In the US, they did studies into welfare/disability fraud and I believe they estimated it to be .5% or less that were suspected of fraud. I will gladly pay taxes for those fraudulent .5% if it means the other 99.5% have enough to survive.
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They are sports or collector trading cards that used to be sold in drug stores and toy stores. They were called “bubblegum” cards because they usually came packed with a stick of (usually stale) chewing gum. Not sure why they lost their popularity but people don’t collect stamps as much either.
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I wondered about this. It’s helpful for me to hear everyone’s answers. I’m unfamiliar with the process and just learning my way now.
My family doctor, psychiatrist, and counselor are all suggesting I go on disability because they don’t think I can work right now. I haven’t been able to work in four years and we’re very low on money. I hope to go back one day.
I’ve sometimes wondered if being institutionalized hasn’t enabled me to engage in harmful activities. I don’t know. My mental illness is pretty overwhelming. I’ve been hospitalized a lot. I fought my commitment in court several times, to no avail. I’ve often thought they were sending me to the hospital when maybe my problems could be resolved outside of an institutionalized setting. They didn’t see it that way, hence the many hospitalizations.
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Not everyone here is American and it’s not the same in every country. Duh.
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Actually the worst abuse I witnessed was a guy who was on SSD plus he inherited a state pension from his mother of like $1000 a month. In addition he ran credit card after credit card up buying things on Amazon, all the pizzas and DVDs he wanted and spending it on hookers.
He’s now dead.
His public housing landlords found out that he lied about his income and were going to evict him. Unfortunately that just made his addictions worse and he went on a big spending binge and was assaulted by a hooker that he thought was stealing from him. Apparently from the stress of the fight he died of a massive heart attack that night at age 55.
Wow. That’s really horrible @keepsimple
Disability is hard to get for most people. I’m sure there are fakes, but I think most people are genuine.
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For me I think I could work now. Not full time. But for a bunch of years there I couldn’t work at all and it’s hard to get back in the swing of things. I fall back on disability.
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No shame in falling back on disability.
No shame in smashing most regulary.
Make the incredible hulk proud young lion.
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You can claim while you work. I.work part time but they don’t think I’m eligible so …
I’m sure some people do.
They don’t have an address to get payments sent to them. Or a lot of people on the streets are too mentally ill and not capable of applying and doing what’s necessary to get benefits. Or some homeless aren’t aware they are eligible for disability.
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i don’t like this question, its triggering, i feel like you are accusing me of something
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I live in the UK and get PIP as well as ESA. Took me 6 months after thy originally refused - and took a strongly worded letter from a consultant psychiatrist that yes i didi actually have Sz not just EUPD and i convinced them to ring my social worker. They are still chasing me after all this time for a medical - but they have left me alone these past few months as i provided them with documents saying i require a home visit.
I still expect them to cut me off at a moments notice - so im grateful everytime i see i paid each month.
As far as abusing it - im afraid to say a large portion of mine does go to cover a bar tab each month. But in my defence - thats my “independance” - i wouldnt see a soul if i wasnt sociable down there and i get 99% of my emotional support from the other locals (more so than the CMHT). I consider the pub a life line in maintaining my MH well-being. And im of the opinion that i should be allowed to spend my money how i so wish anyway.
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Maybe. People have abused all kinds of benefits haven’t they.
If they are caught it can be serious though. Even prison I think. Paying back the money too…which could be lots of money. Imagine.
But I’m not sure: I can’t remember if it was anecdotal or not what I read, etc. etc.
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Also the thing is that people can report benefit fraud, and if I remember correctly, it is a crime if you let it happen under your nose–being aware of someone doing it. I have to double check though that might just be immigration issues.
So imagine having to pretend for however long about it how crap that makes your life, even to friends cos you never know how that friendship may turn out and what they may do if they knew the truth. I don’t know.
I’M from the UK BTW
Oh I might be wrong about that too about it being a crime if you don’t report illegal immigrants. Not sure, it’s too much effort for me to find out right now.
But still if you are caught, I think the consequences may be serious.
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I know you’re in the UK, but in the US we are not legally required to snitch on anyone. One of my neighbors could be brutally murdered, and I would not talk to the police, even if I knew who did it. ■■■■ that, not getting involved so I can be next.
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i have researched somewhat on what ninjastar was saying about it being something around .5%. but also for others who are trying to get on it who need it…
in the US there are 2 kinds of disability… social security disability insurance and supplemental security income. the former is basically a insurance put in place for people who have paid into ss enough that their job or career etc will take care of them if they become disabled due to whatever reason. however when i was trying to get on ssdi i was told by a lawyer, that something like after 6 months your disability insurance will run out and you are no longer eligible for it. every company has different time limits… and also that a lot of the judges are deniers and that they will cherry pick in your report they dont look at the times when you were severely ill and couldnt get out of bed because you were so depressed or were on a episode and distracted by something that noone understood, etc etc.
also the other supplmental is basically for anyone who is 65+ blind or disabled… i was denied every time i applied or appealed until i had to send in my medical records of people who actually dealt with me on a regular basis and knew who i was.
also one person on here said that he goes to the pub to socialize and have friends and support system i think that is good. everyone has their own preference for being happy. if they dont spend it on drugs then its something else like food, video games or a hobby or clothes etc… these are creature comforts and personal effects. for me i am a homebody so i usually dont leave my house because of paranoia and being reclusive.
a lot of the people that are on disability for SZ dont have the means to be able to maintain and or obtain a substantial amount of money or income.
i recently as within past couple months moved out of a group home for the disabled i was there was about a year and half after an episode. and everyone was on disability there was one guy there who we all loved very much and he use to use needles to get high every day for a year and it really fried him… he wasnt all the way there but he was a good person and thats why we loved him. he was one of the more severe cases of sz that i have seen. not all people are triggered by drugs too though, from my research and hearing others stories i have found that if its not the drugs that trigger you its something else like a car wreck or death in family or close one or breakup with a significant other or some life changing trauma that occurred.
what im getting at is that perhaps not everyone can be compared to a extreme case on the spectrum where as people are either like YEA HE DEFINITELY DESERVES IT! or someone else who may be a bit more functioning whereas people think that the person is abusing it. but in actuality it boils down to either you have it or you do not have it…
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I didn’t realize benefits in the USA was based on earning potential. That seems unfair to me.
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