We also need to remember that SSI is under the Social Security umbrella. Talk about a program that is rife with wasteful spending...... ADHD is considered a disability under the program and many single poor mothers are riding that to a free payday. Its not just one child in the household that is receiving this benefit, its MULTIPLE. Also, people living on the streets, in jail, have under-the-table income, receive in-kind benefits from friends and family are all receiving these benefits. SSI goes well beyond the $967/mo (2025 rate) sent to these people. We're talking Medicaid eligibility, food stamps, rent subsidies and/or free housing. The amount of benefits doled out to people who refuse to work is absolutely mind-boggling? But hey, as long as you feel good about keeping people in chained to poverty, lets keep the bene's rolling.
Medicaid, food stamps, rent subsidies, etc, is DSHS, Welfare, and is not social security, and is not what social security recipients automatically get.
Some SS qualify for Medicaid, food stamps, welfare, some dont.
SSI is a joint, combined, kind of disability fund, welfare, administered under SS. It is not traditional SS.
Yes there is some waste, abuse of SSI. But govt clamping down on that to prevent, stop more of that. But that said, it's almost impossible to stop all waste, abuse.
And shouldn't just cut, eliminate the program, as there is a legitimate need for the program for those that not wasting, abusing, that legibly on SSI.
What needs to be done is SSI needs to be split up, where those that legit disabled are administered under SS, and those that get SSI as temporary welfare are administrated under DSHS, SNAP, Welfare, etc.
Mild ADHD, ADD should not be grounds for Disability by itself. If it is, if that is happening, then that needs to stop.
That said more severe legit diagnosed ADHD, or Mild ADHD combined with other disabilities, like learning disabilities, autism, OCD, fetal alcohol syndrome, etc, should be grounds for SSI, SSDI.
I am a in between, that is between, right on borderline between being normal, and being just barely disabled.
I have Mild ADHD, Mild, extremely high functioning Autism, Mild learning disability, where it takes me 1.5 times longer, harder to learn, but once learn, have good learning memory, and had a mild stroke, and mild higher functioning occasional slower walking, mobility, semi problems occasionally.
Now that does not stop me from learning, working, getting jobs, communicating.
But that said, it is, can be HARDER for me, then for normal people, and because I am a in betweener, I come across as normal, unless people know what to look for, recognize, etc, and because of that people have higher expectations, standards that's harder, but not impossible for me to meet then normal people.
It's still a disadvantage, that I have to try to turn into a advantage somehow.
This means that sometimes I'm going to find work easily. Sometimes it will be hard to find work. Sometimes it will be easy for me to keep a job. Sometimes it will be hard for me to keep a job. Sometimes I will be unemployed because of my disability.
I'm sure that there are those that say, will say that I should not get SSDI, SSI, etc.
I'm sure that some would advocate getting rid of SSI, SSDI, not realizing that it would hurt a lot of people like me, just to stop the relative few bad apples comparatively to the many more that not bad apples, that abuse SSI, SSDI, that get SSI, SSDI that should not get SSDI, SSI.
Getting RID of SSI, SSDI, Medicaid, food stamps, etc, is NOT the answer, solution.
The Work First Program, ticket to work program, allowing incentives where recipients can keep some money and not lose all money if work, so that they can stabilize, get better jobs, climb the employment progression, promotion ladder, start a business, get enough money until they don't need SSI, SSDI, Welfare, etc, anymore, because they have learned how to fish, and are fishing, and are taken off SSI, SSDI. Welfare, is the solution, way to go.
That would admittedly cost more on Front End, but would save more on Back End, as those that helped to be able to fish. would be able to provide for themselves, and would pay taxes.
But currently those that seek to get off government Dole, are PUNISHED by the system, and so turn down part time minimum wage jobs, because they will lose their SSI. SSDI, Welfare, etc, and their part time minimum wage job won't pay for Apt, food, Electricity. Bills, etc, and they be homeless, and so they turn down the job, stay on Dole, and stay in their subsided Apts.
A Example of this:
A friend of mine turned down a $3333 per month security Guard job offer, because his caseworker told him that if he took the job, he would lose his money, and would lose his job, be homeless on the street. She said, told him that, did that to manipulate him because WA gets federal matching dollars for everyone on Dole, and if a person gets off the Dole, then WA gets less money, caseworkers lose their jobs, etc.
These problems needs to be fixed through REFORM, EFFECTIVE, COMPETENT SOLUTIONS, and not just ending the programs, which would hurt people that legibly on those programs.
That said, since I am Employed at Subway, and will be employed again once I move down to Phoenix, AZ to be closer to daughter, if I a disabled person can do it, this, then others can to, and those that don't are either lazy, or have given up hope, quit, etc
