Iv heard that if you don't have people helping you apply they can say no due to the fact you were working so hard to get it. Literally doing what you needed to get it proved you could do a job just like it.
@@31animafan Yeah, people have been turned down for this reason. But if a disabled person who is not on any kind of SSI/SSDI complains about their situation, all they hear from able bodied people around them is "well if it's that bad, you could just get on social security, right?"
As a disability specialist working SSI/SSDI cases for 12 years, I can tell you everything he has said is very true. It's maddening to see qualified individuals get denied.
@@robbey10 If it weren't for the kindness of a loved one, I would be homeless with my youngest. Denied for disability, and unable to get unemployment for 6 months, I lost everything. My job. My house. The only thing I didn't lose was kid. Our system sucks.
He does seem to think a diagnosis equals disability though. If meds work to increase function, you’re not disabled. The meds are doing what they’re supposed to do. Plus, people get confused and don’t understand things like you don’t qualify for T2 and have too much for T16 and that’s why you’re denied, technically not medically.
My buddy was dying of kidney failure, and was hospitalized for months. When he got out, he was worse than when he went in. He couldn't walk, and would sometimes shit himself. We went everywhere during covid that we could to get him disability. He was only 60 so we couldn't get him social security. They kept jerking us around, and one day my girlfriend came into the room and said, I think ricky is dead. I said no way, but I'll check. I went into his room, and I said, ricky is dead. I called 911, and they took him away. A month later, we got a letter saying that his disability was approved. Fuck all of this shit
My late husband had an acute leukemia, and the doctors gave him 6 months to live. It took 9 months to get approved for SSDI. Luckily, he lived 2 years but still died at 42.
As a mom of a teen with disabilities, I had to psych myself up to listen to this. I hate thinking of the world that’s waiting for this person I love so much.
I am 40 years old, and I was born disabled. Please, believe this stranger on the Internet when I say that having a parent with even a little relevant knowledge is better than getting to college with no such knowledge because one's parents were born in the right time, the right places, and the right families to remain ignorant of the harms which many US citizens suffer every day. I strongly recommend reading the work of Marta Russell, as nothing has changed since she was published. 🫂
As someone born with a disability. Please apply for your child NOW. I wasn't expecting to fully depend on SSI/SSDI at 35, but please jump through as many hoops for your child now so they'll have a safety net at 22, 32, 42... I am so thankful my mother prepared me for both paths. I was educated for a 'normal' life, but I always had SSI as a safety net. I loved working when I could, but now that I can't I value her foresight immensely. Also Jamie isn't quite right about saving $. I've read that we're allowed to save for big purchases like cars & there are specific laws in place for parents of disabled children that allow them to save for their future. As soon as possible call Social Security & ask especially if your teen is planning to go to college & live on their own. If they qualify for SS they'll have their own money & you can teach them how to budget it. Expert Budgeting is critical. Teach her to pay all bills before she even considers spending $5 on even a sticker. The only way I manage living on $921 a month is with other services like Sec 8, food stamps & every part Medicare & Medicaid offer. Make sure they get everything Medicaid Medicare offers. The additional $ Medicare & Medicaid plus part D is what I use to keep my head far above water. Start looking now. Apply for what you can now. There are waiting lists for things like Sec 8. Thesey won't need help with rent yet, but that's what Sec 8 provides. Know where to apply. Make a list of what they can qualify for now & a list of what they will qualify for when/if they live on their own. I wasn't physically capable of working & going to college so SS & food stamps were necessary. I have so much more to say, but I don't know if you'll even read this.
One of the presidential candidates has said on more than one occasion that it'd be better if disabled people were just euthanized, and his pick for Vice President has been bankrolled his entire political career by someone who believes euthanasia of the disabled is necessary for a better society. It's really maddening knowing this kind of rhetoric exists in the modern age, let alone by the leaders of one of the two political parties. I've had to explain to my relatives that their open support of Trump is open support for my death and they don't listen and hand wave it away as something that'd never actually happen. I'll never understand their blanket support of ending all austerity either, unless the point is cruelty, which at this point I'm pretty certain it is. That and that they're too stupid to realize their disabled daughter would stop getting checks along with free out-patient care she relies on. To them, making liberals angry is more important.
@@jeremysmith9694the world is so hard for people with disabilities. I am haunted by the knowledge that me intellectually disabled and visually impaired child will outlive me because I know that our social safety nets won’t catch her. This video talked about how financially difficult things are for people with disabilities, and for their families who are just trying to care for them. It didn’t cover the abysmal conditions in many group homes or long term care facilities. How expensive assisted living is. The failure of many hospital systems to catch or punish predators who harm people in their care. The difficulty finding and affording enrichment programs. Trying to navigate the health care system. This world is not set up to be kind to my child, and that hurts like hell.
Im taking a college class in disability services and the main take away I’ve learned from the class so far is that if you’re disabled in America, you’re fucked. We need universal healthcare this is ridiculous and cruel
@nicolasgirard2808 german here. its better. im not gonna pretend that insurance companies over here arent trying to get out of paying whatever they can, or that privatizing big parts of the medical sector hasnt introduced large issues. but, and this is more important than anything else, it still absolutely covers your medical bills. no one is going bankrupt because they need surgery, or a hip replacement, or insulin. where you are fucked is if you need anything that doesnt fit the norm, like if youre a transwoman and are having your beard lasered away, healthcare refuses to cover that without certificates from at least two therapists, which take years to get. but as infuriating as it is, those are special cases.
Yep. I work in museums. A lot of my colleagues and I CONSTANTLY argue for better accommodations for visitors. My personal fav at the moment is at the US Capitol, open for tours Monday-Saturday, the office for accommodations and the nurse are both Monday-Friday. Need a sign language interpreter on a Saturday? We have prerecorded on an iPad (which you will also use if our two, yes, TWO, interpreters are busy with someone else). Medical issue on a Saturday? No nurse on staff, go to Capitol Police and hope they can handle it with their first aid training! It i so fucking dumb.
@nicolasgirard2808 It's not just a budget thing, it's an outright urban design and cultural issue as well. Even decades post ADA a lot of places are perfectly happy being totally inaccessibly to people with disabilities. People mentally write them off all the time.
My MIL is fully disabled and lives in Chicago. We moved her there with us for the amazing public transit. The city offers its disabled citizens 8 free lyft rides PER DAY. She has a point to point shuttle, an in home care provider who comes 2 times a week and helps her care for herself and her apartment. We still chip in for the rent, because disability doesn't cover it all. But her being approved has changed the trajectory of her SONS life, not just her own. We need wider spread access to disability support for everyone in this country.
I didn't know that about Lyft and will need to look into it, that's incredible if so! My mom is also disabled and we moved her up to Chicago from Florida. Night and day as far as resources available. She has an apartment, a team who helps her with doctors/appointments, and transit to get where she needs. She was able to go from a level 1 care facility to independent living with actual support to help her and make sure she was ready. Even here the system isn't perfect but it is leagues ahead of some areas, which is incredibly sad for those who don't have family and resources to help them relocate. We absolutely need a wider net. I love my mom, I'd do everything I can for her, but I don't have the resources to care for her and trying to do so would ruin our relationship. I want her to be helped by people who are paid, professional, and know what they are doing. Family cannot be expected to bear that burden, and those without family deserve the same consideration and opportunity to live a fulfilling life.
As someone who lives in Illinois/used to live in Chicago, people always love to try and shit on us because of some skewed murder statistics.. when in reality we have one of the best states in the entire country. Governor Pritzker has done amazing things. And I was against him in the beginning…. But when he was being considered for VP I was extremely excited…. that man has single-handedly improved this state and I don’t go to bed worried about my healthcare ❤❤❤
huh, maybe this one should talk to its mother about moving to chicago or something. She's disabled(this one is too, but it's still fighting to get the state to recognize that). Though really, every SSI/SSDI approval should come with an automatic Section 8 Housing Assistance or equivilent approval.
The irony in all of this is a significant number of people who apply for disability would have benefited and maybe avoided or diminished their need for assistance if this country had actual health care. When injuries and illness happen and you get zero medical treatment because you can't afford it, this country is MAKING disabled people. As someone born with Muscular Dystrophy, I STILL have to prove every few years that I am still disabled. Also, I would have loved to work, but I was not allowed. No job offers the insurance I need for the daily care I require. And in home daily care is EXPENSIVE. We SAY in this country we will care for the most vulnerable, but we do NOT.
And the income limits also guarantee a lot of people would could work _some_ are working _none._ And despite that the politicians in one party that complain about people living off of welfare refuse to fix the problem.
Not ironic. Every conclusion and suggested improvement stated in this video was determined IN 1975, yes, FIFTY YEARS AGO, none were adopted, they are not considered for adoption, they never will be adopted, Case Closed, End of Story, no need to discuss it further or bring it up ever again. Not gonna happen...Nope...no way. FIFTY YEARS AGO. Same story, TV commentary back then, never changed, never will.
My late husband was on social security disability because he had stage four melanoma which had metastasized to his brain. He was literally on his deathbed and a social security case worker called to inform me that he no longer met the guidelines for disability benefits. I tried to explain that he was in hospice care and couldn't speak. She told me that she would have to verify that information by speaking with my husband. Our hospice nurse finally got the caseworker to understand the severity of our situation and that he could not speak to her because he was unable to communicate in any way at all. It was just one of the awful things that we faced, but it caused unnecessary stress when I should have only been focused on spending as much time as possible with him. It's making me tear up just thinking about it all. He was only 44 years old. It shouldn't be so difficult for those who have paid into the system to receive disability benefits.
Yup. We were straight up told they automatically reject 75% of applicants the first time when we tried to get benefits for my husband. And then... they told us 50% for appeal...
as a disabled, wheelchair-using 32 year old woman who has managed to get on SSI, thank you John Oliver for shining a light on the layers of atrocities of how hard it is for most us to try to survive. I count myself as INCREDIBLY lucky and am blessed to have a wonderful support system, but the majority of disabled people don’t, and it’s a travesty. Folks just want to live a normal life that doesn’t have to revolve around fighting for access to doctors, medications, and help. Thanks for fighting the good fight with us. Least importantly I’m always sad I can’t get married 😭
Its terrible and i cant even help myself get by financially by working a job i can handle ..because they take all i make out of my check.. theres no point of working. I want a small pt job for some extra cash because i can barely survive on $900 monthly.. id be reevaluated and could lose access to medication that helps me be able to work. I cannot lose my medication im epileptic and severely bipolar
I lived with disability all my life, having been born disabled. This piece is spot on about being locked into poverty. There's also the matter of housing. It also means you have to get food stamps and government housing or you can't afford anything.
Not to mention accessible housing for those who are wheelchair users or have other mobility aids are more expensive than just regular/typical non-accessible housing.
Thank you John! I’ve been on SSI/SSDI since I was 18. I’m 48. As a person in a wheelchair and has Cerebral Palsy these benefits has helped so much but it’s the bare minimal to live on. We as people with disabilities deserve better. I’ve finally gave up trying to find a job after 20 years of rejections. No one cares about my degree in social work. Being disabled is SO frustrating on many levels. Sometimes the fight is too much, although I always get back up to fight.
Maybe you could work from home.. I'm no trying to be stupid.. I'm sure you've heard this before but after reading your story, in this day & age, maybe tha anonymity of the internet could be to your advantage...
@@MrTweak69 SSI/SSDI evals account for that, and as someone who can only work from home in a narrow job, that pays just slightly above SSI, even that is diffuclt to maintain if you're disability, like most is dynamic. These suggestions come from a good place, but are exahusting to here. If it was that simple, disability would not be the finacial barrier that it is.
I'm not sure I can make it through this video. I'm a well-educated adult with a long and varied work history. I now have a permanent brain injury and haven't worked in 7 years. I've applied multiple times in 2 states, all they do is lose my documents, ask for more all the time, and reject over and over again. I have now completely given up. I rely on others for food and shelter and am completely miserable, depressed, and hopeless. This is not how it's supposed to work. We are left behind.
I am so sorry! I won't bore you w/my DDD/10 herniated discs & fused neck, being denied & in too much pain to fight back. But now they've cut off my severely autistic son who's 33 yo & whom I've cared for alone all his life. Said I'm not his guardian. Meanwhile, my rich in-laws are drawing & running around living it up while we live in squalor. It's a huge racket & shameful.
There is a misunderstanding in our society about how much extra work the disabled have to do to get their needs met. Yes, you have to apply and submit the documents, but you did that. And then you did it again. And then you did it some more. The natural consequence of this kind of dehumanization, especially in light of a brain injury, is going to be depression and hopelessness. But then the disabled are blamed for not having a positive enough attitude, as if your attitude was ever the problem in the first place. The entire system of how the disabled are treated is seriously fucked up. We are left behind in every sense. The disabled are an afterthought in society, forced to beg to exist. Some of us are unapologetically demanding better for the disabled because we are valuable to society and deserve dignity and humanity. We deserve to exist without this ongoing trauma. You are important and deserve so much more than this.
Look up attorney Jon Spies. He's based in TX but is able to work in several states. I'm in California and he represented me and my case and after being denied the first time he got my case approved after getting my case only 2 weeks before my hearing. He does not get paid by you but by SSDI once you are approved. He is the best!!
As a man married to a disabled woman (paralyzed from waist down since birth), yeah, this whole thing is a mess and a half. She lost her benefits the very moment we got married. On top of that, we've literally had an insurance company fight us and tell us it wasn't medically necessary for her to have a power wheelchair, which caused her to lose a lot of her independence for over 2 years. We had to go through the state workforce organization since she does have a job. It's fucking absurd. We live in Texas. Yes, I know. The best thing is that, when we were planning to get married, we literally asked them whether she would keep her benefits. Gave them information and everything. They said yes. So, we got married. Three months later, we got the denial letter, complete with asking for repayments of everything she'd gotten for the past 3 months. GREAT STUFF.
