What should be done when people on welfare spend money on vacations?

[tinaluis]

I enjoy my disney trip too much to worry about how and why other people are there.

I'd rather provide help to more people who need it, then let someone go hungry because of my paranoia. I feel so lucky to have food, clothing and shelter, a good job and a loving family. It doesn't bother me to share. Judgement doesn't belong to me. My job is to love those around me, and let the big guy upstairs take care of the rest.

My thoughts exactly!

 

[BuzznBelle'smom]

So wrong! I was commenting on my clients (and I am a social worker) who pay TAXES. There are plenty of people on government assistance who WORK full time and pay plenty of taxes (even on low wage jobs). They get the money back at the end of the year because of their low income and dependent status. THAT was what I was referring to. And they don't use the entire check on disney. They drive up (yes, they have cars so they can go to work) and stay at a cheap hotel, and pack food, and buy one or two days of tickets. They go to thrift stores for school clothes and pay their bills. Those in need are not all scamming. My point was to say that unless we know their individual situations we should not judge. There are people who take and take and take...there are others that work really hard to do right.

I still have huge doubts. The EITC is designed specifically for people you describe--working but low-income individuals. And while I don't want to get into my personal situation, I can say that even I'm surprised at how little tax, relatively, that we pay now with 1 income (DH is an engineer, so a decent one) and 4 kids. The standard deduction alone means people don't pay taxes on quite a bit of income. Sorry, it's early, I don't remember the exact # and don't want to misspeak. And if you're talking about a single earner with kids, they then income tax doesn't kick in until higher.

IF your clients (and co-workers) are truly getting a refund of taxes paid, then they're being foolish. What they are doing is giving the government a tax-free loan of their money for that period of time--up to 15 months! Yikes! They would be much better off decreasing their deductions and putting the difference in a savings account via an auto deduction from their pay check. Then, instead of the refund, they would have cash in hand throughout the year--I say put it in savings only so they could have an emergency fund. I recognize a lot of people would "rather get a check", but it's still silly to do so.

 

[electricmayhemlover]

Yes, everyone needs to get away, and Disney World is a magic place. Maybe instead of people judging others they should start a disney fund for the poor...

 

[MushyMushy]

Yes, everyone needs to get away, and Disney World is a magic place. Maybe instead of people judging others they should start a disney fund for the poor...

Are you serious?

 

[jackskellingtonsgirl]

My cousin has recently announced that she wants to take her DD's tuition grant money and go on a vacation. This is OK, she says, because she hasn't been on a vacation in a long time. She doesn't work, but she is ENTITLED to a vacation because she WANTS one! Her DD is the single mom of 2, and she doesn't know who the father of either child is so she doesn't get any child support. They work the system to death, do interesting things on their taxes, and generally do nothing to better their situations. They also mooch money from other family members. (Not from me, I just observe.)

They should ABSOLUTELY be penalized, but I have no thoughts on how that should come about.

 

[corgi_monster]

My cousin has recently announced that she wants to take her DD's tuition grant money and go on a vacation. This is OK, she says, because she hasn't been on a vacation in a long time. She doesn't work, but she is ENTITLED to a vacation because she WANTS one! Her DD is the single mom of 2, and she doesn't know who the father of either child is so she doesn't get any child support. They work the system to death, do interesting things on their taxes, and generally do nothing to better their situations. They also mooch money from other family members. (Not from me, I just observe.)

They should ABSOLUTELY be penalized, but I have no thoughts on how that should come about.

I got a pell grant once I was no longer under my parents income. It didn't even cover half my educational expenses!!!

People like your cousin make me MAD MAD MAD because I studied hard, graduated with a 4.0 and could have used more grant money. *grrrrr*

 

[electricmayhemlover]

Are you serious?

well, I've always thought that those who try really really hard should have a break every once in a while. Some people really do need help.

 

[Planogirl]

well, I've always thought that those who try really really hard should have a break every once in a while. Some people really do need help.

People need help having their needs met. A trip to WDW is not a need.

 

[Fitswimmer]

People need help having their needs met. A trip to WDW is not a need.

