First of all, they turned me down for social assistance help because I was getting to much from Employment Insurance. I make 724.00 a month.

So that was fine, I understood.

Let me tell you too how sick it makes me when i remind myself that my citys social assistance rate for a single person is as follows-

Table of Basic Needs

Shelter Allowance
Family Size Rent or Own Home Board
1 $285 $222
2 $550 $242
3+ $600 $282

Personal Assistance
Shelter Situation Adult Dependent Child

rent, own home, board
$190 $133 $190
in hospital 30 days
or more -$105
Not prescribed $105
in a residential rehabilitation program $81
Not prescribed $81

How do people live off of this amount? That is a disgusting amount. It really irks me.

The other thing i wanted help with them was the Pharmacare program. It basically gives you drug coverage and you simply pay a 5.00 copay.

Well they told me that I make too much to get help with that. I would have to basically make less than 475.00 or have my medications exceed the 475.00 +the rest of whatever I make.

I mean, my medications dont get me wrong are expensive. I take effexor XR, Toridol, Ativan, Clonazepam, and I have a steroid nasal spray, puffers, and birth control which I cannot take right now as I do not have the money.

As of tomorrow I am out of effexor, the most crucial one, again. I have been having to buy it 7 days at a time, paying the 7.99 filling fee each time as I cant afford to buy it in large amounts. I am sure the pharmacy loves this as they make 7.99 off me every week but it is sucking me dry.

I am so frustrated by all of this. I am going to go and have to beg my doctor for meds tomorrow and if he doesnt have any, then I dont know what I am going to do. Im depressed about the whole thing and the shoddy state of our welfare system is making me upset too. So upset I cannot sleep to be honest. I am still awake and, Well, I just dont know what to do. I've had since March 18th off work to recover as I was slipping into dissociation and breaking down again.

I have spent this whole time stressing about money and getting worse. Arguing with my job over whether I deserved a leave of absence. having my EI delayed 7 weeks and having creditors harass me and cut me off because of it. Arguing with social assistance because I "make too much". Worrying about where my next medication is going to come from. Worrying because I can't afford to see a private psychiatrist and therefore have to wait huge amounts of time before I see one. Feeling like I have to do something drastic for anyone to pay any damned attention(dont worry, I dont mean the s word I just mean I have to be extremely upset).Mostly, I feel like my mental health and social services are letting me slip through the cracks when I am supposed to be well. I am NOT ready to go back to work on june 17th, I know it is going to spiral me right back down, yet I do not see that I have any real choice here do I?

I didnt know where to post this so I just posted it in general.

Feeling left out, knocked down, and dragged out,

Mandie

[Maven]

{{{{{{{{Mandie}}}}}}}}}

Social services and all that government stuff can be a real pain. If you don't make enough to live on, but make too much, you get nothing. Who makes the decisions that a person can live on what they give you, and if you make too much that you can afford to care for yourself? Meanwhile, the people who run the government make plenty of money and take it away from the less fortunate. Congress increases their salaries without raising anyone else's.

Mandie, I really feel anger and frustration at your situation. I do get Social Security, but I know how hard it is to live with limited funds. I couldn't live on what I make alone. I have a boyfriend to help me. Still, when I want something and can't afford to get it, it's stressful and upsetting. How are you supposed to get your meds? I would recommend contacting the companies who make your meds, and ask them if they can help you; sometimes they are able to.

I'm really sorry you're in this situation.

thanks maven.

It just makes me angry, you know? The system should be set up in such a way that resources get spread out and there is easily identifiable directions to get that help. Instead everything is made for someone who is mentally disabled( I DO consider mental illness a disability though some might not) to have to jump through effing (pardon my curse) hoops.

Yet the rich(no offence if you are rich) have it easy and large corporations get huge tax shelters and grants for this that and the other thing - where are the grants to help the poor? I know that there are resources out there, why does it have to be made so damned hard that noone can find them?

I am just frustrated and venting.

[Maven]

I don't know this for sure, but I guess the reason it's so hard is because there are so many people who lie and cheat and take advantage when they don't need it. Yet, I don't think this is the whole reason, maybe not even the biggest. I was just talking to my boyfriend today about how corrupt so many in government and power are; and I think they get where they are, into these positions, because they have the ambition, thirst for power, and just know how to lie and manipulate when necessary.

I hear rich people talk about their problems sometimes. I don't doubt they have problems, some of the same ones the Not Rich have. But I'd sure prefer having the problems a rich person has to someone who struggles financially. For anyone who says I don't know what I'm talking about because I've never been rich, I say, then make me rich and show me! Educate me, and I'll choose which I prefer!

I wish I could remember this quote I heard a long time ago...tried Googling it, no luck...but it basically said that it's better to cry in a Mercedes (or other rich car) than a Volvo (or other lower-costing car).

well i think the glaring difference is that at least when you have money, you can take care of your basic needs and be comfortable. Though I am sure aside from that the rich have their own whole set of problems, I just hate living barely scraping by wondering when the power is going to go out, or when Im going to lose my internet, or when I am going to not be able to get food.

Well, I called today and advised them that I needed help with meds again, they told me that they asked for documents and i never brought them in, AND that I was rejected last month?

I didnt know anything about this, they chastized me for not following their policy. I got mad, and cried. And finally someone took notice. They put through an emergency Pharmacare application for me and when I told the lady that the reason I was rejected last month was because I didnt claim all my meds ( I dont fill the non essential ones right now because I cant afford to) but am really supposed to be on like seven medications, SHE CHASTIZED ME FOR THAT TOO.

Well. Sorry for trying to not be a burden on society and trying to scrape by.

YOu know, I really got this sense of " Well your not awful, your just kind of bad, and we cant help you until you are awful."

Anyways, they will do an emergency fill of my effexor xr, for a week which is better than nothing. And they put through the application again and told me to bring ALL my med costs even the non essential ones..........

we shall see.

All this stressing and Im getting a sore throat now

[Maven]

It's hard to know what to do sometimes with the government. If you give them informaiton, sometimes they think you're "milking it," lying, or leaving out information intentionally (intending to deceive). All those forms can make you feel defeated and give you a headache. Not to mention the times when you go see one person/agency/service and they tell you to see someone else, who tells you to go elsewhere, and that place sends you back to the first place you went. Of course, that doesn't just happen with government agencies.

Have some vanilla ice cream for the sore throat.

thanks mave. I am making it anyways. Maybe if I am approved they can pay off my damned power bill.

[Hopefull]

I have met people who told me that the human services building is their second home. I know that social services can be hard.
I hope you manage to get them straigthened out. I wonder if they know that they can add a lot of stress to an already overly stressed person. I am glad that I have insurance-for now. My brother didn't take his cholesterol medicine due to lack of money.
As someone else said, the drug companies do donate medicine sometimes. I think there is a 1-800 number for this sort of a request. I am not sure how to find that number though. You might could try searching the manufacturer's website.

there is for US but not for Canada I dont think I've never been able to find one anyways

[Maven]

When you have to go to a building to wait, I suggest taking a book. It kills the time, at least.