[shortandcute]

According to a newspaper article I read a couple of days ago, those of us with invisible or less obvious disabilities:

could hold a job, but don't, preferring to collect disability checks unto the decades, We are seen ",,,,at the coffee shops refilling....cups at leisure, or even pumping iron at the gym." (OMG--Evil us)

.....and many of us "are older blue collar workers out of a job preferring to collect these inflation-adjusted monthly checks to doing some low wage gig at a hamburger place" and that our diagnoses are "self-made." Wow! If she only knew......

[Travelinglady]

I wish I could hold a job! I am still devastated that I can't work. I am now to the point where I can't even sweep a floor, etc. All that on top of having bipolar disorder. But a person looking at me might think I am fine. After all, I try to smile and keep a postive attitude.....

[sabby]

Well, unless that person "asked" the folks they claim are on disability if they are indeed on disability, then they are making an ***** out of themselves by *****uming.

I only wish I could afford to go to a coffee shop for heaven's sake! Not on my disability $$, that's for sure.

I'm with PAYNE, I would much rather be working than barely subsisting off of disability.

I wouldn't wish this situation on my worst enemy......but maybe the individual who made that uneducated comment might find it happening to themselves or one of their loved ones at some point in time. I'll bet they change their minds real quick like!

[Travelinglady]

It's not just the money, Sabby. I actually enjoyed teaching.

I wish those people could actually go through the process of filing for disability.
When your own doctors say you can't work and should apply for disability and when the doctor who Social Security sends you to agrees you can't work and should receive disability yet the people who actually make the decision say you don't qualify... well obviously people can't just decide they don't want to work anymore and would rather sit back and count on a government check.
If you qualified according to SS shortandcute then it's yours so don't let any conservative hypocrite make you feel guilty.

People seem to think you have to look disabled to be disabled...and heck I have had to become a great actress around friends and family (and when I did have a job) so people wouldn't know how completely screwed up and dysfunctional I am. I can barely get a few groceries and not have an anxiety attack. But I probably LOOK normal at a glance.
I grew up with a mother who had MS and couldn't walk and had lots of other issues caused by the MS, so of course no one would hesitate not to call her disabled. But the definition is not that simple.
People can be so clueless and rude.
I am getting ready to file for disability...bring on the anxiety attacks.

[Maven]

I'm (probably) going back to college, but my attempt last fall didn't work out so well. I am doing this, even though I'm not sure I could handle a job! I would rather get a good salary than the disability money I get, because it's not that much.

I think it would be great if some type of work could be allowed or even integrated into the program based on the abilities of the individual.
I'm not sure how to express this but I think people need work. It fulfills some basic need for... something It just makes you feel better about yourself.

I want to be very clear that I'm not talking about some "work for welfare" type thing that we've seen proposed by people angry because they feel some people are getting a "free ride." I think it would benefit the individual and benefit society too.
Sorry for getting off topic.

Being on disability is depressing enough without having any one judge you for why you are on it. I know I've been through enough without having to worry what people are thinking about why I'm on it and that's why I don't tell anyone. Although I guess its not hard for them to figure out.
Working does give you a sense of worth, and I miss it. To integrate that into the programs for that reason makes sense. I know I miss the rewarding feeling after working.

[spondiferous]

We have the same problem here. People always saying that people on disability and other social assistance benefits are 'freeloaders' or 'junkies'. I'd love to see those people try to live on 600 to 900 a month and find out just how easy it is to freeload off of that. Here, on disability, you can make up to 800 extra a month without being penalized but of course that's assuming you can actually work. Not everyone can. I go back on forth on the idea of getting a job. A big part of me wants to work but I'm afraid I can't handle it. It took me over a year to decide to finally leave my job (salary, full benefits, transportation and RRSP matching) after my mental illness kicked in again. I think it's just easier for people to point fingers at others than to look at their own role in the problem (myself included).

[shortandcute]

.....and I found out that I'm only gonNA GET ABOUT $300 a month if and when I do get disability---which is way less than what I would be getting on a minimum wage job!