If you want to go to WDW, get a job. If one job won't get you there, get a second job. That's what my Dad did so we could go when I was a kid, and that's what I do now.

IMHO-No healthy person, capable of holding down a job who CHOOSES not to work is ENTITLED to anything.

 

[TCPluto]

IMHO-No healthy person, capable of holding down a job who CHOOSES not to work is ENTITLED to anything.

Exactly.

And if they're getting assistance to have their needs met, they should be able to afford extravagances such as DVC and expensive WDW vacations. A break?? Sure. Just not to one of the most expensive vacation destinations in the country.

 

[MushyMushy]

well, I've always thought that those who try really really hard should have a break every once in a while. Some people really do need help.

We all need breaks, but only once all your basic needs are met! We worked pretty darn hard to get to the point where we could take Disney vacations. I can't imagine anyone feeling they "deserve" to go on someone else's dime. That's outrageous. There are plenty of cheap or even free things one can do for a "break." Picnics, camping, trips to the museum or science center (many places offer a day of free admittance several times a year!).

A luxury vacation isn't something I feel charitable towards.

 

[mtblujeans]

I heard of someone, about 15 years ago, who claimed they were injured at work and was accepting Worker's Comp money, and then took a 2 week cruise. Wha'cha' gonna do?

 

[MushyMushy]

I heard of someone, about 15 years ago, who claimed they were injured at work and was accepting Worker's Comp money, and then took a 2 week cruise. Wha'cha' gonna do?

Complain about it on the DISboards.

 

[mtblujeans]

Complain about it on the DISboards.

But of course!

 

[DMRick]

I heard of someone, about 15 years ago, who claimed they were injured at work and was accepting Worker's Comp money, and then took a 2 week cruise. Wha'cha' gonna do?

I don't understand. Are you saying that if someone was injured at work, and got workers comp he should never go on a vacation? So, my neighbor, who fell off incorrectly put together scaffolding (he did not put it together), and got workmans comp because he broke his back and legs and can hardly walk, should never go away, to Disney or a cruise or anywhere else? Do you think it's easy to get Workmans Comp?

 

[ChrisnSteph]

Nothing can be done about it. So I don't worry about it.

 

[Pop Daddy]

Nothing can be done about it. So I don't worry about it.

please , with that attitude about 80 % of the threads here would die

 

[ChrisnSteph]

please , with that attitude about 80 % of the threads here would die

This is true. Thank you for bringing me back down to earth PD.

 

[CathrynRose]

Gimme a break....

My mom worked her entire life, and worked awfully hard,making VERY good money as a CFO, until she became LEGALLY BLIND at age 50 from diabetes and began rec'vg SS payments, a couple years after that. The process is long and tedious and ate through any savings she had in the mean time, as well as racking up her credit card bills just to survive day to day until it FINALLY was approved.

Youre telling me, when she SAVED up money a little each month in order to go on a WDW trip with us, she was in the wrong? Its her money - she paid into it for 30 some-odd years!

I will never understand this 'holier than thou' attitude when it comes to Disney. Its not just for the rich and well-to-do. If my mom wanted to spend her whopping $1100/month on ice-cream, let her - its HER MONEY! SHE paid into it. Certainly a heckuva lot more then she was getting in return.

She passed away, due to diabetes complications in January of 2006 - so thankfully, for those of you so concerned, she wont be using YOUR money to fund her Disney trips.

 

[MidgeD79]

I started a post a few weeks ago about what people considered "welfare". I was surprised about the opinions that were stated. Some posters offered to be on a committee that would determine how any recipient could spend their money. A family of 4 with income of over $35,000 qualifies for WIC. The program is not meant to give help to families who can't afford to buy the food offered, but to ensure the families get the right kind of nutritional food for children under 5. My dd died while waiting for her SSI/SSDI approval. The decision is still pending. If it is approved, we could get over $20,000 in one lump sum. We will have 6 months to spend it or the kids could lose their medicaid. I cannot put it into an account (nor the EIC) because I can't have over $2,000 in savings. Everyone has a different opinion on what neccessities are. I have never spent more than $15 on a pair of shoes or jeans, do most of the kids school clothes shopping at garage sales, and if any family needs a break, it's ours.