Only assistance for those on welfare, if you work no help

[papadsgirls]

honey don't feel bad! I have my niece and nephew living with me! The mother is trying to get them back well i'm not rich, i stuggle to survive! Well I called our local legal aid to see if i could get help the man i talked to told me "I'm sorry if your not a drug head we can't help you!" So i asked him if i became a junkie and wanted to keep my kids you would help me! He told me ya! I was amazed! Now i'm looking at a mother who has tried to kill her son, may get them back cause i can't afford a lawyer and since she is a drug head hers is provided and I get to pay for it! Oh and by the way, we have had her kids 3 years and just nov. she had to start paying child support for her 4 out of 5 kids that she doesn't have custody of! To really top it off! She pays $120.05 for 2 kids for a month! So I well know how you feel!

[momof2inohio]

Still not getting it...I guess I just do not compare our family to others. We started out struggling and never took advantage of any kind of government assistance although at that time we probably could have qualified. I just figured if we could manage without then that is what we would do.

These programs are truly in place for those who really need them. Yes, some take advantage but most do NOT.

I do not get mad because others have things that we do not have. PP said she could manage without the daycare help so I do not see what the big deal is.

Also, I consider all benefits the same. So to me there is no difference between seeking out help for daycare and getting food stamps.

I mean do people really get upset because some kids get to go to the zoo for free and your kids can't? I would just be happy that those kids were able to go to the zoo and have fun.

[abond0017]

Just my two cents....but

I think the whole system is severely broken. It is designed so that many who need it cannot get it when they need it, and many who don't need it are able to easily because they lie or are friendly with the case workers (don't even get me started on the selective nature of case workers on who they want to help).

Plus if you are a single mother with no other support and struggling to get off it, it can be very very hard. You would think they would want to help anyone get off of it.

My mother has one of those 1 year certificates funded by the government. Then when she needed to go to work to actually use it and try to get off welfare, the govt increased her rent due to her new income and then denied her daycare benefits as well. With 2 little boys and no family or friends to reliably help care for them when she needed to work...her certificate became virtually useless because it cost her more money to work. THAT is ridiculous if you ask me.

Now, she also has to home school one of my brothers because of personality/behavior problems that medicaid wanted to institutionalize him for (totally not necessary) because his teachers were complaining so much instead of trying to work with him. So now no there isn't even a hope of working while they are in school.

[PridesnotPower]

@ mom in ohio

You dont have to get it or understand. Yes I am complaining that if you bring in a food stamp award letter you get in the zoo free.

I take my kids out places like the museum, bowling, golf, ect and I have to pay. I dont see why they should not pay. The zoo is two hours away and I havent taken them yet. So I include gas in that cost.

You can look at me as being jealous of other people oh well. You conduct your family in the manner you see fit. At this point I wouldnt mind a little help with the daycare costs. The problem is it is not awarded on a need basis. If a woman has her partner and father of her child working and living with her I think that income should count. But since Im married it counts. I know many people who can afford christmas gifts for their kids but they go around the neighborhood signing up for new toys. I know many people on welfare whose kids had a DS before mine did.

Its a message board and I dont expect everyone to agree with me or feel sorry for me that I dont have free daycare.

[CW&M Mom]

Still not getting it...I guess I just do not compare our family to others. We started out struggling and never took advantage of any kind of government assistance although at that time we probably could have qualified. I just figured if we could manage without then that is what we would do.

These programs are truly in place for those who really need them. Yes, some take advantage but most do NOT.

I do not get mad because others have things that we do not have. PP said she could manage without the daycare help so I do not see what the big deal is.

Also, I consider all benefits the same. So to me there is no difference between seeking out help for daycare and getting food stamps.

I mean do people really get upset because some kids get to go to the zoo for free and your kids can't? I would just be happy that those kids were able to go to the zoo and have fun.

I agree.

Where I'm from the Zoo doesn't let kids on FS get in free...but they have certain days they let kids with disabilities come in free. I think Zoo's probably feel that certain groups of children (disabled, poor ect) have less of a chance to get into the zoo...so letting them come free gives them that chance.

In the end its more about the child then our feelings about it.

