Today's high temperature was: 52 degrees
Sunny and nice all day
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I don't have much to say (unusual as that may be.)
Nice and warm feeling today and...I can see grass in one area of the lawn!!!!!
I watched more basketball, which means I cross stitched. I worked on the forms DHS sent me--trying to gather the "proofs" to prove I am not lying. I know/see some people that get so much assistance from DHS. They once gave Dar two thousand dollars to buy a car--she used it to pay off a credit card and they NEVER asked to see proof in the form of a car title. If I tried something like that, I'd be in jail for Welfare Fraud. Don't even get me started on the "people" who live in Detroit the big cities, have many kids with different father's and entire families have lived on Welfare for generations!!!
With me, they want to know if I have life insurance and what is the face value of that policy if I cashed it in--$50.54.
They want to know what happened to the $130.00 a month payment I use to get from GM. I told her I hadn't received any payments from them for two years, but...I gotta have proof. GM has since turned its retirement benefits program over to Fidelity, so finding that proof took me a couple of hours--but I found it on-line, found my account and payment history and printed out the pages that show the amount I got each month for 7 years and also a statement that I am no longer receiving any benefits.
I asked why they couldn't see that I was getting no direct deposit in my checking account statement, which I also have to send to them. She said, "You may have stopped direct deposits and just continued to get checks from them that you cashed so it wouldn't show up in your checking account." That really made me feel warm and fuzzy. BTW--the case worker was very curt and a bit snippy. Obviously she doesn't know that GM sends retirement bennies ONLY by direct deposit.
I had to get an affidavit from the park office that shows how long I have lived here (11 years tomorrow) and how much I pay in rent every month ($357.00). I also had to print out the trailer title, my birth certificate, the title to my 1998 car AND they want to know how much cash I have in the house. I think I have around $6.50 in my bottle return jug.
Then I had to sign a waiver to give them my first born if they found my information was not correct.
All I asked for was food assistance. I didn't request them to pay my Chiropractor bill of $117.50, nor the $30.00 a month I send to the dentist. They won't help with house insurance, although I had to prove I have it. Nor heat and lights, although I have to send in the last bill.
I guess it all has to do with how much they give me in food allowance?
The cut-off on income is $2K, a month, so I qualify for that anyway!!
It actually would just be easier to die and my kids could sell this place, get my $10K life insurance and I wouldn't have to worry anymore.
This has been very stressful for me--we shall see if it is even worth it! I do not like dealing with government agencies!
Unfortunately, the people who game the system have made it harder for people like you. Because of them everyone has to jump though extra hoops and they aren't going to trust anything said without proof. Hang in there and all of us will hope---and in some cases, pray---that all the hassle turns out to be worth the effort.
ReplyDeleteThis is so frustrating to read; I can only imagine how frustrating it is for you to actually jump through all these hoops. I hope you get what you need, and I hope it takes some financial pressure off of you. You have lots of friends out here who care about you.
ReplyDeleteIt's amazing what they make you go through, and yet, we all know there are lots of people who get money out of the system who really don't deserve it. You'd think with all the info they collect they could do a better job of avoiding welfare fraud.
ReplyDeleteOh well, I hope you get some help to relieve the stress, you deserve it!
I'm very sorry you're having to go through all of this, Judy. But, I hope in the long run it will be worth the effort. I'm sure that any little amount they send you'll appreciate. I cannot believe they actually gave Dar $2,000 to buy a car. Had no clue whatsoever that was even possible! I do know that when I worked that p/t job at the grocery store, some of the people would go through my line checking out using FS, I could see out the window in some cases the brand new "luxury" cars they drove. It's none of my business really, but it does make me think. I remember back when I applied for housing assistance for my daughter and I, I made like $5.00 a week too much.
ReplyDeleteGod bless you, Judy.
xoxo
I wonder if Dar knows where the $2,000 came from. There are programs in our state that aren't government funded that give car vouchers out to single women who need transportation to keep their jobs.
DeleteJust hang in there - it seems that if you are honest and trying to get help because you NEED it, it is more difficult than to continue to have children, get more assistance, and not work - just not fair. Ugh.
ReplyDelete