disability for being fat... which makes me really wonder if there aren't mental illnesses at play here.

Being that obese can cause a number of health problems. Her organs are being literally crushed under all the weight. She probably has kidney problems, high blood pressure, heart problems and diabetes.

Type 2 Diabetes runs in my family and I was told to keep my weight down or I might risk getting it. I gained 12 lbs, not 500 lbs, over the last couple years and I worried about getting diabetes. I just got tested for a number of things. The weight gain is due to a thyroid issue and luckily I still don't have diabetes! When the thyroid is taken care of and I can drop the weight, I won't worry as much about the diabetes. But, I digress. I can't imagine anyone being 500 lbs and NOT developing diabetes.

This woman was probably told to have the weight surgery to help her reduce a number of existing health problems, that probably now she can claim as a work disability.

 

[Poppinsme]

That's not quite how it works here in the states... we barely get enough to live on. (Thank goodness my partner makes a living wage).
That said I have never heard of anyone getting disability for being fat... which makes me really wonder if there aren't mental illnesses at play here.

Even though I work at a children's hospital I have worked at adult hospitals. Yes you can get SSI for being fat. And Medicaid (free health care).
Welfare and SSI were set up to give a person a hand up not to live off of the rest of your life. And as always the people that abuse these programs are the ones we hear about.

It would take 8 of us sometimes to move one of these 500+ lb. people to clean them. None of us wanted to do this as we feared WE would be hurt. And we didn't want to take care of them as our patient because we feared injury. Very bad situation.

I say take the money and spend it on yourselves. You deserve it.

 

[disneybound2010]

One of DH's relatives is morbidly obese and yep, he gets SSI for it. HE has a lot of health issues,mainly related to his weight. For awhile, he was working on losing the weight and was doing quite well. We were all supportive of him. WHen he went for his checkup, the Dr. was impressed and told him that if he lo0st about 20-30 lbs more he could even go back to WORK...that ended the diet and exercise! That dirty little 4 letter word was too much for him He's gained it all back and then some.

I also used to work in a nursing home and we had a resident that was close to 500lbs. She pretty much stayed in her bed(she didn't want to be out in the lobby with THOSE people) and had the most exhausting self entitlement isssues I have ever seen. Her room was packed with food and if she didn't want any of that, she would send us out to buy for her. She refused to follow any of the PT's advice and exercises and although she could maneuver to a degree, she refused to help us-usually 4 CNA's- to attend to her daily care. Her thinking was that her family was paying good money for her to be there so she might as well make us work for it! It was truly unbelievable.

 

[Poppinsme]

one of dh's relatives is morbidly obese and yep, he gets ssi for it. He has a lot of health issues,mainly related to his weight. For awhile, he was working on losing the weight and was doing quite well. We were all supportive of him. When he went for his checkup, the dr. Was impressed and told him that if he lo0st about 20-30 lbs more he could even go back to work...that ended the diet and exercise! That dirty little 4 letter word was too much for him He's gained it all back and then some.

I also used to work in a nursing home and we had a resident that was close to 500lbs. She pretty much stayed in her bed(she didn't want to be out in the lobby with those people) and had the most exhausting self entitlement isssues i have ever seen. Her room was packed with food and if she didn't want any of that, she would send us out to buy for her. She refused to follow any of the pt's advice and exercises and although she could maneuver to a degree, she refused to help us-usually 4 cna's- to attend to her daily care. Her thinking was that her family was paying good money for her to be there so she might as well make us work for it! It was truly unbelievable.

Yup!!!

 

[MushyMushy]

That's not quite how it works here in the states... we barely get enough to live on. (Thank goodness my partner makes a living wage).
That said I have never heard of anyone getting disability for being fat... which makes me really wonder if there aren't mental illnesses at play here.

Well, that's entirely possible, but I bet she's got a lot of other physical problems from her weight. She was extremely obese in high school and then after graduation just kept gaining and gaining and gaining. Now what she has told us herself is that she could get the surgery but won't, so I'm assuming that if she had other issues making her obese, the surgery wouldn't work, right? I don't know.

From what I learned working a brief stint in social services, some people in the system have more disposable cash than a lot of working people do. They get ridiculously subsidized housing, plus utilities paid for. The apartment this woman lives in is beautiful. Food stamps, which are very generous in PA. If you know where to go, you can get a clothing allowance. Free medical, needless to say. So whatever cash assistance and/or disability she gets is money in her pocket.

