Really irks me to constantly hear Social Security referred to as an entitlement program. We, all gainfully employed citizens, pay into Social Security and it's to provide us with a sense of security in the event life slams us into a wall or as a source of income when we retire.
We pay every other kind of tax to provide us with security, such as: decent highways to get us from one place to another safely; quality education for our young people, national security, etc. Bottom Line: There's isn't anything that affects our way of life that isn't paid for by some kind of taxation! Yet our elected officials have the audacity to imply that the taxpayers are more or less trying to leech funds from the government.
Really irks me when "the government" insists on people must jump through every hoop imaginable to prove they need a "helping hand."
Could go on and on and on but one never knows who has access to this board. Need I say more?
They need to hear it though. I'm still fighting for the General Assistance from the state. The guy I was talking to kept going on and on about all the fraud that they see. Honestly, I don't believe him. After four months of door slamming, I think they have an attitude problem. And, I am still waiting.....taps foot... waiting....
I agree that it shouldn't be called an entitlement program or referred to as welfare because those are such negative terms to most people. Politicians use them because of how overtaxed everyone is. Then they go and spend on pork projects and the wars that never end.
Some of the saddest victims are the elderly who cannot live any other way.
I hear you ! I have been working on getting Disability for over 2 years now. Finally got a Feb 1 appeals court date.I would think that being diagnosed with Severe RA 23 years ago , Severe Obstructive sleep Apnea (8yrs)and Degenerative disk disease (1yr) would be enough especially with all the meds/sleepiness etc. but I guess I am wrong again.I paid into the "System" for 25 years and have had to jump through all their hoops while most ( including my Docs) made me feel like I am not " Sick Enough" to qualify for the " Entitlement Program". I have gotten to the point that I dont mention that I am seeking disability to anyone as it seems like I am treated as a 2nd ( or 3rd) class citizen. The Doctors all say they wont do the Disability forms because it takes too much of their time if they did it for all their patients! I just wish They could spend a day in our shoes! Just a day, and then see how they feel!Fiona - I'm so sorry about your Mom. A few years ago I went through a similar experience with my Grandmother. Her "home" was truly awful. Medicaid patients were ignored completely. At least we had family members there, almost everyday, caring for her. We called it the "most expensive motel ever". I felt horrible for the medicaid patients who didn't have family to protect and provide for them. It was ghastly.
We reported the home to the authorities and who gave them a slap on the wrist. We wrote letters to the editor of our newspaper, only to get letters and messages back from people saying they had experienced the same thing at multiple other "homes" all over the area. It was very depressing. And our attempts to contact medicaid to report these crooks were brushed off, "lost", or ignored. It would be laughable if it weren't so tragic.
It's all so sad. The same thing happened to my grandmother. She got pneumonia and the doctor would not return the nursing home's calls. My mom finally asked the staff if they could send her to the local hospital's ER. They said, "Oh yes we can!" Why didn't they think about it in the first place.
My mom talks all the time about how she and Dad will probably go into a nursing home. The thought is so unbearable for me. They took care of two of my grandmothers and my grandfather, covering a period of over 10 years of caretaking. It just wouldn't be fair that they end up that way. But I don't know how I can keep it from happening. I'm pretty sure my siblings are not going to be able to do something else.
I'm so sorry what happened to your loved ones. Maybe I will be able to help my parents in the future. I sure hope so.
Read my post under "Denied Again" and you will read where our benefits are going. Geez, I am getting hot under the collar!! LOL Yeah, 50 is supposed to be a " Magic " number.I am 46 so this doesnt help me any.I could tell you stories about nursing homes that would make you gasp for air......truly awfula dn that does not include the thievery that goes on, that is just the medical attention which is why my sis an dI are dedicated to taking care of our mom. IT is not always easy and it is not always a pleasant thing to do but we really feel as though we have to do it.
ALl this SS and SSI and all the taxes is ever so depressing and it sure does not seem as though anything wonderful will happen about it in the near future.
WE are still paying down money from when my mom had to pay out of pocket for all her medications which totaled more than 0 a month, and she was a teacher with an excellant retirement plan! I must say that the reform for the medical insurance did help her tremendously in that respect. It is so sad to me that all this is happening in our country, only the very rich millionaires and billionares have it so well in their favor.
my uncle said i want to live off his taxes for getting ssd, i laid into him and told him u only get what u paid into the system.makes me mad that some people think they are paying us when in fact i paid for about 30 years into it and i never thought i would become disabled.i didn't ask for ra and most of my family still thinks i'm faking it to get money. i don't want their pitty i just want to be left alone so i can try to teach myself how to live again.i really get tried of how do u feel today also cause i always feel bad and know i will never get better.anymore i just keep to myself and to heck with the rest of them, i won't ever ask them to help me do things either.i hope anyone applying for ssd on here will get it as soon as they can.deanna u really need it and still pray that u can get the help u need soon. bless all of u