Why did you married legally? You can be husband and wife married only religiously without the marriage certificate, which most of the time make things more difficult. Marriage is not the problem Marriage Certificate is.
Yeah I live in TX too. This state is god awful and I’m not surprised at all after reading all that that they would be so cruel when it comes to medical issues and disabilities. I’m so sorry you’ve both had to go through that. It’s like living in the dark ages here when it comes to medical issues. Just me trying to get a surgery here they denied and denied over and over again saying people weren’t within my network.. long story short. The person was in my network the entire time. They made me wait so long that it caused the issue to get so much worse instead of just letting me get it done in the beginning.
At 8:24, I just want to say THANK YOU to John Oliver for including Sickle Cell Disease in your coverage. So often, chronic deadly diseases that are not immediately visible are not covered even though they are indeed disabilities too.
Thanks for talking about this. My sister has down syndrome and moved to texas with my parents. She’s currently on a 12 year waiting list for services from the state. It’s already been two years since she started on the waiting list. In minnesota she had the best services, PCA’s about 5-6 days a week. She had good day programs and jobs. The difference from Minnesota and Texas in services is night and day. So heartbreaking.
Minnesota has so many more resources than so many other states it is shocking. What isn't shocking is that it lines up with being a left leaning state.
Yep. I lived in New Jersey for the first 15 years of my life and moved to Texas when I was 16. When I went to school here in junior year, I was in general Ed classes, didn't have a paraprofessional, and the teachers didn't let me go to the bathroom unless it was an emergency and didn't follow my IEP (even though my mom told them that if I have to go to the bathroom, I have to go - there is literally no negotiation). I was glad to get out of that hellhole of a school.
@@anneb889so a smaller population means more disabled people? You’d think the percentage would be pretty steady no matter how big the population is. Plus different cities have very little difference so if she’s in a city of 300k in Texas, then it should have the same services as a city of 300k in California. Plus California is supposed to be the expensive place & so it should be cheaper in Texas to get services in that 300k city. Do you comprehend the math now that I’ve turned it into numbers?
Thank you so much for shedding light on this. My daughter is physically and cognitively disabled since birth. At least every couple years, they turn off her life saving benefits. I then have to fight for them to be restored. Sometimes they call her when I'm not around and ask her questions that she has no idea about, then turn off benefits because she gave the "wrong answer". I'm terrified of what will happen when I die. It's sickening.
TRUTH - and they are always trying to take away what little benefits we get. IF ONLY THEY WOULD GO AFTER THE WEALTHY AND THEIR TAXES AS STRINGENTLY AS THEY GO AFTER TAKING BENEFITS AWAY FROM THE POOREST MOST SICK OF THIS COUNTRY. There are lists of Corporations in this country - WHO PAY NO TAXES WHILE MAKING BILLIONS. Trump from 2015 - 2021 made billions but because of his tax fraud - received a total of 3 million dollars in refunds.
First off - make sure they ONLY have access to your phone number (and contact information) and can only contact your daughter through you. They should not be able to cold call your daughter and put her on the spot - esp if she is not able to provide needed information. Next while you are alive - work on getting a solid support system in place that carries on after you're gone.
"You know what they want? They want obedient workers. Obedient workers. People who are just smart enough to run the machines and do the paperwork, and just dumb enough to passively accept all these increasingly shittier jobs with the lower pay, the longer hours, the reduced benefits, the end of overtime and the vanishing pension that disappears the minute you go to collect it, and now they’re coming for your Social Security money." - George Carlin
George was on point. But they don’t want workers now; AI & autonomous machines (too many useful things..) will take all the jobs. Then folks will be broke & unable to consume. I really don’t see what the endgame for the corps is?!
Two things: A) about 10:30 in there was a graphic showing a headline stating 30,000 people Died waiting for their benefits to be approved. Wow. B) Was that a mime at the end of the program actually the ghost of Screech from Saved by the Bell?
@@scifirealism5943 They are so consistently inconsistent that I was following ALL their rules, and they still said THEY overpaid me, took years of my tax returns. When I first applied, I was told, on the phone "If You hadn't started working, it would have been based on (my mom's) income, and it would've been substantially more." My response was snarky but honest, "Sorry I grew up with a work ethic and want more than poverty in life." Readers Digest version of my life is in the comment section here . . ..
I applied when I lost my ability to walk. The Dr they hired wanted me to walk down a long hallway full of people. I stood with help and immediately fell to the ground. He told me, "That was fake af. Crawl." I couldn't crawl, and he humiliated me, pointing out to the nurses in the office that I was faking it, lazy, etc. Everyone in the office heard him. He decided I was fine and told me to stop being lazy and get a job like everyone else. 8 years later, I was finally approved, but there was a gap of a year, and I had to start over again. I went over by $200 because of the stimulus check and had to pay them back. When I pointed out the reason, they said it didn't matter, the computer said I owed the money back. My caseworker told me I had to spend it within 24hrs for it not to affect my benefits. It's a fubar system.
I have ssi from a tbi when I was 16. I'm 40 now. People and friends would give me crap for not working. "U can work up to $2,000 and keep your benefits." No, no matter how much I work or make they will take 2/3 of my disability check. And if I make too much they will completely take away all my benefits. People want to shun me because I look and act so normal. My life is not normal, it is hell. People only want to judge it because they're not the one living in it.
If your disability started before the age of 26, you can sign up for an ABLE account. It's a savings account that does not count against social security limits. Even if your state doesn't offer the program, you can sign up in a state that does, so long as you only have the one account. It doesn't allow you to save more than 100k, but that's still vastly better than the criminal 2k they keep you to otherwise.
And as an extra special FU from the government you have to grovel and beg for what benefits you get and heaven help you if someone in the system decides that they don't like you. It's not supposed to happen but...
Thanks for covering this John. My husband was seriously injured at work and had a brain injury and metal plates in his head. We fought workman's comp and then SSDI. Every Dr, theirs & ours said he couldn't work but a 3 man panel in Harrisburg PA, who never met or examined him, denied him. After fighting for 5 yrs my husband committed suicide. They have no idea their decisions cause real life consequences
I am so sorry for your loss, my deepest condolences. I hope you and your family are healing from this loss, thanks for having the courage to share. When you're ready or willing, there's a place for you to advocate for others like your husband who are forced to suffer in silence due to the cruelty and lack of oversight on these social security programs.
I am also so very sorry for your loss and the struggle your husband had to endure in his last days. This government is cruel to disabled people. So sorry.
Oh my Lord, I'm so sorry! 😢Well, the only reason I'm still here after ~30 years of chronic pain (DDD & fused neck) is b/c I have a 33 yo son w/severe autism whom I love & care for alone. They just cut him off saying I'm not his guardian. TF!? Now, got to start over & get us both lawyers or we're going to starve to death. Our doc says we can't work. Not good enough for them. You know it's a racket when you automatically have to involve the legal system to win your case. 😠
hi... i have complex regional pain syndrome... its currently known as the most painful situation a human can experience... I dont dislike you... u just think u should REALLY think about what is happening to and around you....
This was definitely one of John's most informative episodes, it's amazing how hard it is for disabled people to claim the benefits they need, but it's so easy to lose them or never be approved. Even more shocking is how little SSI & SSDI have been so poorly funded since the 70's. 👨🏿💻
This ^. I don't have a disability that would render me eligible for SSI, but my mom does, or did anyway. We had to wait years for her court date while finalizing all preparations with her documents only for the judge to say that she wasn't eligible. Then we appealed and she still was denied. She's in her 60s and has bipolar disorder along with a list of other debilitating symptoms that make it difficult for her to work effectively. It pretty much showed me that this is a program that we only have because it looks good on paper, but doesn't actually do anything because the people that actually need it can't get it.
they legit told me my kid wasn't mine because of a hospital fuck up on the birth certificate so he couldn't even get partial benefits while I am still 5 years into trying to get a job in this city. the system is trash
My wife is going through the initial phase of applying for SSDI. 4 Years to her pension, 1 year to early retirement. Looks like we are screwed, banks charge way too much to access home equity. We are screwed!
When are people finally going to realise that this mess and other poorly run programs are the fault of republicans who are incapable of making responsible decisions and cannot govern. They cause disasters with their budget slashing, and then blame democrats for what happens.
I am a social worker in low income housing. A resident was trying to save up for a new car and has ssdi. She had her ssdi and medicaid cut off because she was over in her accounts. A kind woman at the bank showed her the work around for it. The system is meant to keep disabled people in poverty.
@@marinaa9557 she got several cashier checks made out to herself that she can deposit into the account and won't require a hold before the money is available for quick spending
It also prevents ANY casual employment. Meaning they demand you’re absolutely not allowed to contribute to society at all, while also living in poverty.
At the beginning of this year I lost my foodstamps for several months due to a clerical error-they had doubled my income under both SSI and SSDI despite me only being on SSI, for my disability (not confusing at all, these terms)-and refused to even LOOK INTO my case despite me contacting them repeatedly until I filed a formal appeal... which I had to do in person, because my first appeal _somehow_ got lost in the mail. I cannot drive, so the travel came out of my own pocket, and my pockets are not deep. During this time I had to survive off the goodwill of my friends or starve. When they got my appeal, and actually looked at my file, they called me and had it fixed in _two seconds._ Four months after the fact. The system is designed to kill disabled people, especially those of us who are not capable of going to the lengths that I was forced to.
@@TurbopropPuppy We lost food stamps too… and not being able to drive, that’s at the top of my list of problems. Of course we’re required to pick our medications up in person. God, you’re right - they want disabled people to die. 😢
I lost my SNAP benefits this year, too. The last time I tried to appeal they sent me a letter that arrived on May 4th with a deadline for appeal of April 26th. I gave up. I can’t do it anymore. Before that, my “submit this other bank information to us for approval” letter didn’t get delivered to me because the mail carrier marked my address as vacant.
@@quicksilvermad I’m so sorry, that’s such a horrible and time-consuming trap to be stuck in. I was talking with my town social worker and she confirmed that the deadlines for the majority of programs have been shortened and she’s seeing dozens of people get cut off right as we move towards winter. I’m one of the people unable to meet these obviously insane deadlines (or impossible in your case!) and it’s because I am too disabled. My God. And when I needed help the most I was in the hospital and missed a re-certification that I’m still appealing a year later. “Due to the high volume of cases.” They should at least continue services until we can have a fair chance at our appeals.
As a disabled girl I can’t wait to watch this. I’m so relieved John’s finally covered it. Something SERIOUSLY needs to be done. Pandemic measures were prematurely stopped and its KILLED so many disabled people. Which they want because now there’s even less people with even less energy to try for benefits. It’s so evil
Foolish. Every conclusion and suggested improvement stated in this video was determined IN 1975, yes, FIFTY YEARS AGO, none were adopted, they are not considered for adoption, they never will be adopted, Case Closed, End of Story, no need to discuss it further or bring it up ever again. Not gonna happen...Nope...no way. FIFTY YEARS AGO. Same story, TV commentary back then, never changed, never will.
I had a drunk driver break my back and was turned down for SSDI with the SS Administration claiming that I didn't have enough work credits. Thirteen & a half years later they found my missing credits, but SS Admin claims that they can only offer me SSDI because they "lost my work credits for too long". They offered SSI, which is a death trap, and I would find a nice bridge before taking it. Two of my friends got off SSI the only way possible, taking their own life...
This segment barely scratches the surface of the atrocities that people with disabilities have to endure to receive these insufficient scraps as well as the harassment that goes on if they are "lucky" enough to eventually get it.
I'm a disabled veteran. I lost my family over it. But on the other hand, was it really a loss if they were bigots all along? I have had so much difficulty finding housing, can't get jobs because of discrimination. So I live in constant fear of republicans taking away my benefits.
So I spent my entire career helping people with disabilities. Ironically i became disabled myself, and it was still a hard road to get SSDI.I needed a lawyer, an evaluation paid out of pocket by an OT, and an appeal that took over two years to get. What i get is not enough to live on, but they decided i earned just enough to not get medicaid, rent help, etc. If i didn't get married i was facing having to live out of my car. I can never get ahead and every month my account is negative. I can never afford the surgery that could make me well enough to possibly return to work. This video hit hard.
I'm drowning now, too. Denied & they cut my severely autistic son off. I've cared for him alone all his 33 years; now they've said I'm not his guardian. They set you up to lose, seems. I'm so sorry for us all, dear. Got to gear myself up somehow to battle once again. 😢
The part he didn't focus on is that - not just the monetary monthly benefits but the Insurance of Medicare and Medicaid. When I lost my benefits I couldn't see my doctors or afford my medications. THE MEDICAL SYSTEM IS THIS COUNTRY IS FUCKED!!
I FINALLY got disability after trying for 10 years. This happened after I'd gone through my savings and, in my 50's, had to move in with my parents. Now that I've got disability, I don't get enough to be able to live on my own. I'm grateful to have a roof over my head, but it's a toxic situation that I hate. What I'd give to live on my own again.
Some jobs I was told to I could do, proving I wasn't disabled: Tennis ball tube filler ( part time ) Golf ball sorter ( part time ) Coffee bean quality checker ( part time ) And these are, I quote, "Solid factory jobs anyone could do." yeah man, those are totes jobs that are around the inner chicago area.
The reason there is a marriage penalty is because the government views disabled people as a burden and they believe a disabled person getting married should have that burden transfer from the state to the spouse.
that part of the law was written when both A) eugenics was a ubiquitous uncontroversial political opinion that even the SUPREME COURT felt comfy professing to, and B) a household could be easily supported on one income (if it were a man). everything's fucked
I've never been able to get married because if I do, I lose my public assistance insurance that is the only thing that has kept me alive over the years because of the surgeries I've had to have, The specialists I have to see, and the insane cost of my medications that I've had to be on long term. To say nothing of various therapies that I've needed to retain mobility
I work as a quality control tech in a gun factory…I literally have 3 degrees. I hate this shit. But it’s the only type of job “easy” enough for me to handle with my disability. But here’s the thing about production labor; it’s a non-stop job. I work 10 hour shifts and I’m busy the whole time. My abled partner works the front desk at the local parks and rec department, he makes significantly more than me. He has told be he does maybe 4 hours of actual work per day.
