Why Is It People Think Those That Are On Benefits As Being....

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Lazy, or taxpayer's freeloaders? Rant alert and yes this will be a long one..so bare with me.... I think anyone of us who do happen to get any kind of benefits, whether SSI, SSI-D, Food Stamps, etc. have run into this kind of attitude from people, that is that we're lazy, don't want to work, and are freeloaders since we are a "burden to taxpayers". Why is that prey tell? People who have become disabled for whatever reason didn't ASK to become disabled...we would LOVE to work if we could, but if some health/medical problem has cropped up and prevents us from working, the only way we can live at all, that is to pay our rent, and utilities just to get by is to receive benefits of some kind, and for those who have or are trying to get those benefits, it's no easy task by a long shot to get them. Now yes, there are many people who have abused the system...claiming benefits who don't really deserve them, but for those who really, truly need them none of us are exactly living high on the hog...we're not having caviar, champagne and fillet mignon dinners every night, but just basics. Most of us are living in what would be considered below poverty, yes poverty standards. We consider ourselves lucky however, to get those benefits to allow us to have a roof over our heads and provide for life's basic necessities. I've been on SSI benefits since 1996. While my mother was still alive and I was living with her my benefits were so low as to be hysterically ludicrous. My benefits did go up upon her death, but I'm still by no means whopping it up. I do supplement my benefits a bit by writing my articles for various websites and that helps to get a few more necessities in life, or pay more bills. I guess I'm thinking out loud here, since one of my neighbors often commented to a friend of mine who then relay what this neighbor had told her...the idea that "Well she doesn't LOOK disabled." Even my own grandmother who was still alive when I started to get my symptoms thought I was faking my disability and was being lazy and didn't want to work..what a load of crock...Of COURSE I wanted to work and I did for awhile and was a successfully published photographer despite my disability. As long as I was able to go to my Post Office and send out my photo portfolios to get my work published, I WAS WORKING, and had the checks of payment to prove it...yet I still got this negative attitude toward me by people that I was a lazy freeloading beech. Now many of us on SSI or any benefits would LOVE to perhaps work if able, yet the Social Security system often hinders us and punishes us if we do try to find some kind of work to supplement our benefits a tad. And not for luxuries but for more necessities in life. For instance, a person like me on plain SSI (and the only reason I'm on regular SSI rather than SSI-D is I didn't "tally" up enough work points to qualify)..I'm allowed an extra $85.00 a month without my benefits being affected....now not to poo-poo $85.00 a month but crap, I find that unrealistic. Yet, a person on SSI-D can often be allowed up to $500 extra a month (someone on SSI-D will have to verify this for me). Now if we do earn more than that given maximum amount of earnings our benefits are affected...something like for every $2.00 earned, $1.00 is eliminated from the benefits. Like huh? The whole idea of maybe wanting to earn extra in addition to the benefits are for living expenses, not luxuries. Even people on retirement benefits can be penalized and benefits are deducted as well. Since many of us receiving SSI or SSI-D usually can't work full time due to a disability (the whole reason to be on benefits in the first place), even part time work would rake in too much money for what is allowed to earn without benefits affected. All the more reason why yes, many of us do try to find some outlet (like writing articles, etc) that might allow us to work "off the books" As mentioned my benefits that I receive categorizes me as living below poverty level..although strange I don't FEEL poverty-stricken, but naturally and eventually would love to become fully self-sufficient with my own on-line business in photography and kiss the benefits good-bye. Yes, I do still have my dogged determination to "make it" and make it big time. Now don't get me wrong ..I'm very grateful for the benefits I do get, but in no way am I living high on the hog. The only reason I was able to get some extra items even such as my own computer system and film scanner was due to the death of my mother two years ago...she had NO life insurance, no savings or checking accounts...It did turn out that there were some funds from a former place of employment she had...most of that money paid her funeral costs and other bills, what was left over I opted to get my computer/film scanner system a year ago, and believe me it was the best investment I could ever have made for myself..without that extra money, I still be schlepping over to the library to use their computers for a measly hour. Then with some other "extra" money I got tied with my mother, I opted to get a new bed and mattress, if it hadn't been for that money, with the money I get in benefits there would have been no way I could have gotten them, and I'd still be sleeping on a 46 year old bed-frame on a 25-year old mattress. What really often ticks me off is the attitude also of people who will judge us if we don't LOOK disabled...What? Are we all supposed to be bedridden or wheel-chair bound to qualify as disabled? Many medical disabilities are internal ones that can't be seen, but that still doesn't mean a person isn't disabled. I'm just so fed up with people who have the attitude that people who receive benefits of any kind will snub their noses at us, treat us like shat and think we're all lazy, good for nothing freeloaders that are a burden to taxpayers..Like I said..we didn't ASK to become disabled. Off my soapbox.....