Tag: social security


I Hate Thursdays

27
October

There used to be a simple reason that I didn’t look forward to Thursdays: no matter what was going on, my dad was always in a bad mood that day of the week. Now, though, it isn’t quite so simple.

I got on my computer today and was going to do something very, very simple. I was going to set up Genius on iTunes. For some reason, I couldn’t get my password to work with my Apple ID. I tried to reset it, but couldn’t do so the simple (get an email from them) way because I no longer have that email account. I tried to reset it with the security answer, but I couldn’t remember the answer. So, I am waiting on a response from the support folks at Apple. I’m guessing that that will take forever.

I decided that I would call Social Security to check in, once-again, about getting the rest of my disability. I asked why, even though I submitted the paperwork years ago, I still was considered to not be paying my fair share. She asked if I paid a third of the living expenses for the household. Well, as it was defined to me when I started receiving SSI/SSDI, I do. I told her this. She asked how much rent is. I told her we don’t have “rent” since the mortgage is paid off. She asked how much I pay in utilities, and I was taken aback. No one told me in 2004/2005 that I was supposed to pay a third of the monthly utilities. I was told food and rent/taxes. Apparently, by not paying rent and not paying utilities, I am not paying my fair share. Of course, this whole thing fails to take into account that I can’t pay the “fair share.”

No matter how we try to cut back on expenses, monthly expenses (that we still have, since the mortgage is paid off and since I no longer have to cover property taxes for my house) breakdown like this:

Food: between $250-$400/week or $1200-$1600 per month
Utilities: about $260/month
Telephone: about $100 per month

That means that the total maximum monthly expense for the entire household would be about $1960. I am expected to pay one-third of this amount. One-third of $1960 is $653.33. I only get around $470. The total I could get if I got the maximum SSI amount is like $670. How the fuck am I supposed to cover the $653.33 with $470? Even at the minimum amounts, I would be expected to put forth $520 per month. Will someone please tell me how I would ever be able to pay the one-third amount because I don’t think it is possible?

Also, if I am expected to pay for things like utilities and the telephone, then why wasn’t I told this all those years ago? Why was it specifically food and shelter? And why was I told that the amount I was expected to pay was (at most) $250?

So, thank you Social Security Administration, you have helped to make sure that this day really is shitty for me. Oh, and I am supposed to be waiting for someone from the local office to call. They don’t usually call. When they do, they usually can’t find things or they’ll have the wrong information. (I think it was someone from the local office that reported that I had too many resources a while back, which was when I got stripped of benefits for a while.)

I hope that tomorrow doesn’t suck so much. Of course, I’m going to see my rheumatologist and that hasn’t been an enjoyable experience in a very, very long time. Except for the fact that he gives me medicine for my pain, I don’t really get any help from seeing him.

1 comment » | Confessions, Internet, Mental Health, Music Stuff, Rants, Sickness and Health

One Week

10
February

Today is the 10th of February, which means that there’s exactly 1 week until my birthday. (Presents would be awesome. Heh. I kid. I kid.) It also means that in 2 days I will be exactly the same age that my mother was when she had me. I don’t think that I’m ready to be 27 yet. Of course, I guess that doesn’t matter since we all end up aging whether we’re ready for it or not.

As I did last year, I’ve set up a birthday wish for donations to be sent to AARDA. I’m doing better in donations this year. Instead of $0 raised so far, I’ve actually raised $10. The person who donated is one of my friends who has MS, which is an autoimmune disorder. I was a bit surprised that anyone donated.

Since it’s almost birthday time, it was also time to renew fps. (Like I’ve mentioned multitudes of times, fps is going to be 10 this year and was a present from my mom for my 17th birthday.) So, this domain will be around for another year. (I plan on keeping it much longer.) I also renewed the domains for several of my tumblrs and my opinions blog. (I need to blog more on the latter domain.)

In non-related birthday stuff, I need to start getting together all the information that I’ll need for my rheumatology appointment in Birmingham. I tend to go to these kinds of appointments with absolutely no information on-hand and fill out the forms from my (shrinks-when-I’m-nervous) memory. I don’t want to do that this time, so I guess that means I have work to do.

Comment » | 10 Years of Madness, Confessions, FPS-Related, Friends, Geekery, Plans for Life, Purchases, Tumblr

Play By The Rules

1
February

So, even though the garnishment was dismissed by the judge, the wonderful Wells Fargo people refuse to lift the garnishment from the account until they have word from the court (a copy of the letter we got doesn’t count apparently) and will not be giving the money back. According to their legal department, they don’t have to give back the money because of the wording on the writ of garnishment. Who cares that the garnishment was dismissed? Who cares that they had taken the money before they were supposed to? Who cares that they took money from people whose money should have been left untouched?

It is absolutely ridiculous that they feel the need to do this whole thing. It seems like they would care about building a sense of trust with the folks who bank with them. Instead, it appears that they are more interested in holding onto money that doesn’t belong to them. So, it looks like this will probably be taken to the court in another form–a lawsuit.

Comment » | 10 Years of Madness, Family, General, Purchases, Rants

The Wait Is Over

28
January

The Judge sent a letter to the lawyer today that said that the Writ of Garnishment has been dismissed. My mom and I were quite happy to hear that when the lawyer called, and my dad was happy when he found out. Of course, we’re still going to have to wait for the money to be put back in the bank–if it ever is.

But I think there has been a bit more joy to end this week than there was towards the beginning. I just wish that none of this had ever happened in the first place.