 

[Kim&Chris]

Great advice here and even some laughs Sue needs to be told there is a very fine line between being nice & being manipulated ...this woman has to be told glad we could help you in the past, going over the fund raising books with this economy we can't help you this time..sorry...no guilt ..end of story..

EXACTLY. Time for Sue to wash her hands of this nonsense.

 

[disneybound2010]

Well, that's entirely possible, but I bet she's got a lot of other physical problems from her weight. She was extremely obese in high school and then after graduation just kept gaining and gaining and gaining. Now what she has told us herself is that she could get the surgery but won't, so I'm assuming that if she had other issues making her obese, the surgery wouldn't work, right? I don't know.

From what I learned working a brief stint in social services, some people in the system have more disposable cash than a lot of working people do. They get ridiculously subsidized housing, plus utilities paid for. The apartment this woman lives in is beautiful. Food stamps, which are very generous in PA. If you know where to go, you can get a clothing allowance. Free medical, needless to say. So whatever cash assistance and/or disability she gets is money in her pocket.

This is EXACTLY what DH's relative gets. He gets a nice check, foodstamps and he has practically no bills thanks to all the extra handouts and his paycheck is used to go play bingo and whatever it is he feels like spending it on.

 

[GRUMPY PIRATE]

Wow Op, that give a whole new meaning to the saying: "No good deed goes unpunished"

It does sound like (as others have pointed out) that she was trying to recruit you into the circle of "enblers" that she cultivates.

 

[legalsea]

It used to be that a person could be found ‘presumptively disabled’ for being morbid obese and nothing else.

There was a listing (Section 9.09 in the Listing of Impairments) that laid out heights for men and women, along with weight values. Simple: if you were such-and-such height and weighed at least such-and-such weight, you would be found disabled and so entitled to disability insurance benefits (under Title II) and/or Supplemental Security Income benefits (under Title XVI, if you otherwise met the income/resource requirements).

However, in 1999 the listing was rescinded. A person may still be found disabled due to obesity, but it is no longer a simple matter of height/weight and virtually always involves another impairment (like heart disease, etc). The evaluation standard is in SSR 02-1p.

I have not personally seen a case for many years where a person was judged ‘disabled’ by an Administrative Law Judge simply for obesity. However, I do work at the Federal level, and it could be that ‘downstairs’ (as we refer to the State disability unit that gets these cases first) such people are found disabled (especially if super-obese where they can’t walk, etc).

 

[arminnie]

It would take 8 of us sometimes to move one of these 500+ lb. people to clean them.

That was a horrible problem after Katrina. A few 450-500 lb patients had to be carried up 7-8 flights to the roof so they could be evacuated by helicopter. I don't know how they did it.

At another hospital some patients couldn't go out in most of the boats that were transporting patients out as the boat would sink with 500 lbs.

 

[Poppinsme]

That was a horrible problem after Katrina. A few 450-500 lb patients had to be carried up 7-8 flights to the roof so they could be evacuated by helicopter. I don't know how they did it.

At another hospital some patients couldn't go out in most of the boats that were transporting patients out as the boat would sink with 500 lbs.

It was horrible. Pure hell. Never again.

 

[akhenaten]

The committee already has the perfect response. "Since we subsidized your attendance at the last reunion, we feel that it would be unfair to others who need assistance if you were subsidized this time as well." Essentially she has had her kick at the can, it is someone else's turn now.

excellent response!!!!!

 

[MrsPete]

A little background on this woman, she was morbidly obese in high school and became even more so into adulthood. She is well over 500 pounds. She has told us that doctors have tried getting her to get weight loss surgery, but she is adamantly against it because she would lose her disability and she does NOT want to work.

Not to defend her choices at all . . . but at this point in her life, she probably CAN'T WORK. You said she's never been able to drive. Without transportation, she probably has never had a job. I can't imagine public transportation works well for her. I'd be surprised if she had a degree (or any other training beyond high school). Would you jump at the chance to hire a person with no resume, no experience, no skills? Someone who's been sitting at home for X number of years doing nothing? At most she'd only be able to get something that'd be open to a teenager -- checking groceries or flipping burgers -- and that wouldn't come close to what she's getting on disability.

Again, I'm not defending her choices at all. I'm not being sympathetic -- just analytical. She's screwed up her own life, but I don't see the situation as particularly "fix-able" at this point. Oh, if she herself had motivation, or if she had family who were supportive and were going to help her . . . then she could do it . . . but if she had those things, she wouldn't have reached this point.

 

[akhenaten]

If this woman's car seat breaks too, that $250 donation should go to help pay for that. You might want to warn her ahead of time that last year's ride had his seat broken.

that would be the right thing to do...