I'm on SSI. I got a check for $15 from my old bank for closing my account (that was what was left in it). The government sent me a letter letting me know they knew about the one-time $15 check, and they would be subtracting $15 from every monthly SSI payment from me forever. Because I got ONE CHECK. FOR FIFTEEN DOLLARS. If my dad didn't have a friend who was a lawyer to fight it, I would have been up the creek without a paddle.
That's crap. Considering that A. It's not income and B. Even if it WAS income, the first $20 per month does not count. Sad that you had to get a lawyer to fix it.
I wish he talked about this but - if you were disabled before the age of 25 (or 26?) there's a thing called the ABLE program that allows a person a savings account that does not count against their SSI benefits. I had to open one for my mother and she is now allowed to save up to 100k in there, it was a lifesaver in allowing her to not need to waste an entire settlement payment just to save her SSI payments. Even if you don't live in a state with a program you can sign up in a different state that offers it, and they are raising the age to 40 something in 2026.
They do the exact same thing here in Germany. But we get vouchers to buy a letter from a lawyer to admonish them for strapping us too much with such penalizing pettiness.
I have been diagnosed with fibromyalgia in 2014. Fighting through CPTSD, ADHD, and late diagnosis autism. First rejection was back in 2016. Last year I refiled through an external company (a decade without consistent income and further issues kept me from doing so sooner). Filed July of 2023. Received notice to further paperwork August of 2024. The doctors they want me to see are at a “medical dental staffing office” and a full psyche exam on a Sunday night. And that’s not for months. My fiance has been supporting me and we were hoping for an answer months ago, now it may not be for another year. And I was told if I was 50, (I’m 46) it would be a much easier “yes” from SSI. Humans are not machines and we deserve to be able to care for ourselves and each other with a foundation of stability and care. Thank you for the focus on this issue!
Sadly, they treat the machines better than us. The war planes have automatic budgeting increases that everyone already knows has not a snowballs chance in losing. But our funding is always ready to fall, including Joe Biden who said in the 90's that cutting social security isn't off the table. Those who work forces, are the same who burn crosses.
There are definitely jobs you can work with those diagnosis. ADHD? Late stage autism? Gimme a break. Get a job. May not be one you like. But you can definitely take an order for a cup of coffee and then hand someone a cup
@@erinwilson3369 ohhh I can see I have triggered the stranger who has no idea of surviving domestic violence, who has too much pain to exist so bullying others is the only way you can feel powerful. If I listened to people like you, I wouldn’t be alive. Thank God people like you are being seen for the heartless, traumatized, limited brain functions that cause you to be cruel. I can only imagine how lonely you must be to spend your time cyber bullying. I wish you well, I wish you away, I wish you more clarity. Actually I just wish you the life of an autistic, adhd, abused, and mistreated person-oh wait, you might already be suffering and that is why you choose to be mean….yah that must be it-it’s okie-you might want to look into late diagnosis for your cruel tendencies-a lot of us struggle with it, it’s okie, therapy will help. 🙏🏻
I was a case specialist at a law firm for Disability Benefits. My most heartbreaking memory was that of a husband calling in for representation on a disability application for his disabled wife. No application was filed yet, they wanted to start the whole process. After, I gathered all her information, we were getting ready to move forward to submitting her application, which I need them to be present, even over the phone is good enough. She wasn't feeling well, so she kindly asked to call her back as soon as we opened the next morning to submit the application. Next day, I called her and her husband answered to let me know that she didn't make it through the night. In tears, the husband asked if we could still apply for survivor's benefits. I had to let him down as easily as I could. If we had the application active as of yesterday, yes. But, since there's no active application, they don't qualify for anything. That was about 7 years ago and that moment still sits with me every now and then.
Hmm, that’s not true. If they were validly married, and he was old enough to file, he would be eligible for widowers benefits. His wife’s disability application wouldn’t have anything to do with it. You can even apply for disability for the deceased retroactively as long as you file within 3 months, and if approved, he would have been eligible for all her backpay.
@AceRasputin Huh. I was not aware of this. I guess the attorney who I worked with on this didn't want to bother with it. It was a big corporate law firm that cares more about quantity of cases than quality. It was pretty common for the firm and attorneys to turn away potential clients that didn't have arguable "open/shut" cases.
23:56 If you’re thinking to yourself “Hey, that Mime looks familiar,” his name is Pierre the Mime and he was the one handcuffed to Q from Impractical Jokers for a day
I'm a permanently disabled man. I work part time as an independent contractor, funnily enough in systems change for disabilities, mental health issues, and substance use disorders. In other words, I'm trying to help fix this shit, and I spend my life advocating for myself and others. Thank you John and team for this episode. The horrified gasps of the audience are warranted, justified, and been my life for decades. Please, my fellow non-disabled Americans: Help us with this bullshit.
I founded a non-profit for the same purpose.....and (unironically) tfg stripped me of SSI I have depended on for decades.... Luckily my state recognized the BS, and is helping me go through the process.... again.
@@Itcouldbebunniesas was an eye for an eye to Ghandi or the Bible which says it makes you blind. Most of the pervs quote attributes are wrong unless they sound predatory. MotherTheresa not a good woman either you’ll have to look for yourself.
I'm a disabled veteran who is thankfully still able to work (some). I work for a gold buyer and my employers are insanely easy for me to work with in regards to my needs hours/location wise. HOWEVER at least once a month I get a customer coming into the store, seeing me with my cane, and then going on a rant about how they wish more disabled people like me and worked instead of just "living off the government." I AM living off the government, I have disability benefits through the military and am currently working only 1 day a week because I can't drive safely anymore. Even though my work pays me very well, they don't pay me "work one day a week and live off of that" well, almost no one does. I haven't even bothered applying for non military benefits because my military benefits are, quite frankly, easier to deal with. DO YOU KNOW HOW BAD YOU HAVE TO BE TO BE EASIER TO DEAL WITH THAN THE VA?!?!?!?! Seriously? Also, these customers are ALWAYS a Republican who's been ranting about politics the whole time. I was never a Democrat,. I've voted red as often as I've vote blue in my lifetime, but not after listening to this crap and crap like it every day. It's really easy to see who actually gives a crud about veterans when you look at things like this and PACT (which looks good on paper, but has really screwed a LOT of veterans in my neck of the woods over).
I do understand the ignorance of others, including family. They assume they know your life after seeing you for a few minutes. Also, thank you for your service. I’m curious, don’t know much about the PACT Act. From your perspective, what is wrong with it or how should it work?
Such an awful set of individuals who feels we who have been hurt and disabled is "Living off the Government" I personally feel for those of us who I see as our seniors over 65 still working cause their SS or pension is not enough to pay these high cost rent, food etc. Why can't the elderly who already paid into the system and the disabled born that way or due to an accident of no fault of their own; get their SSI/SSDI without all this BS? Medical exams and notes for those whose injuries and pain cannot not be seen with the naked eye should be enough for our Government to do the right thing. People who say we trying to live off the system; I pray they stinking rich and never have to face homelessness and poverty 😢
So sad to hear that you've become disabled. Whenever I hear about U.S. military personel who are KIA's or MIA/POW's, I feel sad and grateful at the same time. Especially to American soldiers who served in The Korean War (I am a South Korean). However, at the same time, I am mystified why so many American voters who support Republicans go on rants about disabled people "living off the government". Don't they remember that Americans With Disabities Act (ADA) was ratified and signed by a Republican president, namely, George H. W. Bush? That's what I learned from world history-related books. Anyway, thank you so much, John Oliver, for producing this entertaining and informative show. A totally blind viewer from South Korea
First of all, thank you for your service and sacrifice for your country. If you have family members or relatives who served in The Korean War, please pass my thanks to them(I am a South Korean). Anyway, as for your sad story about your customers ranting about disabled people ""living off the government"", it is outrageous to say so. Don''t they remember that the ADA(Americans with Disabilities Act) which was ratified in July of 1990 was signed by a Republican president, George H. W. Bush? That''s what I learned from many U.S. history books.
THANK YOU for covering this! It is so so so demoralizing to go through all of this, especially while sick and in pain, only to be disbelieved by… most everyone. I am constantly reminded of how ignorant people are about this issue because I STILL have to listen to people throwing around the myth that people that n disability are just looking for a quick and easy handout from the government. People are genuinely salty about having their taxes go towards these mythical “freeloaders”. Never mind that they’ve never actually MET anyone who’s done that, mind you.
I work at a homeless shelter in Tennessee. One of the main things I do is walk my guys through the disability process, making sure they make all the appointments and complete all the paperwork. I won't claim to understand the process, but I do know how it feels when we get a denial letter for guys who have no chance of working. So no surprise that Tennessee was up first.
My mom is on SSI and she raised me and my brother on that income, the older I get the more I find that impressive. There was a time where her SSI got cut off and we were homeless, didn’t seem like the offices cared
I had a drunk driver break my back and was turned down for SSDI with the SS Administration claiming that I didn't have enough work credits. Thirteen & a half years later they found my missing credits, but SS Admin claims that they can only offer me SSDI because they "lost my work credits for too long". They offered SSI, which is a death trap, and I would find a nice bridge before taking it. Two of my friends got off SSI the only way possible, taking their own life...
This all sounds really scary and heartbreaking. I know there's a homelessness crisis - which is probably only fueled by these practices. I don't understand why they deny so many support - when later they might have to pay lawyers + have additional work + pay them back in full. I'm from Germany and there are also small mistakes the government /those institutions make - they migt even give a denial the first time. After repeating the request it always went my way though. Repeatedly denying the majority applying for SSI/SSDI to save money seems particularly cruel. The cutoff for the money you're allowed to save is also cruel - 2000€ is almost nothing now - it's not even enough for a security deposit for a flat. 😳
@@theresabu3000They do it because they don't care about the cost, they want us to suffer. Many who should qualify for disability don't even survive the process of applying for it and many don't survive long even after being approved because it just isn't enough. If you try to work, they cut your benefits. If anyone tries to support you, they cut your benefits. If you happen to still be alive, they'll cut your benefits and hope you don't survive long enough to recover them. The government just wants us dead.
@@myke030 Wasn't sarcasm mate, John often makes self deprecating jokes about his nose that he looks like a bird, he voiced Zazu from the live action lion king remake :) This show really could be called "The United States is a Living Hell, I love it
I have some physical disabilities and also treatment resistant major depressive disorder. I was encouraged to apply for SSDI and I did so. The judge who was assigned to my case was well known as a judge who denies applicants. She denied mine based on the depression. Why? She stated that my "ER visit" - for what was thoroughly and completely documented by multiple doctors, nurses, and paramedics as a su*c*de attempt, was actually a visit to the ER to get my medications refilled. I appealed the judge's decision as it was based on opinion and contrary to everything written by doctors and nurses and paramedics. It was denied.
30 plus years as a caseworker trying to help mentally ill people get benefits. This is spot on. Denials are a weeding out process to see who has the stamina to go through an appeal. That process usually takes an average of two years!
i was approved on 1st appeal 18 month's in,,,,for Depression , ASD II, Narcelopsy, PTSD , Bipolar and BPD, OCD,, i'm not sure which of these got me fully approved, my clinical psychologist was very experienced, i also have the worst Aspergers score he's ever seen, from before the DSM 5 changed Aspergers to ASD II,, luckily i live in a blue state where i hear way less of the ssd or ssi horror stories.. my dr listed me as incurable,, ss has sent me one notice 6 years in asking if i'm same/better or worse,,, it took me 2 pages to explain why i'm worse,, i haven't heard from them since...idk if this is common to be treated fairly while so many others are not treated fairly..mental issues are so hard to explain, let alone document.
When I worked for MHMR in TX, 21 years ago, & there was a fully capable family of 5 receiving checks for their reading disability. It was damn easy to get approved back then. Not sure when it became so difficult, but in 2016 I had a neighbor who had a brain tumor larger than his head, & he couldn’t get approved because he had a hull of an old worthless boat in his name. Ended up paying someone $150 to haul it away.
My wife was denied SSDI while she was locked away in a secure psychiatric facility. I'm not sure how they expected her to work when she was not allowed out of the facility. Her appeal took 31 months.
I was in the hospital for 2 months. My ssi paid $30 each month instead of the normal $943. Like my other expenses didn't exist because I was in the hospital. if family had not helped, I would be homeless.
That's horrifying. I've considered trying to get disability temporarily to try to recover from my own psychiatric issues (PTSD, DID, agoraphobia), but it's stories like this that make me realize I'd never be able to even get it. Doesn't matter that I haven't been able to leave my apartment in 6 years. I feel like I'm just going to die like this. I wasted the last of my 20s here. Now wasting my 30s here. I want to get better, but without help and the free time to do it, I know that just won't happen.
I used to work in a third party company hired by the government to do evaluations for SSI/SSDI and omg does it make you depressed. Multiple people came in with terminal illnesses, and I knew in my heart they weren’t getting their money before they died. Most of these people just wanted to help their families but the system tells them their lying. I had multiple people come in while in active heart failure or liver failure. A man came in for an evaluation after trying to get disability for 25 YEARS. He got injured on the job while working in the navy, had 7 failed surgeries, and so many treatments and he wasn’t able to get his money. I could rant for hours about so many things about this system and my experience being a part of it.
I processed claims for 3 years. I had to take short-term disability leave for my mental health twice. Now I work at a nonprofit actually helping people!