I have lived both on assistance and off. Never on earth did I think we would ever need assistance. I way prefer to be able to pay my bills each month and not feel like I'm drowning in worries about unemployment/not enough food/no money for diapers/ how will I pay the mortgage this month/no insurance). IMO anyone that thinks that having to live on assistance is the good life...is either dang crazy or has never lived both.

[motherofmolly]

allowing a free zoo pass to children whose families live on foodstamps allow those children to go to the zoo. the theory is those families do not have extra money (hence needing foodstamps) but the zoo still thinks those children should experience the zoo. it is the same with park district membership and low income...the same with museums giving out free passes to those that are low income and qualify....this is for a reason...not because you can afford it but dont want to pay and prefer to complain that some people have no money and get all this cool stuff free. part of life! i prefer to be able to pay and just pick and chose where i will spend our extra money they trying to take a free spot for someone i think is in need....since i dont see myself as one of those people

[Macaela25]

These programs are truly in place for those who really need them. Yes, some take advantage but most do NOT.

I'm curious...what are you basing this opinion on?

Part of my work for the last 17 years has been determining income-based eligibility for free/subsidized lunch and subsidized child care. I collect income verification and have access to all benefits a family is currently receiving. I am also in the unique position of seeing the families daily to know exactly who lives in the home, who works, who chooses not to, and the families' spending habits.

If I had to estimate over that time period, I would say that at least 1/4 of the clients in no way qualified for benefits but received them fraudulently. Close to 2/3 falsified their applications in some way at some point to receive more benefits or keep from losing what they had.

I'm not saying that the government or agencies should not provide assistance. I'm not remarking on individual's spending choices or whether they buy candy or whole wheat bread. What I am saying is this: there are a great deal of people out there who cannot receive benefits they are eligible for because of the large amount of those people receiving them fraudulently.

[momof2inohio]

As I tell my kids often...sometimes life isn't fair. I bet most of those people that have kids getting into the zoo for free are wishing that they had the extra money so their kids could go to the zoo. I bet they wish they had a job so they could make ends meet. I am sure they are not living this great life with all expenses paid for like some think they are!

My kids go to an overnight summer camp. There are some kids that get to go for free or for a reduced amount. I think its great that the kids are able to go because I am sure their family's budget does not allow them to do many fun things like that.

My kids play sports. Some of the kids do not have to pay, or pay a reduced amount. We pay full price. I would much rather be able to pay full price and not have to worry about it than have my kids be able to play for free yet I am worrying about how I am going to pay my mortgage or electric bill.

Sorry that "some kids on welfare had a DS before your son did". But that is life. Maybe those kids got that as a gift from someone. My kids know not to expect to have everything they want in life. When one of them comes to me complaining about so and so has this and why can't they? I usually tell them that they can buy it when they save their money or its something they don't need.

[npotts]

this is a touchy subject with me i worked as a cashier at fl and 7 out of every 10 people came through with ebt cards if they really need it fine (i made 7.25 hr stood for 8 hrs and could not afford to eat like these people ) why are people that are getting free medical and food allowed to purchase beer and wine cig steaks snow crab legs lobster if they have money for that they can buy their own food i checked out so many that had 1200.00 a month for food family of 4 and i didn't even make that a month point being they are better off not working

[CW&M Mom]

I'm curious...what are you basing this opinion on?

Part of my work for the last 17 years has been determining income-based eligibility for free/subsidized lunch and subsidized child care. I collect income verification and have access to all benefits a family is currently receiving. I am also in the unique position of seeing the families daily to know exactly who lives in the home, who works, who chooses not to, and the families' spending habits.

If I had to estimate over that time period, I would say that at least 1/4 of the clients in no way qualified for benefits but received them fraudulently. Close to 2/3 falsified their applications in some way at some point to receive more benefits or keep from losing what they had.

I'm not saying that the government or agencies should not provide assistance. I'm not remarking on individual's spending choices or whether they buy candy or whole wheat bread. What I am saying is this: there are a great deal of people out there who cannot receive benefits they are eligible for because of the large amount of those people receiving them fraudulently.

I just want to specify the line of talk going on was about food stamps mostly. even if people get FS fraudulently that doesn't stop anyone who can qualify to qualify.

Section 8 housing ....yes.

Food stamps...no.