The Pitfalls of Trying to Receive Disability Benefits or Welfare

As a parent of a child with a disability, my Autistic son cannot receive Social Security benefits, which he should be legally entitled to because he will be disabled for the rest of his life. Why? Because his benefit amount is determined by my income, and they say my husband and I have too much money.

Answer me this, how can I have money, if I don't have a job? Well, according to Social Security, we have too many assets for my son to qualify for benefits. We should have absolutely, positively nothing to our name in order for him to get what he's legally entitled to. This cannot be correct. Unfortunately, it is how we are being treated now.

The government expects us to have nothing. They say that we can have nothing set aside for retirement. We are only allowed to have $6,000 in total assets between my son, my husband, and myself. The value of my husband's work van is more than that! So, we are made to live in near poverty because we are not allowed to have anything? I say this because it seems ludicrous for me to be able to have nothing in order to have my son get the benefits he should be automatically entitled.

Before I married my husband 3 years ago, my son had received Social Security benefits and I had been on welfare for a few years. Unfortunately, I decided to try to move my way up the salary ladder to make a better life for my son and me. They took away his benefits, medical card, etc. when he was 5 years old. I was only making $12 per hour, but according to them, I was making too much money. Ridiculous! The cost of living is so expensive that unless you are willing to live in a hovel in the projects of Chicago(just an example), you are not going to be able to afford to live anywhere that is nice. Why should I have to live in poverty for my son to get what he's entitled to? Why should I not be allowed to hold a good paying job when I have the skills? Apparently, if I do that, then I don't need the assistance.

At this moment in our lives, we need those benefits to provide food, clothing, and housing for my son. According to the government though, because we have a little money in the bank, cars newer than the year 2000, and possess a small retirement fund, we are not eligible for any kind of assistance. Did I mention the fact that neither my husband nor myself are working? We still cannot get any kind of assistance. We were told by the Public Aid office that we would have to drain our retirement funds, have no more than $2000 in assets total before we could receive any kind of assistance. Oh, and did I mention that they think that the small amount of Unemployment I will be receiving is considered too much income?

It is ridiculous. There are people out there that depend on their benefits to live on. If they make the mistake of wanting to work, even part-time, they are at risk of losing their very small amount of benefits. Why should they be penalized for wanting to make a little more money so they can be comfortable? Why should they have to live in poverty to get the benefits that they need? I am not talking about those that abuse the system with their lies. I am talking about people like my son, or like an injured police officer who wants to work, but cannot because it put his pension in jeopardy. That's what makes me so mad. There are people who are in true need, but because they have something, they can get no help. The system needs to be completely redone. I have no suggestions on how to fix it. I just feel that something should be done about this problem. So that people like my son, and the injured police office should not be made to suffer.

Thanks for reading!