@@redwolf7502 we also lost family members to medical neglect and obstruction of the for-profit over pro-humane treatment that we have here & now since I was 4 and traumatic events and multiple misdiagnosis
Thank for doing this episode I’m currently texting from a dialysis chair. 2018 had a heart attack and a minor stroke. During my stay in the hospital for the heart attack I found out I have CKD Today I go to dialysis 3x a week for 3:45. I got denied for disability. I still work because even if I got disability it wouldn’t be enough to cover rent. Thank you
I’ve got a friend who has cancer. And it keeps metastasizing everywhere. She was in assisted living because she got a treatment that caused her to not be able to walk. Through intense PT, she can walk with a walker. She got booted from the assisted living because she could no longer pay for it, her regular SS and Medicare wasn’t enough. She applied to get Medicaid to help with the expenses. This woman has nothing but her clothes and personal items. No house, no apartment, no car, no job, no money. She has, basically, terminal cancer. She was denied Medicaid because she was able to be mobile. She did have a bit of luck. She was able to move in with her daughter. Her daughter is now her sole caregiver. She is a teacher, so she isn’t rolling in money. She had to move hours away from the town she had lived in for 40 years, leave her friends and her church family. Because she isn’t close enough to dead. Sometimes the government bureaucracy is such a fucking joke. And us, as normal working blue collar people just don’t have the money to fight ‘city hall’.
What state? Most states would absolutely put her on medicaid. Mobility has nothing to do with it. If you have SSI or SSDI and no assets or working spouse, you qualify. If you are truthful she should appeal because thats bs
Your friend can go into a nursing home near her home, but not an assisted living residence paid for by Medicare (they don't pay for it ever) or Medicaid (very few take Medicaid, and you would not want to be in those nasty places anyway). She may end up in a NH anyway when her terminal cancer requires complete care. She can be mobile and qualify for a Medicaid nursing home. That is not a problem. But not assisted living. Assisted living facilities charge more when you need more care in assisted living, and the cost goes up every year, just like rent. And they all have contracts where they can tell you to leave in 30 days for lots of reasons, including you are too sick for them. So she could still get kicked out while dying.
@@jackiedavis5822 It took me over 6 years to get my SSI Disability. The important part is to NOT Reapply, because you have to start all over again. By reappling you loose that possible money that is accumulating while you wait to get approved. It is critical to not reapply but instead to APPEAL the denial! I kept appealing and re-re-reappealing for my Disability. Agein it took over six years but when I finally was granted my SSI, I got a huge lump sum check that was spplied retroactively to the original application date! Yep! The goal of the state that you apply in and the Federal Government via Social Security is to wear you down in hopes that you will give up and quit! Here is another important hint. DO NOT HIRE A LAWYER! IT is a waste of time. More than likley, they will take your money and run. When you are in the final stages of multiple appeals, you will receive a letter from Social Security ststing that you have been assigned to a judge fir a hearing about your appeals. This means you are in the home stretch 😊 Along with that final letter will be a list of Government Approved Attorneys that are sanctioned to represent your final appeal in court. ❤ Now here isctge tricky part. Your assigned attorney will get a very small percentage of your retroactive award money, not to exceed a few thousand dollars. While the Judge makes the decision of " Yes you are Disabled in the eyes of this court, but it may be several months to years, before we can grant you full Disability..." Durring that wait time you don't collect a penny. They are betting on the fact that you are poor dye to your health and or you might not live long.. So in my case I accepted SSI over SSDI so that I could start collecting SSI within the following month, along with a big fat check right away! ❤ Good Luck!!
Imagine that: the government is often a wasteland of inefficiencies, until it comes to denying disability benefits and staying on top of every recipients bank account. "Sir, we noticed there was $0.50 increase to your savings account 30 seconds ago, we're going to be freezing your check and will need you to pay back every penny of last month's check." Meanwhile, that same government takes months and years to get everything else done.
They say that it's illegal to preemptively take money away from SSI/SSDI individuals here in Germany (we have basically the SAME system as there with only minor pretty insignificant differences), but they still often do (they know in advance about tax refunds or changes in disability pay). Seeing as we're living at 60% of the poverty level, every time they take something away that they shouldn't have, it cuts straight into our food budget... and there's only a single food bank here with mostly rotten foods they would otherwise be trashed by the supermarkets. And still there's not enough to serve all needy people.
My husband got ALS at age 33. We got approved for disability, but the $900 per month didn’t even scratch the surface. He needed round the clock monitoring which would have cost $18,000 per month. We were told that if he went on Hospice we would get a whopping 2 hours of caregiving help per week, but in order to even get that he would have to stop taking any life-prolonging drugs. How do I work to keep a roof over our head, but also take care of him 24 hours a day? Basically the system just wanted him to die. Before ALS we were both productive members of society with full-time jobs, health insurance, etc. There should be some kind of safety net in this country, but there just isn’t.
I'm so glad you've dedicated a whole episode to something disability-related. Been waiting so long for this. Please, please, please cover systemic ableism. It's really important to see the system of interlocking oppressions that is to blame for why the system was designed this way, for why disabled people are policed and accessibility is rationed.
you hit this SQUARELY on the head..it took me 6 years, homelessness and being called a liar by the SS judge... and a jobs list from 77... i called them on this during my first hearing... after that.. i got a solid lawyer.... i cannot stress this enough, GET A GOOD LAWYER.
The fact that some lawyer gets to take a chunk of your pitifully inadequate disability benefits (in most cases) just so you can finally get them, and that attorney gets more money the longer it takes is yet another fuxed-up aspect of this horrorshow.
I agree. My lawyer took a third of my back pay, but I was so relieved to get approved. Took 4 years. 3 denials. My state had to get judges, on video, from other states to help catch up on the caseload. That was over a decade ago.
I get SSDI and get 23 dollars in snap benefits... The best diet in the world... Homelessness, starvation and terminal cancer... I'm a useless eater according to my own government... And I'm terrified... If you're not a productive member of a society... You're not a member of society at all...
Same here. I’m disabled and my daughter is special needs and her father died. I make $30 too much to get snap benefits . You only getting $23 that’s absolutely ridiculous but I know many people in the same position you are in. I raise my child on my disability benefits. She does not get disability benefits because she gets death benefits from her father dying but it’s very little and I probably run out of money at least a week if not more before I get paid again.
I'm so sorry. You are a valuable human person, your worth has NOTHING to do with the amount of cash the government has decided it will give you. There are people out there with money coming out of their ears, skimming off what others have been putting in for ages, who decide what other people can have to live. Someone once told me that living in misery in a broken system doesn't mean there's anything wrong with you, it just means the system is wrong. I don't know if you need to hear that, but I hope you know it's true.
Notice how the government agency tasked with giving out benefits is massively understaffed and incompetent while the one tasked with taking them away is basically a highly trained team of benefit assassins. That's not an accident.
Thank you, John, for covering this topic. I'm a Special Education Transition Teacher and SSI/Medicaid is something we talk about with students and families often. Even if they do receive benefits, they might be receiving $900 a month with a $2000 cap. Honestly, who is able to live on $900 per month, especially if you require medications or adaptive equipment? The lack of programming for adults with disabilities is a whole other topic as well.
The lack of adult programming is truly terrible. My brother didn’t understand why he couldn’t do any of his activities anymore and became depressed and blamed his caretaker.
i applied in 2019, just prior to the pandemic. I just finished my court date with the judge to determine my case. I waited 5 years just to hear them say no and give me job options in retail, industrial and hospitality sectors. They no longer look back 15 years of your work history; they now only look 3 years back. Too bad that rule was put in place 3 months BEFORE my court date. everything is systemically against you. As for my options now, Id better un-disable myself and throw on a Walmart uniform, because now I'm projected to lose my ABD cash benefits too. The reason they declined me was because I could drive and I had a license to drive. I guess those folks with the handicap tag on their cars aren't disabled at all. None of them. Unbelievable.
I'm so glad to see that he did a piece on disability, but I would love to see his team walk the walk (which they often do!) and get proper closed captions for youtube! They shouldn't be auto generated (and leave out swears) for such a high up show
UA-cam probably would lower the advertiser friendlyness of a video if the subtitles included swear words. UA-cam already bleeps out swear words, which I hate with [ __ ]. So I'd be happy enough with the subtitles provided, even if its automatic, if UA-cam would stop playing with it as they're super good already.
@@NixxxxxxThey still have the swear words in the audio. If it’s in the audio, it should be in the caption. Equal experience should be expected and rendered.
@@IntellectualCuriosity Yes and no. The fact they’re censoring the captions, YT problem. The fact they’re not accurate is a YT problem because auto captioning isn’t accurate. For people that can hear, it isn’t as noticeable how bad it can be. For people that can kinda hear, it’s enough to confuse things, and they’ll never know how they were misinformed. For people that have never heard anything (Deaf since birth/Deaf before they acquired spoken language), trying to figure out a jumbled mess can be impossible. John’s show/HBO/whoever has the contract with the company creating the captions for television - should be negotiating a contract that includes paying for the rights to use those captions on YT - and all social media. Relying on auto captioning could leave them open to lawsuits. I’m just saying.
Why are social programs essentially punitive in the United States? Cut the Pentagon budget by 35% & put that money into social programs for children, the elderly, the disabled & the poor. Then we'd look like the Scandinavian countries, where, e.g., anyone with dementia has access to a high end care facility with an excellent standard of living.
We can't do that because otherwise we'll be labeled a hardcore socialist with communist, facist ideals trying to overthrow good old American, capitalist society. So I guess too bad to the disabled, poor and old.
the rich want the poor to stay poor if they live too well and start getting better opportunities they become more educated and more knowledgeable on history and the wider world, thus harder to manipulate...
WASHINGTON- Today 1/30.2024, Reps. Raúl M. Grijalva (D-Ariz.), Jan Schakowsky (D-Ill.), and Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.) reintroduced the Supplemental Security Income (SSI) Restoration Act. The bill modernizes and improves SSI by streamlining the claiming process, increasing asset limits, setting the minimum benefit at 100 percent of the Federal Poverty Level, and eliminating punitive reductions in benefits. It failed to get Republican support...better luck next year i guess...billionaires dont want the poor not to be poor lol
As someone who is currently going through the disability approval process (I just got my first denial and I've lawyered up for the appeal), this was both surreal and a peak behind the curtain. "Oh THAT'S why they said that they thought I could work some kind of nonspecific job even if I'm disabled!" "Oh THAT'S why the woman in charge of my case had the enthusiasm and helpful demeanor of a narcoleptic sloth!" "Oh THAT'S why the one doctor they sent me to was entirely unqualified and tested me for things I did not claim to have!" Haha our country is a joke
I also got my first denial and I have been putting off finding a lawyer etc. because the stress, effort, and time involved is hardly worth the what, $900/month? they grudgingly hand out.
You too, huh? My lawyer, at least, is good to me. Claims I have a strong case. I sure as shit hope she's right- my ALJ hearing is in like two weeks, and GOD is this making me nervous...
I'm waiting for my first denial. I'm kind of assuming they'll deny my first application, based on everything I've heard. I think the hardest part for me so far has been the function report, and the worst question on the function report was "What do you do from the time you wake up until the time you go to sleep?" the video call with the disability determination person was really weird too. It started out with her telling me she was going to describe what she saw. And then she wrote things down while staring at me and what she could see of my apartment through my webcam. I thought later about how she couldn't smell my place through the video call. Should I have volunteered that information? You're not allowed a shred of dignity as a disabled person.
The worst is mental health disabilities that they largely just consider to be made up. Some of us get gaslit for years into believing that everyone experiences exactly what you are and that you just need to try harder and learn to endure. Then we grit their teeth and suffer in silence for years, until our sanity is slowly eroded by hours and hours of intense stress and our minds are so broken that we wish we were never born.
The VAST majority of mental health cases in disability application are absolute bogus. Everyone thinks their ADHD means they get to have productive workers slave for them. I've personally reported several people who were faking their cases and had their SSDI and SSI revoked. I encourage everyone to do the same.
@JJones-zg7yz I wish I could tell you know what you are talking about. But you don't. Many of these people actually WANT productive employment themselves but are denied.
Thank you for making this I am disabled . Only gets paid 1200 per month, I can not make more than 1400 per month . Trying to get an apartment but rent here is around 900 for a studio . Stuck in poverty all my lifw
@@Heritage367 and yes I can’t even work that much even if I want to I can not make more than 1400 per month And I can go back to the work force but I am afraid I will get fired again through my disability and can’t get them again It’s a hard life here
I have M.S. and been denied medical assistance AND disability. I would LOVE to have the use of my legs backs and be able to feed my family and pay my bills. But because i "look fine" on the outside, the SS doctor said i could do physical therapy and return to work. That would have been fine, if my right leg hadnt already atrophied to the point of not being able to support my weight...so how do i return to my VERY physical job at the lumber mill without my legs??
Hire an attorney. NOSSCR has a referral service. It is contingent fee system, so there is no up front fee and the attorney only gets paid if they win your case. Ideally you want to find a firm where you can actually speak with an attorney. You should meet a "medical listing" if your confined to a wheelchair.
I am a disability examiner. If you are to the point you are consistently using a rollator or wheelchair in your home and community and at medical appts, and have medical visits w neuro and a dx of MS per MRI or other objective findings, please immediately search the listing 11.09 and then apply ASAP. Gather the medical record yourself as best you can (which is HARD I am sorry) and be sure to report all these medical sources to field office when u apply as well. The pending caseload is astronomical, may take even years to have case be assigned. I'm sorry. My mother also has MS, was denied and gave up. I ended up in this job to help, and frankly my help is pointless when the whole policy itself is inappropriate and this restrictive. Please keep trying, even though it is an awful process.
another thing about being on disability as an american. We are all meant to feel if we are not working or if we cannot work that we are somehow less than.,
@@dbptwg I see you. Its like if they only knew how fucking shitty this is. If they knew about the poverty and having to make the shittiest choices about healthcare. That attitude that your family has there is exactly the problem. They just assume that you are not worth the help or that you are somehow wanting this.
Well that's just capitalism. Your value is based solely on your productivity. The overpriveledged trust fund baby CEO's think your a valueless, non asset of you aren't highly productive.
