Social Securty Needs a Reform

The United States Social Security system has a lot of problems, some of which are easily solved, but the government is too lazy to get up and do anything. It is utterly ridiculous and I am well aware that government benefits could be better. I spent some time in England and have several friends there on benefits. They get Housing benefit, which pays all or most of their rent, DLA (Daily Living Allowance), which I believe is a weekly supplemental income, as well as one I am not sure the name that is a biweekly income. Their lives are much more cushioned than the lives of Americans on benefits. The American Social Security Administration barely pays citizens enough to get by, unless of course you are eligible for things like Native American benefits, SSDI for disabled people who have worked quite a bit already, or any number of other things.

What's worse is that they actually want to decrease benefits of a married couple consisting of two people on benefits. Last time I checked, expenses are usually higher for married couples so why take the benefits away? Are they trying to punish us for marriage? For this reason, many people on benefits do not get married, including myself, although they would very much like to.

Another thing that bothers me about Social Security is their lack of support for people trying to get jobs. They have their Ticket to Work program, but in my experience, it has not proven to be very beneficial unless they have recently changed it. A lot of people on benefits find it hard to find a job, especially if they have little to no experience. Even those who do not have reason to be on disability or other benefits can understand that because it can be hard for everyone to get a job. However, it is even harder for those of us on benefits, especially people like myself who are blind or have any other misunderstood condition. Despite the ADA, discrimination is still far too prevalent. Most of the time, it cannot be proven, though, but it is still obvious. For example, if I, a legally blind individual, apply for a job, and the employer tells me "I'm sorry, but you don't seem to have enough experience." And then Joe Donaldson, a fictional character with no known conditions, applies for the job with six months experience to my two years, and gets the job, what kind of message does that send?

Now here are my ideas to make Social Security more beneficial, to the recipients, businesses, and the government. Everyone wins! Here are my ideas for how Social Security could be reformed to make it better for all.

Give those who are actively searching for work an additional $50/mo or so, provided that they send in a weekly report of what they have done to find a job. I realize this would be tedious but it would reward people for seeking work and may eventually cause them to not need the benefits.

Give companies who hire recipients of SSI benefits a tax cut, maybe $2000 or so. This benefits everyone because the employers get rewarded for hiring someone and they need the position filled anyway, the recipients of the benefits would be making more money from their job than SSI pays them, and the government loses $2k in taxes, but they pay each SSI recipient approximately $6000/yr so in essence they are $4000 richer, which they could either apply to raising SSI for those still on it or putting it toward something else. If they want to ensure that this program would work, add a limitation that the company has to have that employee working for them for at least six months.

In some cities, there are businesses called "lighthouses" which make items for the military and primarily employ the blind. Unfortunately, they fill up fast! However, I think it would be beneficial if the government could endorse more companies to do something like this. It doesn't have to be for the military but some sort of assembly type work. These companies could exist in most, if not all, of the major cities and pay people to work making various items. Simple work but someone has to do it so why not employ those who want something to do?

Personally, I would love to have a job where I am not relying on the government. Even a minimum wage job pays more. I realize there are a lot of blind people out there with good jobs but it is growing harder and harder, especially with little experience. I'm so desperate I am considering going back to telemarketing, an annoying job but one that, at the age of 17, I was paid $8/hr plus commission.

As I said though, even minimum wage part time would work out to be $125/week, which is $500/mo. Of course it would take a full time minimum wage job to surpass SSI but most people don't do minimum wage part time unless they are minors still in school, and even that is only a little over $100 less than what Social Security pays. If I were doing telemarketing part time at $8/hr, even without commission included, I'd be getting a little more than SSI pays and with commission, if I was even just decent but not extremely good, I could still add at least $100/mo or more to that figure. So if those credit card and insurance companies have to pay someone to pester people about junk they don't want, let it be we who don't make enough on benefits.

Can anyone honestly say that $6k/yr is enough to live on? Even if you count two people with 12k, is that enough? Maybe the 12k but it is really pushing it. Most people on SSI benefits have to live with a roommate because they both cannot afford a place of their own and they do not qualify under the income restrictions. Section 8 is far too hard to get into and has a waiting list longer than anyone knows. So seriously, how can they say that they give us enough, or enough incentive or help getting off their benefits. And what about those companies? Well anyway, I am just one individual, and they probably wouldn't listen to me, but I do think I might contact my state representative and suggest it. I may get nowhere but I have to try. I urge anyone else who agrees to do the same.