I have often written negative things about this but I’ve noticed changes in the laws since I’ve dropped out of the labor force. As a public service to those of you who are young and hate the SSDI, or SSI system with a passion I’d like someone to answer these questions:
When you go off of disability do you have to repay the government for what you borrowed?
Is it a good idea to leave if your drugs are expensive.
One time many years ago a doctor suggested I work to “pay for the medicine”. How do you work to pay for the meds, a car, your own place to stay, a spouse and kids, and all those things the normies take for granted? (I don’t want to hear some half-way stuff like why don’t you volunteer until your old so you’ll feel good about it. I want to hear about having a real life. I felt good about my volunteer work but felt bad about the things I missed.)
If you worked your way off SSI, or SSDI how the heck did you do it?
I worked at the Library from May, 1995, to the end of December 2016 mainly as a volunteer although there was between a one to 2 year period I worked there as a part-time employee under the Ticket to Work. (my hours were cut by one hour a day for reasons I’m unsure of although I later discovered that if that didn’t happen I may soon have risked being ineligible for SSI which would have put me in big trouble since they were paying for Risperdal which was expensive at the time.) For part of that time I walked from my Mother’s house to the bus stop about a half mile away which often caused my shoes to make funny noises due to the rain that often fell. We moved soon afterwards to where my Mom had to drive me to the bus-stop. While working I did shelving, put metallic strips in books which helped with theft, reading the shelves to keep the books in order, finding books for people (I loved to find books for kids because they actually appreciated it. Adults didn’t), and counting the racial demographics every month of the new applicants for Library cards. I also periodically did research projects on the local newspaper fiche including one that was made into a book in the research Library.
I then worked as a VISTA volunteer from November 2007 through the end of 2010. I put old files in order and scanned them to a computer and then renamed them. I also put a computer program together by doing the tedious work of putting one file inside of another over and over again that could have data put on it. I also did a lot of odd jobs from putting pumpkins on a truck, to washing pans which was difficult due to the plantar fascitis which had developed in my feet. (I leaned against the sink because I had difficulty standing in place for long periods of time. That problem is worse now.)
I then went back to school and earned a history degree at the associate’s level. I took one class at a time and made straight A’s. Unfortunately my father’s death, my niece leaving home, the stress of moving to my first apartment, and a new drug which had bad side effects destabilized me and I went to the Psych Ward one month after completing the degree. I went to the Psych Ward 3 more times in a half-year and never completely recovered.
I worked as a volunteer because at the time you couldn’t even work for pay on SSI. Later the Ticket to Work came in but as I found out later it’s purpose was to lose my Medicaid which was still paying for expensive medicine which I discovered was the drugs that worked the best for me. I started work for pay when my parents divorced and partially supported my Mom during that time. She had a serious surgery during the VISTA time and an even more serious one during my time in college and I moved out of fear of being stuck in the suburbs and being unable to pay the bills of living in the house with her dead or unable to take care of herself. My brother admitted to me he couldn’t take care of my needs as well. The apartment was miles from most employment and transportation was a public one in a city full of cars. I can’t drive due to an eye condition. I wrote this for fun because I enjoyed my working years to a great extent. I weigh 338 pounds now and have trouble getting around these days. I am at a group home and it’s kinda like the clock has struck midnight. Yet there’s a bus-stop very close and (if I could get in better shape) you never know.
I wouldn’t take a job that didn’t offer medical insurance if I were you. Too much at risk. It sounds like you enjoyed working at the library. I would check with them if you are serious.
I agree with TomCat, I wouldn’t risk losing my health care, look for a job that offers it as a paid benefit. The library sounds like a good place to try to find something. There are good paying jobs in the library system where I live, hopefully it’s the same by you.