@@dbptwg I just stopped going and stopped talking to my family because of that. And because of the whispers and general attitude towards me like I'm just lazy and not born disabled. I just didn't know it because my Boomer parents wouldn't let a doctor diagnose me. "There's nothing wrong with him. He's just a little odd." - Boomer parents in denial Thanks, mom and dad. Now I'm fucked for life because I didn't get diagnosed until I was 27 and fucking homeless because my disability kept me from working. Could have gotten the full benefit if I'd been diagnosed at 10. Now, I'm living on $950 a month. Does my mom care? Nope. She's got her house. It's paid off. She doesn't give a fuck about what happens to me. Fuck America.
Valkyrie's story made me cry out loud!! TELL IT JHON! U R Truly a FRIEND of the PEOPLE, just by being your funny, truthful, ethical self! We neeeeed more like you; please have lots of kids!! Can't count the times my head was in such a dark place given politics, etc, only to come out of it inspired and smiling bec of Last Week Tonight; YOU ARE THE BEST! TY for being you and doing what you do.
My dad nearly died from lupus complications at 25. He lived with lupus, a dangerous blood clotting disorder, cancer, one leg, a thyroid disorder, and survived several strokes. Despite all of this, he once had his disability benefits revoked because he coached my softball team. They thought that because he saved up his spoons and medicated his pain enough to spend two hours at a softball field 14 nights a year, he was well enough to work. It's a bullshit system, and I've never forgiven the people who put us through the fear and uncertainty of that decision.
Yeah. I have family who worry about how I never go out and they're like "Surely you can volunteer a few hours at soup kitchens or the humane society or the zoo or museums, you love that sort of thing" and like- even if I could stick to a schedule needed to volunteer without constant bad days, I would be TERRIFIED that my volunteering anywhere doing anything for even 2 hours a month would be seen as 'proof' I could work an actual job and cost me my benefits.
@jalexanderart2 I'm a disability examiner. Yes if you mention your activity levels at your medical exams, the doc may add that to your med record to demonstrate your current functioning. They often don't add much detail so this often hinders ppl since we can't tell if someone is coaching softball 14 days a year, or 150 days a year, they just add tidbits but don't usually give a holistic approach to the record...also depends on the docs attitude or impression of you, of course, they could underplay or (rarely) overplay limitations as well. Esp for ppl with chronic conditions like lupus, your medical record probably contains more personal info than you'd expect, be aware what you report at exams since doc's are often trying to assess you and help...I hope...but it could be seen as "inconsistent" with the record and it's quicker to deny than to fight for an allowance on complicated claims for those under 55, so many who are overwhelmed with work and stressed/medicated themselves while trying to keep up with caseload assignment will nitpick evidence for things like that to deny someone quickly. Every part of this is awful. I only know about the actual determination aspect, I know nothing about giving or receiving benefits, that's a different office entirely.
@@neintales1224see above comment -- it could be, I worry about that when I see regular "organized activity" in record and will take time to disambiguate the record and demonstrate someone could not *sustainably* do this work...some else may see that in record and start working toward a denial, or cessation at a review. That's extreme and frankly inappropriate but I refuse to lie to ppl and say it doesnt ever happen. Hope this helps ❤ Edit: I thought you said 2 hours a week, whoops. They won't know if you volunteer and never told a counselor or doctor or someone, there's no way it would enter record then. 2 hours of month is clearly not significant. The fact any examiner thinks even a few hours a week is significant is just as insane. Do what you can for your mental health and community wellness, please live as well as you can, just be aware about sharing info to med ppl as it could be misrepresented in record and used to show medical improvement in some way
Thirty thousand people died while waiting for Social Security disability determinations during fiscal 2023, the Social Security Commissioner Martin O’Malley told Nextgov/FCW in a recent interview.
Two weeks after my denial with an attorney a colleague of mind send me a Newsbreak online column saying the SSA will not no longer be denying claims base on their out dated system they used. I have since appeal. So sickening!
Terminally ill disabled still are subject to the waiting. Interviewer cried while filling out my spouse's form because he said he knew death would come before benefits were approved.
the $390 million paid from appeals could be better spent paying out SSI/SSDI to more people. completely nonsensical, inefficient, and disrespectful system
Yeah the SSI doctor that reviewed my case determined I wasn't disabled because I could..tie some shoe laces on the back of a teddy bear. 🙂 So I guess if anyone in 2024 has a shoe lace tieing business, then I'm all set.
the messed up part, is when a judge is deciding whether you can work a job or not, they don't actually consider whether or not that job actually exists.
Tying shoe laces will not pay enough for food clothing shelter transportation healthcare so it should not be even allowed to be a job that can disqualify you. Go and get admitted to the hospital and tell them about your anxiety because you’re going to be homeless. Do that a couple of times and then apply again and get a lawyer
If you're declined, prove you can't still work even with desperation, then we'll think about it while you juggle bankruptcy and homelessness. Sounds like prison gives you a roof and food better. What a disgusting inhumane system there 'Merica.
I know people who have committed crimes to avoid being homeless... Sadly Republicans in particular have tried to abolish any of these 'socialist' policies for ages that actually help people survive and have said things like 'People like those should just die', so of course the problems never go away.
My dad gave my wife the best advice in the world about this. He told her to apply, get denied, because everyone pretty much gets denied initially, the immediately get a lawyer. She had a stack of medical records three friggin feet tall and was denied. She got a lawyer and within 3 weeks was approved. For those saying that some cant afford a lawyer keep in mind that you dont pay the lawyer if you are accepted, which 99% of people who really need to be on it will be accepted with a lawyer, SSDI pays the lawyer.
Yeah, If I lived in the US, and were at in the state those people with disabilities are, I would probably rob a bank. Either I get millions or I go to prison with a roof over my head and 3 meals and medical treatment. Quite the sad state of affairs.
@@thegarage5919 if you watch the video you’re leaving a comment on they mention the fact that even with lawyers and appeals, denials are still happening. This is not an issue about “proving you really need it”. This is a broken system.
my mother, whose only income was SSDI for a decade, makes "too much" to qualify for food stamps or for me to qualify for fafsa financial aid. All this despite the fact that she regularly goes into the negative paying for meds or food.
As the comments can attest, calling SSI and SSDI application process a "nightmare" is sugarcoating it. And if the GOP leadership had their way with it, the programs would cease to be. The amount of times I was worried about the Trump presidency getting rid of SSA's budget was a yearly nightmare to begin with. They instead chose to cut the funding in chunks as if it were a slasher film that knew it was getting an NC-17 rating.
@@timheinrich3752 I truly don't know anyone who's on disability that shouldn't be. I do, however, know dozens of people who really should not have been turned down for disability and have had to reapply, and still didn't get approved.
I’m wondering if it’s changed since I applied 6-7 years ago? Because the online form was straight forward, the bureaucrats you deal with after are the problem.
As someone who has worked with adults with developmental disabilities. It's actually crazy how our system is set up. Individuals can't make a certain amount of money without losing their benefits, but at the same time there's programs for them to get jobs and be productive members of society. It's like a oxymoron. Because of this, most of them will just kind of waste away their lives because there's no other options. It's very depressing to see.
to be fair those jobs theyre giving disabled people are never really gonna put them at risk of going over $2k. i work for a company that runs group homes and had to shred confidential information for a while. the paychecks ive seen are $189 at the top end and $2.97 at the low end.
Thank you for this. I'm writing my dissertation on disability advocacy, and to see the statistics so starkly and so absurdly nightmarish as I do... I honestly feel like I am going insane every time I do a deep dive into the experiences of disabled people. You cry, scream, beg, lay across the capitol stairs, and they still step around you, ignore you, make you feel insane for being mad that you are being ignored, and being killed through negligence. We're human beings, goddammit, but because society at large has so broadly dismissed, marginalized, and alienated disabled people in every aspect of said society, we still are ignored.
The ssi doctor I had lied about me falling. He said the fall was,”patient walked across the floor on her toes”. I a paralyze. I can’t even get my toes in most shoes now. The disability judge angered the blind doctor by not knowing what stage four cancer was and expected me to work just because I wasn’t always wheelchair bound. He said my disability isn’t being in a wheelchair and it must have been hard for me to walk and was amazing but my disability was pain. I have CRPS 2 from stage four spinal cancer. Get a lawyer. Call every lawyer until you find one. SS should have a list. It should be mostly covered by SS if you win. They make it a gamble. It should be like a criminal case where you have a right to a lawyer even if you can’t afford it.
I was hurt in a car accident in 2009 I was 41 and I had lower spine and neck herniated disc. My lawyer at that time representing told me as I get older it will get worst. His office tried to get me disability in 2011 and the judge said I can get sedentary jobs. I was a nurse aide and going to school for nursing. I could not get a desk job. I took jobs in retail and managing torn myself up more and was living on Aleve that was not working. I had four falls in 4 years. Then 2018 City truck slam into the back of my suv at a red light. 2023 another car run into my back. I had a torn right rotator cuff for years and was told I needed surgery. I refused; until 2023 after having covid19 in 2022 for 3 weeks all my injury resurface and I went to see a orthopedic doctor who was so egotistical would not look at the other doctors MRI. He recommended surgery telling me if I was older he would say; leave it alone. I told him about my injuries and my lower back bothering with constant pain. He told me he don't work with the lower body so I proceeded on doing the surgery for my rotator and it was the worst mistake I make. A year later my shoulder in worst pain compared to before the surgery. Because of the insurance company requiring PT had they done a full MRI of my body this doctor would have probably say NO WAY. Days after my surgery my knees was clamping on me. My lower spine hurted more because I had to sleep for months in a recline position. My knees I am told is arthritis knee and my right foot heel hurts once I am sitting or standing for longer than two hours. When I got an attorney and he filed SSDI I got unfavorable because of what this surgeon wrote in his note to SS. Even though the spine doctor and ny chiropractor explained she have a life long injuries and my herniated disc in the back is pushing out on to other parts in the body and the nerve. I had the steroid shot twice cause the surgeon send me to get pain management for my neck he said that what causing my pain. Absolutely because he was not listening to me when I was trying to explain I have injuries in my body. I only took the shot in the lower spine. Not helping. I am awfully achy painy. I cannot sleep well because of the shoulders radiating pain to my clavicle bone and scapula. I appeal my case on my own and if they deny again I will have another attorney on it. And I will file a suit on that surgeon. He cause me to lose my SSDI even though he don't work with the lower body. I am now turning 56 next Saturday 🤷♀️
@@jenniferw1595 Oh my Goodness! We need to get our congress members involved. I called this out more than a year ago. I left a message for the person at SSA office phone asking if they were disabled over there too. That the SSA will have their Divine Justice soon. Now we have this video done with more awareness of what others are going through. Pain is no joke. When I call he never answer cause he send me to their doctor who sent me to a radiology group I worked for and did not know they had some treason doctors dismissing people injuries as if nothing was wrong with them. I have so much injuries that right now I am on Prednisone to numb me a bit so I have a bit of a normal active life. I am waiting on my appeal. This is crazy that no matter what your situation they had folks in the system to sweep in under a rug and not pay you what you were contributing towards if ever you got hurt and unable to work to enough to take care of yourself. Awful situation! I pray there is help to changed this around.
So happy this is being brought to light. Not all of us can work regular or any jobs sometimes, and we deserve to be treated with decency and support regardless.
Thank you to Mr Oliver and his crew. Me and my girlfriend are in the middle of an over 2 year battle trying to get disability. We (Her, myself and my 3 kids) are all suffering and absolutely in the dark about what we’re waiting for. It’s nice to know we’re not alone and people are making efforts.
I'm so sorry you're going through that- especially with kiddos to worry about! ❤ The way the SSA treats people is RIDICULOUS, and I hope you have an end to your struggle for help soon, friend!!
I tried getting disability, even just temporary disability, for over a year. Diagnosed with depression, anxiety, panic disorder, c-ptsd, and DID. I was told to find a job where I don't have to interact with people. After a year and working with a social worker I finally got a hearing. The first question that I was asked was how many hours I work per week. I said 20. I was told I work too much to qualify. They want you to be immobile, homeless, or dead before they'll give you any help.
It’s true. You have to have zero assets left. No bank account, a vehicle appraised at less that $1000. Live on general assistance and food stamps which in CA is about $350 plus $200 respectively while you apply and appeal.
@@theTwilightSystem It took me over 6 years to get my SSI Disability. The important part is to NOT Reapply, because you have to start all over again. By reappling you loose that possible money that is accumulating while you wait to get approved. It is critical to not reapply but instead to APPEAL the denial! I kept appealing and re-re-reappealing for my Disability. Agein it took over six years but when I finally was granted my SSI, I got a huge lump sum check that was spplied retroactively to the original application date! Yep! The goal of the state that you apply in and the Federal Government via Social Security is to wear you down in hopes that you will give up and quit! Here is another important hint. DO NOT HIRE A LAWYER! IT is a waste of time. More than likley, they will take your money and run. When you are in the final stages of multiple appeals, you will receive a letter from Social Security ststing that you have been assigned to a judge fir a hearing about your appeals. This means you are in the home stretch 😊 Along with that final letter will be a list of Government Approved Attorneys that are sanctioned to represent your final appeal in court. ❤ Now here isctge tricky part. Your assigned attorney will get a very small percentage of your retroactive award money, not to exceed a few thousand dollars. While the Judge makes the decision of " Yes you are Disabled in the eyes of this court, but it may be several months to years, before we can grant you full Disability..." Durring that wait time you don't collect a penny. They are betting on the fact that you are poor dye to your health and or you might not live long.. So in my case I accepted SSI over SSDI so that I could start collecting SSI within the following month, along with a big fat check right away! ❤ Good Luck!!