4 comments » | Confessions, Family, General, Purchases

Writ of Stupidity

26
January

My parents went yesterday to stop Wells Fargo from garnishing their account since the only thing in it was the disability payment from Social Security. When they got there, they were apparently told that the less than $200 in their account had already been seized by the bank–most of it for the bank’s $100 fee. This, as you might already know, was the wrong thing to do.

My parents had 30 days to respond to the order which was issued on the 19th (a week today). That meant that the money wasn’t supposed to be garnished for those 30 days. The money was gone within the first week, though. So, my parents had to go to the local Legal Aid office.

They found out that a lot of banks do this. They also found out that the lawyer’s office (Nathan & Nathan) that pursued the debt has a tendency to pursue debts that they know can’t be paid–thus they pursue frivolous lawsuits.

My parents and I have to go in tomorrow to the Legal Aid office to sign some paperwork to stop the garnishment. (I have to go since $200 of my money goes into their account every month to cover the expenses I’m supposed to pay as part of the SSI thing.) The lawyers told my parents that they probably won’t get the money back, but that hopefully this will stop the freezing of the account and will prevent any more money from being taken.

1 comment » | Causes, Confessions, Family, General, National Weirdness, Plans for Life, Rants

Dear Banks, Creditors, and Other Financial Idiots

25
January

I understand that times are tough and that you need all the money that you can get, but garnishing accounts that only have disability payments going into them is going a little too far. And doing this before you were supposed to, according to the Writ of Garnishment, makes the situation even more incredulous. I find it hard to believe that you or your computers can’t compute what “US TREASURY 303 SOC SEC” would stand for. I also find it hard to believe that you don’t understand how long 30 days from the date of issue would be. So, it is a bit baffling that you would go ahead and take money that you shouldn’t be able to take under any circumstances before the proper time or, even, at all.

Over the years, you have scoffed at those unable to pay bills, suggested that some pawn anything that is worth even a minimal amount, charged fees to people with little to no resources, and basically acted like you could do whatever you wanted. You have not understood when people would explain that they had no job, couldn’t work, or were limited in some other way. You have, then, begged for everyone to please feel sorry for you after you mismanaged your own financial welfare by paying exorbitant salaries to people who sit on their asses all day every day and funding retreats for those same people.

Now, I know that you might not be aware of state laws with regard to what you might be allowed to say, do, or take, but you should understand that you are federally prohibited from garnishing any moneys that come from Social Security, SSI, or the VA. Since this is a federal law, and not just some dinky state or local law, then it means that you should know when you’re doing the wrong kind of shit. Okay?

So, please, stop your idiocy!

PS – This is part of why I hate capitalism!

Comment » | 10 Years of Madness, Causes, Confessions, Family, Letters, National Weirdness, Purchases, Rants

This Not That

29
December

In 2008, I started trying to get my property tax waiver. (As a disabled person, I qualify for a waiver of the property tax.) I didn’t get it then because the paperwork submitted didn’t prove that I have a “total and permanent disability”. I had submitted a Proof of Income letter, which is generally acceptable to prove that a person receives SSDI payments. Not for the Alabama Department of Revenue.

Well, today, I went to the Social Security Administration office in town. I waited for about an hour. I got my original 2005 award letter, which is the thing that was supposedly required for the waiver. (It was the one declaring me disabled and wasn’t from the period from 1992 until 2002, when my mother received $100/month to help take care of me. The girl at the office was very specific about this.) After that hour, my father and I trekked to downtown and went to the office of the Tax Assessor for the county. I handed over my award letter. Person #1 had to call person #2. Person #2 and #1 went to #2′s desk, where they debated and discussed why I was rejected the first time. They determined that they would come tell me that this new award letter was the same thing that I had given before and would not suffice. They also said that because it didn’t say I had a total, permanent disability, it wouldn’t be considered legitimate. The letter didn’t say those specific words. It did mention, many times, the term “disabled”. It also mentioned my case would be reviewed in 2007. (The other letter, which they still had a copy of, was from 2008, when I was still receiving benefits.) I eventually got to see the actual Tax Assessor, who said that they would send the old information with the new information and that it should work, but that the Department of Revenue might not approve it because of the terminology used in the letter. She said I might have to go and have 1-2 doctors declare me permanently disabled.

For the record, a permanent disability is generally one that will last at least 1 year and will typically end in death. That the general legal definition, at least. According to the SSA, the definition is:

“Disability” under Social Security is based on your inability to work. We consider you disabled under Social Security rules if:

  • You cannot do work that you did before;
  • We decide that you cannot adjust to other work because of your medical condition(s); and
  • Your disability has lasted or is expected to last for at least one year or to result in death.

To qualify, I had to have an income below $1000, have a severe problem that would keep me from working, have a disorder from the list – aka the Blue Book (I had 6 at that time–8 now are on my file), have an inability to do work done previously or any other kind of work. I had to submit pretty much my entire medical history to the SSA. I also had to go to 2 different doctors, chosen by the SSA folks, and go through tests, exams, etc. I qualified and was approved after all of this was reviewed. Apparently, though, this may not be enough for the State of Alabama to agree that I am, in fact, disabled.

If the state does determine that I’m disabled, though, the Tax Assessor said that it would apply from the first time I applied for the waiver–so 3 years x about $400-$450 = good. I just am not counting on it. Things in life are never that easy.

Keep your fingers crossed, I guess.

Comment » | Alabama Weirdness, Confessions, General, Mental Health, Rants, Sickness and Health

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