@@elsagrace3893 It took me over 6 years to get my SSI Disability. The important part is to NOT Reapply, because you have to start all over again. By reappling you loose that possible money that is accumulating while you wait to get approved. It is critical to not reapply but instead to APPEAL the denial! I kept appealing and re-re-reappealing for my Disability. Agein it took over six years but when I finally was granted my SSI, I got a huge lump sum check that was spplied retroactively to the original application date! Yep! The goal of the state that you apply in and the Federal Government via Social Security is to wear you down in hopes that you will give up and quit! Here is another important hint. DO NOT HIRE A LAWYER! IT is a waste of time. More than likley, they will take your money and run. When you are in the final stages of multiple appeals, you will receive a letter from Social Security ststing that you have been assigned to a judge fir a hearing about your appeals. This means you are in the home stretch 😊 Along with that final letter will be a list of Government Approved Attorneys that are sanctioned to represent your final appeal in court. ❤ Now here isctge tricky part. Your assigned attorney will get a very small percentage of your retroactive award money, not to exceed a few thousand dollars. While the Judge makes the decision of " Yes you are Disabled in the eyes of this court, but it may be several months to years, before we can grant you full Disability..." Durring that wait time you don't collect a penny. They are betting on the fact that you are poor dye to your health and or you might not live long.. So in my case I accepted SSI over SSDI so that I could start collecting SSI within the following month, along with a big fat check right away! ❤ Good Luck!!
I have almost same as you diagnosed. DID, cptsd, severe general anxiety, depression but also BPD and ADHD which honestly is misdiagnosed autism (im 37, it was diagnosed as a young child) the DID stayed covert until 34, at which point through an emotional trauma my alters decided to make themselves known. It was terrifying. Through this, my entire life was ruined as my mental health took a nose dive. I had to quit my job as a school bus driver due to dissociative episodes. My fiance had an affair and left me around that time. I became agoraphobic, my anxiety getting really bad, got overwhelmed and overstimulated easily. I tried working a job overnights not dealing with people but only lasted a couple months and it got progressively more difficult the whole time. Havent worked in 3 years now. Technically homeless with no income. Applied for disability through paperwork and phone interviews. Im bad with phones. I was denied. Been meaning to try to get a lawyer, i struggle socially and with such things. I only have 3 friends and only ine is local to me. I finally asked if she will help me get in contact with the lawyer. Im not confident i will ever have a life again or support myself. Very suicidal often. I do literally nothing. I feel so bad and guilty about myself and my disabilities. The system is such bs. Even when i get disability, it wont be enough for rent even in the worse part of town in a studio apt. I will have to get on the year long waiting list for whats called section 8 here. Certain apt buildings for struggling people, government pays the rent and you only cover 30% of whatever your income is. The rest of my life i will basically be a prisoner to my circumstance. And why? Because i had a traumatic childhood. Because my SA caused my personality to need to break into multiple pieces just to be able to handle it. Because my trauma responses to this day are too much to control even with meds and therapy. Getting disability will only ease my anxiety by 1%. Life is panic and defense for me.
I'm on the German equivalent and its basically the exact same here. I thought it was just Germany that likes to kick it's citizens when they're already down.
i had to move back home with MY MOTHER! i am too old for this, she still bosses me around. wakes me at 2 am and tells me to always be sure the freezer is shut. i just had my 65th birthday.
If your disability started before the age of 26, an ABLE account might be an option to help. They will hopefully be raising the age to 46 in 2026, which... isn't soon enough, but is something to look towards. It's a savings account that does not count against social security saving limits.
Thank you thank you thank you thank you. Thank you John Oliver and the Last Week Tonight team for doing a full story about disabled people and some of our struggles. Thank you thank you. We are often ignored.
This is how the elderly and the disabled end up homeless. If lucky enough, they have a vehicle to live in, but even that's a problem because now there are less places they are allowed to park.
Better hope that the vehicle is nearly worthless as most of these states consider vehicles a “disposable asset” that counts against the maximum value of gross assets you can have in order to be a part of any program, including disability, Medicaid and food stamps
Part of me wishes I had enough money to buy a plot of land and pave it, maybe have a couple RV hookups and a dorm style bathroom setup ( a few sinks, stalls, showers) and just let the people who need it be able to use it.
Been watching a few vanlife channels for years now. There’s two that are very popular with seniors, & they all seem to blame immigrants, & think that DJT is the only one who’ll save them.
I'm a disabled vet. I was injured last March. The injury was on an extremity that had been rated by the VA. Ligament was torn. Typical turn around is 35 days. It took 165 days to get an MRI, and >6 months to get a surgery. I've been without work this entire time. The county offices don't return my calls. All the rental assistance programs have been cut. ACP that gave us free internet was cut. DAV and VSO assistance have 7 week waiting lists for a fucking phone call. If this is how the treat veterans with military related injuries that they are 100% responsible for, then I can only imagine what it's like for everyone else. I owe more than $3k in unpaid bills and my entire savings is gone.
It's enraging that we wear out veteran's bodies but only sometimes grudgingly provide for your healthcare after, and break promise after promise that was made to you about your future. I'm sorry. I hope you get some good support.
Stay strong and keep calling. Contact your congressman if you have to. They can help some too. I waited 2 years and became homeless and almost starved to death waiting for mine to be finished. But if you can keep at it and make it there is a light at the end of the tunnel.
@@GwenApMannanan So... WAIT? You have to nearly sacrifice your life TWICE? Once in combat and, again, to live whatever life that combat gave you? That's HORRIFIC!
@@trinleywangmo it was really bad. :( Things usually move faster now. When I got out it was the middle of OIF/OEF in 08 and a ton of Vietnam vets suddenly decided to start filing out of nowhere and the system was seriously bogged down. The VA didn’t know how to handle it. On the upside I receive excellent care today.
FYI the 31% is WAY misleading. People are afraid to apply bc of how hard it is. Most people never finish the almost year long application process. It's not at ALL like 31% of qualified ppl are approved. A tiny minority even get thru the process to be counted for those stats.
That's assuming that we even know that we're disabled and not just having extremely bad luck with employment. Which is a fairly common thing for hidden disabilities. Especially ADHD and autism where there hasn't been a very good track record of identifying people for a proper diagnosis or diagnosing the patients that are identified as being possibly so.
All government assistance programs are built like this (with the exception of SS for some reason). EBT couldn't be more difficult to navigate. It takes days on the phone having to provide details for every penny earned and if they think you make too much or too little they will reduce or cut benefits without notice. You'll be waiting on that money to feed your family when you suddenly realize you went from, enough to buy groceries for a month to enough to cover a week.
Right?? @@SmallSpoonBrigade I swear my entire life and my parents lives make so much sense now that I know we're autistic and ADHD. Like no fucking wonder we can't keep jobs.
Obviously true and utterly meaningless. Every conclusion and suggested improvement stated in this video was determined IN 1975, yes, FIFTY YEARS AGO, none were adopted, they are not considered for adoption, they never will be adopted, Case Closed, End of Story, no need to discuss it further or bring it up ever again. Not gonna happen...Nope...no way. FIFTY YEARS AGO. Same story, TV commentary back then, never changed, never will.
My son has profound disabilities. I took him to our intake appointment so they could see him in person. He had a seizure during our appointment - yay Woody! - and was approved within weeks. We had that same Covid clawback crap to deal with, and now I keep his money in a dresser drawer. Mr. Oliver you are prince for bringing all of this forward. I'm writing my representatives right now.
"I have sold everything that I own of any value, with the exception of my wedding ring" made my cry with 2nd hand shame of the system. The whole Valkyrie story.. made me cry, heavily tinged with rage. The hypocrisy of how quickly they'll find out and act if go over 2k$ in savings, compared to the delays when signing up or appealing is just ridiculous.
Yup, feels like a lot of people are caught in that "safety net" and are drowning because of it. Richest and most powerful country in the world doesn't take care of it's people? I've been trying to get "benefits" for over 20 years now. I've seen friends die in poverty waiting to get benefits.
My good friend, a vietnam vet, is probably going to die in the next few years because he is experiencing the same thing with the VA. A lot of vets die waiting for treatment.
Yup - my sister has been in a relationship for about 12 years and would LOVE to get married. However, her partner also has disabilities and they can’t have their benefits take away so they can never get married. 😢
I've met Patricia jetter, she's naturally funny, and fun to talk to 😂 pretty awesome she's on here. I have a friend that is disabled and she was denied multiple times in Florida.
The worst part is being disabled, takes so much out of you, that there’s none left over to advocate for yourself and fight the broken system.
Iv heard that if you don't have people helping you apply they can say no due to the fact you were working so hard to get it.
Literally doing what you needed to get it proved you could do a job just like it.
@31animafan Hiring an advocate helps.
@@HEATHENBCEdid you miss the part where we are below the poverty line? Better yet, did you even watch the video?
@@31animafan Yeah, people have been turned down for this reason. But if a disabled person who is not on any kind of SSI/SSDI complains about their situation, all they hear from able bodied people around them is "well if it's that bad, you could just get on social security, right?"
It's all by design
As a disability specialist working SSI/SSDI cases for 12 years, I can tell you everything he has said is very true. It's maddening to see qualified individuals get denied.
From someone who has been denied and is now homeless. Thank you for telling the truth.
Me
@@robbey10 If it weren't for the kindness of a loved one, I would be homeless with my youngest. Denied for disability, and unable to get unemployment for 6 months, I lost everything. My job. My house. The only thing I didn't lose was kid. Our system sucks.
The money benefits need to be 10 times what they are for anyone to have a normal life.
He does seem to think a diagnosis equals disability though. If meds work to increase function, you’re not disabled. The meds are doing what they’re supposed to do. Plus, people get confused and don’t understand things like you don’t qualify for T2 and have too much for T16 and that’s why you’re denied, technically not medically.
My buddy was dying of kidney failure, and was hospitalized for months. When he got out, he was worse than when he went in. He couldn't walk, and would sometimes shit himself. We went everywhere during covid that we could to get him disability. He was only 60 so we couldn't get him social security. They kept jerking us around, and one day my girlfriend came into the room and said, I think ricky is dead. I said no way, but I'll check. I went into his room, and I said, ricky is dead. I called 911, and they took him away. A month later, we got a letter saying that his disability was approved. Fuck all of this shit
My late husband had an acute leukemia, and the doctors gave him 6 months to live. It took 9 months to get approved for SSDI. Luckily, he lived 2 years but still died at 42.
That's fucked up.
@colleenpeck6347 that's heartbreaking.
I'm so, so sorry for your loss❤
@@colleenpeck6347I'm so sorry for your loss ♥️
As a mom of a teen with disabilities, I had to psych myself up to listen to this. I hate thinking of the world that’s waiting for this person I love so much.
I am 40 years old, and I was born disabled. Please, believe this stranger on the Internet when I say that having a parent with even a little relevant knowledge is better than getting to college with no such knowledge because one's parents were born in the right time, the right places, and the right families to remain ignorant of the harms which many US citizens suffer every day. I strongly recommend reading the work of Marta Russell, as nothing has changed since she was published. 🫂
As someone born with a disability. Please apply for your child NOW. I wasn't expecting to fully depend on SSI/SSDI at 35, but please jump through as many hoops for your child now so they'll have a safety net at 22, 32, 42... I am so thankful my mother prepared me for both paths. I was educated for a 'normal' life, but I always had SSI as a safety net. I loved working when I could, but now that I can't I value her foresight immensely. Also Jamie isn't quite right about saving $. I've read that we're allowed to save for big purchases like cars & there are specific laws in place for parents of disabled children that allow them to save for their future. As soon as possible call Social Security & ask especially if your teen is planning to go to college & live on their own. If they qualify for SS they'll have their own money & you can teach them how to budget it. Expert Budgeting is critical. Teach her to pay all bills before she even considers spending $5 on even a sticker. The only way I manage living on $921 a month is with other services like Sec 8, food stamps & every part Medicare & Medicaid offer. Make sure they get everything Medicaid Medicare offers. The additional $ Medicare & Medicaid plus part D is what I use to keep my head far above water. Start looking now. Apply for what you can now. There are waiting lists for things like Sec 8. Thesey won't need help with rent yet, but that's what Sec 8 provides. Know where to apply. Make a list of what they can qualify for now & a list of what they will qualify for when/if they live on their own. I wasn't physically capable of working & going to college so SS & food stamps were necessary. I have so much more to say, but I don't know if you'll even read this.
One of the presidential candidates has said on more than one occasion that it'd be better if disabled people were just euthanized, and his pick for Vice President has been bankrolled his entire political career by someone who believes euthanasia of the disabled is necessary for a better society. It's really maddening knowing this kind of rhetoric exists in the modern age, let alone by the leaders of one of the two political parties. I've had to explain to my relatives that their open support of Trump is open support for my death and they don't listen and hand wave it away as something that'd never actually happen. I'll never understand their blanket support of ending all austerity either, unless the point is cruelty, which at this point I'm pretty certain it is. That and that they're too stupid to realize their disabled daughter would stop getting checks along with free out-patient care she relies on. To them, making liberals angry is more important.
I don't understand this comment
@@jeremysmith9694the world is so hard for people with disabilities. I am haunted by the knowledge that me intellectually disabled and visually impaired child will outlive me because I know that our social safety nets won’t catch her. This video talked about how financially difficult things are for people with disabilities, and for their families who are just trying to care for them. It didn’t cover the abysmal conditions in many group homes or long term care facilities. How expensive assisted living is. The failure of many hospital systems to catch or punish predators who harm people in their care. The difficulty finding and affording enrichment programs. Trying to navigate the health care system. This world is not set up to be kind to my child, and that hurts like hell.
Im taking a college class in disability services and the main take away I’ve learned from the class so far is that if you’re disabled in America, you’re fucked. We need universal healthcare this is ridiculous and cruel
Universal healthcare doesn't exist in USA because the government doesn't want the poor and disabled to have healthcare
@nicolasgirard2808 no, it is better in other places. look it up.
@nicolasgirard2808 german here. its better. im not gonna pretend that insurance companies over here arent trying to get out of paying whatever they can, or that privatizing big parts of the medical sector hasnt introduced large issues. but, and this is more important than anything else, it still absolutely covers your medical bills. no one is going bankrupt because they need surgery, or a hip replacement, or insulin.
where you are fucked is if you need anything that doesnt fit the norm, like if youre a transwoman and are having your beard lasered away, healthcare refuses to cover that without certificates from at least two therapists, which take years to get. but as infuriating as it is, those are special cases.
Yep. I work in museums. A lot of my colleagues and I CONSTANTLY argue for better accommodations for visitors. My personal fav at the moment is at the US Capitol, open for tours Monday-Saturday, the office for accommodations and the nurse are both Monday-Friday. Need a sign language interpreter on a Saturday? We have prerecorded on an iPad (which you will also use if our two, yes, TWO, interpreters are busy with someone else). Medical issue on a Saturday? No nurse on staff, go to Capitol Police and hope they can handle it with their first aid training! It i so fucking dumb.
@nicolasgirard2808 It's not just a budget thing, it's an outright urban design and cultural issue as well. Even decades post ADA a lot of places are perfectly happy being totally inaccessibly to people with disabilities. People mentally write them off all the time.
My MIL is fully disabled and lives in Chicago. We moved her there with us for the amazing public transit. The city offers its disabled citizens 8 free lyft rides PER DAY. She has a point to point shuttle, an in home care provider who comes 2 times a week and helps her care for herself and her apartment. We still chip in for the rent, because disability doesn't cover it all. But her being approved has changed the trajectory of her SONS life, not just her own. We need wider spread access to disability support for everyone in this country.
I didn't know that about Lyft and will need to look into it, that's incredible if so! My mom is also disabled and we moved her up to Chicago from Florida. Night and day as far as resources available. She has an apartment, a team who helps her with doctors/appointments, and transit to get where she needs. She was able to go from a level 1 care facility to independent living with actual support to help her and make sure she was ready. Even here the system isn't perfect but it is leagues ahead of some areas, which is incredibly sad for those who don't have family and resources to help them relocate.
We absolutely need a wider net. I love my mom, I'd do everything I can for her, but I don't have the resources to care for her and trying to do so would ruin our relationship. I want her to be helped by people who are paid, professional, and know what they are doing. Family cannot be expected to bear that burden, and those without family deserve the same consideration and opportunity to live a fulfilling life.
As someone who lives in Illinois/used to live in Chicago, people always love to try and shit on us because of some skewed murder statistics.. when in reality we have one of the best states in the entire country. Governor Pritzker has done amazing things. And I was against him in the beginning…. But when he was being considered for VP I was extremely excited…. that man has single-handedly improved this state and I don’t go to bed worried about my healthcare ❤❤❤
@bulletsandbracelets4140 yes and iehp covers medical appts, substance abuse appts, pharmacy visits etc etc for free through lyft and Uber as well 😀
huh, maybe this one should talk to its mother about moving to chicago or something. She's disabled(this one is too, but it's still fighting to get the state to recognize that). Though really, every SSI/SSDI approval should come with an automatic Section 8 Housing Assistance or equivilent approval.
@@deathstinger13 ohhh, section 8 would help A LOT.
The irony in all of this is a significant number of people who apply for disability would have benefited and maybe avoided or diminished their need for assistance if this country had actual health care. When injuries and illness happen and you get zero medical treatment because you can't afford it, this country is MAKING disabled people. As someone born with Muscular Dystrophy, I STILL have to prove every few years that I am still disabled. Also, I would have loved to work, but I was not allowed. No job offers the insurance I need for the daily care I require. And in home daily care is EXPENSIVE. We SAY in this country we will care for the most vulnerable, but we do NOT.
And the income limits also guarantee a lot of people would could work _some_ are working _none._ And despite that the politicians in one party that complain about people living off of welfare refuse to fix the problem.
Yes! Exactly the maze of nonsense
Wow...I had a friend in elementary and ended up doing a school report on it. You don't get better from MD wtf
THIS!
Not ironic. Every conclusion and suggested improvement stated in this video was determined IN 1975, yes, FIFTY YEARS AGO, none were adopted, they are not considered for adoption, they never will be adopted, Case Closed, End of Story, no need to discuss it further or bring it up ever again. Not gonna happen...Nope...no way. FIFTY YEARS AGO. Same story, TV commentary back then, never changed, never will.
My late husband was on social security disability because he had stage four melanoma which had metastasized to his brain. He was literally on his deathbed and a social security case worker called to inform me that he no longer met the guidelines for disability benefits. I tried to explain that he was in hospice care and couldn't speak. She told me that she would have to verify that information by speaking with my husband. Our hospice nurse finally got the caseworker to understand the severity of our situation and that he could not speak to her because he was unable to communicate in any way at all. It was just one of the awful things that we faced, but it caused unnecessary stress when I should have only been focused on spending as much time as possible with him. It's making me tear up just thinking about it all. He was only 44 years old.
It shouldn't be so difficult for those who have paid into the system to receive disability benefits.
Because politicians believe disabled people shouldn't have autonomy or success in life.
I'm so sorry!
@bluesunquake yes.
The high rejection rate is not a bug; It's a feature. It's to discourage people from even applying.
Its automatic rejection it part of the process, exactly to discourage people.
Yup. We were straight up told they automatically reject 75% of applicants the first time when we tried to get benefits for my husband. And then... they told us 50% for appeal...
Yes
As someone who works in the field you are correct. 1st and 2nd attempts generally
Yep
as a disabled, wheelchair-using 32 year old woman who has managed to get on SSI, thank you John Oliver for shining a light on the layers of atrocities of how hard it is for most us to try to survive. I count myself as INCREDIBLY lucky and am blessed to have a wonderful support system, but the majority of disabled people don’t, and it’s a travesty. Folks just want to live a normal life that doesn’t have to revolve around fighting for access to doctors, medications, and help. Thanks for fighting the good fight with us. Least importantly I’m always sad I can’t get married 😭
Marriage is overrated, and when you find your person, you'll understand why people say getting married is just a piece of paper. ❤ Sending you love.
Why can't you get married?
@@Etriellebecause marriage causes loss of disability benefits
Its terrible and i cant even help myself get by financially by working a job i can handle ..because they take all i make out of my check.. theres no point of working. I want a small pt job for some extra cash because i can barely survive on $900 monthly.. id be reevaluated and could lose access to medication that helps me be able to work. I cannot lose my medication im epileptic and severely bipolar
Did you watch the video at all?
I lived with disability all my life, having been born disabled. This piece is spot on about being locked into poverty. There's also the matter of housing. It also means you have to get food stamps and government housing or you can't afford anything.
Oh, absolutely. I've never done anything but rent, and now I can't even afford to do that, what with the price-gouging going on.
That's evil
trying to get on government housing is not easy. i have been on the wait list for nearly 15 years now.
Not to mention accessible housing for those who are wheelchair users or have other mobility aids are more expensive than just regular/typical non-accessible housing.
have you ever tried getting a job?
Thank you John! I’ve been on SSI/SSDI since I was 18. I’m 48. As a person in a wheelchair and has Cerebral Palsy these benefits has helped so much but it’s the bare minimal to live on. We as people with disabilities deserve better.
I’ve finally gave up trying to find a job after 20 years of rejections. No one cares about my degree in social work. Being disabled is SO frustrating on many levels. Sometimes the fight is too much, although I always get back up to fight.
Hi 64 born with cp also in a chair 11 years now .
Maybe you could work from home.. I'm no trying to be stupid.. I'm sure you've heard this before but after reading your story, in this day & age, maybe tha anonymity of the internet could be to your advantage...
@@MrTweak69I have an Etsy shop
@@MrTweak69 SSI/SSDI evals account for that, and as someone who can only work from home in a narrow job, that pays just slightly above SSI, even that is diffuclt to maintain if you're disability, like most is dynamic. These suggestions come from a good place, but are exahusting to here. If it was that simple, disability would not be the finacial barrier that it is.
I'm not sure I can make it through this video. I'm a well-educated adult with a long and varied work history. I now have a permanent brain injury and haven't worked in 7 years. I've applied multiple times in 2 states, all they do is lose my documents, ask for more all the time, and reject over and over again. I have now completely given up. I rely on others for food and shelter and am completely miserable, depressed, and hopeless. This is not how it's supposed to work. We are left behind.
I am so sorry! I won't bore you w/my DDD/10 herniated discs & fused neck, being denied & in too much pain to fight back. But now they've cut off my severely autistic son who's 33 yo & whom I've cared for alone all his life. Said I'm not his guardian. Meanwhile, my rich in-laws are drawing & running around living it up while we live in squalor. It's a huge racket & shameful.
There is a misunderstanding in our society about how much extra work the disabled have to do to get their needs met. Yes, you have to apply and submit the documents, but you did that. And then you did it again. And then you did it some more. The natural consequence of this kind of dehumanization, especially in light of a brain injury, is going to be depression and hopelessness. But then the disabled are blamed for not having a positive enough attitude, as if your attitude was ever the problem in the first place. The entire system of how the disabled are treated is seriously fucked up.
We are left behind in every sense. The disabled are an afterthought in society, forced to beg to exist. Some of us are unapologetically demanding better for the disabled because we are valuable to society and deserve dignity and humanity. We deserve to exist without this ongoing trauma. You are important and deserve so much more than this.
You need to hire a lawyer who specializes in SSDI. They don't charge you a fee, they get paid when you do. They get $6000.00 or 25% whichever is less.
Call the local news. Those people have TIME on their hands and very much like to spend it trying to be heroes. Give them something to be heroes about.
Look up attorney Jon Spies. He's based in TX but is able to work in several states. I'm in California and he represented me and my case and after being denied the first time he got my case approved after getting my case only 2 weeks before my hearing. He does not get paid by you but by SSDI once you are approved. He is the best!!
As a man married to a disabled woman (paralyzed from waist down since birth), yeah, this whole thing is a mess and a half. She lost her benefits the very moment we got married. On top of that, we've literally had an insurance company fight us and tell us it wasn't medically necessary for her to have a power wheelchair, which caused her to lose a lot of her independence for over 2 years. We had to go through the state workforce organization since she does have a job. It's fucking absurd. We live in Texas. Yes, I know.
The best thing is that, when we were planning to get married, we literally asked them whether she would keep her benefits. Gave them information and everything. They said yes. So, we got married. Three months later, we got the denial letter, complete with asking for repayments of everything she'd gotten for the past 3 months. GREAT STUFF.
Because politicians want the "burden" of taking care of disabled people to transfer from the state to the spouse.
Why did you married legally?
You can be husband and wife married only religiously without the marriage certificate, which most of the time make things more difficult.
Marriage is not the problem Marriage Certificate is.
@@drextrey Marriage certificates are not the problem. The system that punishes people for completely normal human behaviors is the problem.
Yeah I live in TX too. This state is god awful and I’m not surprised at all after reading all that that they would be so cruel when it comes to medical issues and disabilities. I’m so sorry you’ve both had to go through that. It’s like living in the dark ages here when it comes to medical issues. Just me trying to get a surgery here they denied and denied over and over again saying people weren’t within my network.. long story short. The person was in my network the entire time. They made me wait so long that it caused the issue to get so much worse instead of just letting me get it done in the beginning.
@@drextrey you know they don't let you get away with that, right?
At 8:24, I just want to say THANK YOU to John Oliver for including Sickle Cell Disease in your coverage. So often, chronic deadly diseases that are not immediately visible are not covered even though they are indeed disabilities too.
Thanks for talking about this. My sister has down syndrome and moved to texas with my parents. She’s currently on a 12 year waiting list for services from the state. It’s already been two years since she started on the waiting list. In minnesota she had the best services, PCA’s about 5-6 days a week. She had good day programs and jobs. The difference from Minnesota and Texas in services is night and day. So heartbreaking.
Minnesota has so many more resources than so many other states it is shocking.
What isn't shocking is that it lines up with being a left leaning state.
Yep. I lived in New Jersey for the first 15 years of my life and moved to Texas when I was 16. When I went to school here in junior year, I was in general Ed classes, didn't have a paraprofessional, and the teachers didn't let me go to the bathroom unless it was an emergency and didn't follow my IEP (even though my mom told them that if I have to go to the bathroom, I have to go - there is literally no negotiation). I was glad to get out of that hellhole of a school.
I’d imagine population size is part of the problem. Resources are probably stretched thinner and thinner in huge state like TX.
@@anneb889so a smaller population means more disabled people? You’d think the percentage would be pretty steady no matter how big the population is. Plus different cities have very little difference so if she’s in a city of 300k in Texas, then it should have the same services as a city of 300k in California. Plus California is supposed to be the expensive place & so it should be cheaper in Texas to get services in that 300k city. Do you comprehend the math now that I’ve turned it into numbers?
Thank you so much for shedding light on this. My daughter is physically and cognitively disabled since birth. At least every couple years, they turn off her life saving benefits. I then have to fight for them to be restored. Sometimes they call her when I'm not around and ask her questions that she has no idea about, then turn off benefits because she gave the "wrong answer". I'm terrified of what will happen when I die. It's sickening.
This sounds horrible! I wish you much strengh!
TRUTH - and they are always trying to take away what little benefits we get. IF ONLY THEY WOULD GO AFTER THE WEALTHY AND THEIR TAXES AS STRINGENTLY AS THEY GO AFTER TAKING BENEFITS AWAY FROM THE POOREST MOST SICK OF THIS COUNTRY. There are lists of Corporations in this country - WHO PAY NO TAXES WHILE MAKING BILLIONS.
Trump from 2015 - 2021 made billions but because of his tax fraud - received a total of 3 million dollars in refunds.
Do you have guardianship?
First off - make sure they ONLY have access to your phone number (and contact information) and can only contact your daughter through you. They should not be able to cold call your daughter and put her on the spot - esp if she is not able to provide needed information. Next while you are alive - work on getting a solid support system in place that carries on after you're gone.
"You know what they want? They want obedient workers. Obedient workers. People who are just smart enough to run the machines and do the paperwork, and just dumb enough to passively accept all these increasingly shittier jobs with the lower pay, the longer hours, the reduced benefits, the end of overtime and the vanishing pension that disappears the minute you go to collect it, and now they’re coming for your Social Security money." - George Carlin
Try Ivan Ilych, "Deschooling Society."
I love George Carlin no body gets the truthful message out like he did.
Someone real that was like...""Huh. Good idea."
George was on point. But they don’t want workers now; AI & autonomous machines (too many useful things..) will take all the jobs. Then folks will be broke & unable to consume. I really don’t see what the endgame for the corps is?!
Carlin was always right on. I miss him bigly.
Also, people getting disability back pay can also THEN get letters saying they have too much income. *From the disability back pay.*
I am recently approved and am waiting for payment. This is scary.
AND they want you to pay taxes on it because they pay you several years worth, all at once.
@@BlackavarWDthat's worse
Two things:
A) about 10:30 in there was a graphic showing a headline stating 30,000 people Died waiting for their benefits to be approved. Wow.
B) Was that a mime at the end of the program actually the ghost of Screech from Saved by the Bell?
@@scifirealism5943 They are so consistently inconsistent that I was following ALL their rules, and they still said THEY overpaid me, took years of my tax returns. When I first applied, I was told, on the phone "If You hadn't started working, it would have been based on (my mom's) income, and it would've been substantially more." My response was snarky but honest, "Sorry I grew up with a work ethic and want more than poverty in life." Readers Digest version of my life is in the comment section here . . ..
I applied when I lost my ability to walk. The Dr they hired wanted me to walk down a long hallway full of people. I stood with help and immediately fell to the ground. He told me, "That was fake af. Crawl." I couldn't crawl, and he humiliated me, pointing out to the nurses in the office that I was faking it, lazy, etc. Everyone in the office heard him. He decided I was fine and told me to stop being lazy and get a job like everyone else. 8 years later, I was finally approved, but there was a gap of a year, and I had to start over again. I went over by $200 because of the stimulus check and had to pay them back. When I pointed out the reason, they said it didn't matter, the computer said I owed the money back. My caseworker told me I had to spend it within 24hrs for it not to affect my benefits. It's a fubar system.
I have ssi from a tbi when I was 16. I'm 40 now. People and friends would give me crap for not working. "U can work up to $2,000 and keep your benefits." No, no matter how much I work or make they will take 2/3 of my disability check. And if I make too much they will completely take away all my benefits. People want to shun me because I look and act so normal. My life is not normal, it is hell. People only want to judge it because they're not the one living in it.
If your disability started before the age of 26, you can sign up for an ABLE account. It's a savings account that does not count against social security limits. Even if your state doesn't offer the program, you can sign up in a state that does, so long as you only have the one account. It doesn't allow you to save more than 100k, but that's still vastly better than the criminal 2k they keep you to otherwise.
wait really I could be getting it from my TBI's??? I had 3 awful ones , never thought to apply tbh
@@samuhlm2 From what I seen, if you were able to live without SSI, then you are probably better without applying...
And as an extra special FU from the government you have to grovel and beg for what benefits you get and heaven help you if someone in the system decides that they don't like you. It's not supposed to happen but...
So you can work but get more benefits doing nothing so you choose to stay at home? 😂
Thanks for covering this John. My husband was seriously injured at work and had a brain injury and metal plates in his head. We fought workman's comp and then SSDI. Every Dr, theirs & ours said he couldn't work but a 3 man panel in Harrisburg PA, who never met or examined him, denied him. After fighting for 5 yrs my husband committed suicide. They have no idea their decisions cause real life consequences
I'm so, so sorry for you loss. This country is shit to sick and disable people.
I am so sorry for your loss, my deepest condolences. I hope you and your family are healing from this loss, thanks for having the courage to share. When you're ready or willing, there's a place for you to advocate for others like your husband who are forced to suffer in silence due to the cruelty and lack of oversight on these social security programs.
I'm so sorry 😢
My dad has a metal plate in his head as well
I am also so very sorry for your loss and the struggle your husband had to endure in his last days. This government is cruel to disabled people. So sorry.
Oh my Lord, I'm so sorry! 😢Well, the only reason I'm still here after ~30 years of chronic pain (DDD & fused neck) is b/c I have a 33 yo son w/severe autism whom I love & care for alone. They just cut him off saying I'm not his guardian. TF!? Now, got to start over & get us both lawyers or we're going to starve to death. Our doc says we can't work. Not good enough for them. You know it's a racket when you automatically have to involve the legal system to win your case. 😠
That website is so old they would gladly deny it disability benefits.
Ha.
it looks so old it would be getting regular social security benefits instead of disability
Boom!
That website is so old that it is optimized for dial-up.
hi... i have complex regional pain syndrome... its currently known as the most painful situation a human can experience...
I dont dislike you... u just think u should REALLY think about what is happening to and around you....
Thank You, John Oliver. We appreciate people like you speaking up for us.
This was definitely one of John's most informative episodes, it's amazing how hard it is for disabled people to claim the benefits they need, but it's so easy to lose them or never be approved. Even more shocking is how little SSI & SSDI have been so poorly funded since the 70's. 👨🏿💻
This ^. I don't have a disability that would render me eligible for SSI, but my mom does, or did anyway. We had to wait years for her court date while finalizing all preparations with her documents only for the judge to say that she wasn't eligible. Then we appealed and she still was denied. She's in her 60s and has bipolar disorder along with a list of other debilitating symptoms that make it difficult for her to work effectively. It pretty much showed me that this is a program that we only have because it looks good on paper, but doesn't actually do anything because the people that actually need it can't get it.
they legit told me my kid wasn't mine because of a hospital fuck up on the birth certificate so he couldn't even get partial benefits while I am still 5 years into trying to get a job in this city.
the system is trash
My wife is going through the initial phase of applying for SSDI. 4 Years to her pension, 1 year to early retirement. Looks like we are screwed, banks charge way too much to access home equity. We are screwed!
When are people finally going to realise that this mess and other poorly run programs are the fault of republicans who are incapable of making responsible decisions and cannot govern. They cause disasters with their budget slashing, and then blame democrats for what happens.
@@nesamdoomvote blue if your want those problems solved. 💙
Damn, a limit on money for disability benefits. Literally systemically forcing people to stay poor is crazy
I am a social worker in low income housing. A resident was trying to save up for a new car and has ssdi. She had her ssdi and medicaid cut off because she was over in her accounts. A kind woman at the bank showed her the work around for it. The system is meant to keep disabled people in poverty.
@@laviniafitzgerald5136 ABLE account.
@@laviniafitzgerald5136 Any idea what the work around is?
@@marinaa9557 she got several cashier checks made out to herself that she can deposit into the account and won't require a hold before the money is available for quick spending
It also prevents ANY casual employment. Meaning they demand you’re absolutely not allowed to contribute to society at all, while also living in poverty.
At the beginning of this year I lost my foodstamps for several months due to a clerical error-they had doubled my income under both SSI and SSDI despite me only being on SSI, for my disability (not confusing at all, these terms)-and refused to even LOOK INTO my case despite me contacting them repeatedly until I filed a formal appeal... which I had to do in person, because my first appeal _somehow_ got lost in the mail. I cannot drive, so the travel came out of my own pocket, and my pockets are not deep. During this time I had to survive off the goodwill of my friends or starve. When they got my appeal, and actually looked at my file, they called me and had it fixed in _two seconds._ Four months after the fact. The system is designed to kill disabled people, especially those of us who are not capable of going to the lengths that I was forced to.
I lost my food stamps because of the work requirements
@@TurbopropPuppy We lost food stamps too… and not being able to drive, that’s at the top of my list of problems. Of course we’re required to pick our medications up in person. God, you’re right - they want disabled people to die. 😢
I lost my SNAP benefits this year, too. The last time I tried to appeal they sent me a letter that arrived on May 4th with a deadline for appeal of April 26th. I gave up. I can’t do it anymore.
Before that, my “submit this other bank information to us for approval” letter didn’t get delivered to me because the mail carrier marked my address as vacant.
@@quicksilvermad that's messed up
@@quicksilvermad I’m so sorry, that’s such a horrible and time-consuming trap to be stuck in. I was talking with my town social worker and she confirmed that the deadlines for the majority of programs have been shortened and she’s seeing dozens of people get cut off right as we move towards winter. I’m one of the people unable to meet these obviously insane deadlines (or impossible in your case!) and it’s because I am too disabled. My God. And when I needed help the most I was in the hospital and missed a re-certification that I’m still appealing a year later. “Due to the high volume of cases.” They should at least continue services until we can have a fair chance at our appeals.
As a disabled person, i thank you from the bottom of my heart for highlighting the severe and significant problems with Social Security Disability.
As a disabled girl I can’t wait to watch this. I’m so relieved John’s finally covered it. Something SERIOUSLY needs to be done. Pandemic measures were prematurely stopped and its KILLED so many disabled people. Which they want because now there’s even less people with even less energy to try for benefits. It’s so evil
Joke is on them (???) as Long COVID will end up creating more and more well organized people who need those benefits.
@@DamienPalmer Jackasses, the government is.
Foolish. Every conclusion and suggested improvement stated in this video was determined IN 1975, yes, FIFTY YEARS AGO, none were adopted, they are not considered for adoption, they never will be adopted, Case Closed, End of Story, no need to discuss it further or bring it up ever again. Not gonna happen...Nope...no way. FIFTY YEARS AGO. Same story, TV commentary back then, never changed, never will.
I had a drunk driver break my back and was turned down for SSDI with the SS Administration claiming that I didn't have enough work credits. Thirteen & a half years later they found my missing credits, but SS Admin claims that they can only offer me SSDI because they "lost my work credits for too long". They offered SSI, which is a death trap, and I would find a nice bridge before taking it. Two of my friends got off SSI the only way possible, taking their own life...
Yes
This segment barely scratches the surface of the atrocities that people with disabilities have to endure to receive these insufficient scraps as well as the harassment that goes on if they are "lucky" enough to eventually get it.
And normal people thinking those who receive disability money are taking "their money" because their "to lazy to work"
I'm a disabled veteran. I lost my family over it. But on the other hand, was it really a loss if they were bigots all along? I have had so much difficulty finding housing, can't get jobs because of discrimination. So I live in constant fear of republicans taking away my benefits.
and my ssi is 20 dollars a month. it's a joke
@@az-tl3mhVote for the people who will look after your interests.
I believe that. "The greatest country on earth" and this is how it treats its citizens? C'mon.
So I spent my entire career helping people with disabilities. Ironically i became disabled myself, and it was still a hard road to get SSDI.I needed a lawyer, an evaluation paid out of pocket by an OT, and an appeal that took over two years to get. What i get is not enough to live on, but they decided i earned just enough to not get medicaid, rent help, etc. If i didn't get married i was facing having to live out of my car. I can never get ahead and every month my account is negative. I can never afford the surgery that could make me well enough to possibly return to work. This video hit hard.
I'm drowning now, too. Denied & they cut my severely autistic son off. I've cared for him alone all his 33 years; now they've said I'm not his guardian. They set you up to lose, seems. I'm so sorry for us all, dear. Got to gear myself up somehow to battle once again. 😢
The part he didn't focus on is that - not just the monetary monthly benefits but the Insurance of Medicare and Medicaid. When I lost my benefits I couldn't see my doctors or afford my medications. THE MEDICAL SYSTEM IS THIS COUNTRY IS FUCKED!!
I FINALLY got disability after trying for 10 years. This happened after I'd gone through my savings and, in my 50's, had to move in with my parents. Now that I've got disability, I don't get enough to be able to live on my own.
I'm grateful to have a roof over my head, but it's a toxic situation that I hate.
What I'd give to live on my own again.
Some jobs I was told to I could do, proving I wasn't disabled:
Tennis ball tube filler ( part time )
Golf ball sorter ( part time )
Coffee bean quality checker ( part time )
And these are, I quote, "Solid factory jobs anyone could do."
yeah man, those are totes jobs that are around the inner chicago area.
Ah you must not have heard about the new Tennis Tube and Golf Ball production facilities in wrigleyville
Right? In rural Iowa, where would I be finding these jobs? Lol
Sound like jobs a dude relaxing at a country club would think up. "See? I see servers around me. Why can't they just come here and do that?"
I got told that I could do the very job I got injured at lol. No, I had to get surgery and now I can't even raise my arm above my shoulder.
Preach.
The reason there is a marriage penalty is because the government views disabled people as a burden and they believe a disabled person getting married should have that burden transfer from the state to the spouse.
that part of the law was written when both A) eugenics was a ubiquitous uncontroversial political opinion that even the SUPREME COURT felt comfy professing to, and B) a household could be easily supported on one income (if it were a man). everything's fucked
@@ebonychan it's super messed up.
I think part of it may also be that if someone loves them, they must have a social life and therefore not be disabled.
I've never been able to get married because if I do, I lose my public assistance insurance that is the only thing that has kept me alive over the years because of the surgeries I've had to have, The specialists I have to see, and the insane cost of my medications that I've had to be on long term. To say nothing of various therapies that I've needed to retain mobility
I work as a quality control tech in a gun factory…I literally have 3 degrees. I hate this shit. But it’s the only type of job “easy” enough for me to handle with my disability.
But here’s the thing about production labor; it’s a non-stop job. I work 10 hour shifts and I’m busy the whole time. My abled partner works the front desk at the local parks and rec department, he makes significantly more than me. He has told be he does maybe 4 hours of actual work per day.
I'm on SSI. I got a check for $15 from my old bank for closing my account (that was what was left in it). The government sent me a letter letting me know they knew about the one-time $15 check, and they would be subtracting $15 from every monthly SSI payment from me forever. Because I got ONE CHECK. FOR FIFTEEN DOLLARS. If my dad didn't have a friend who was a lawyer to fight it, I would have been up the creek without a paddle.
I am just beyond baffled.... greatest country in the world, right? Psh.
That's crap. Considering that A. It's not income and B. Even if it WAS income, the first $20 per month does not count. Sad that you had to get a lawyer to fix it.
I wish he talked about this but - if you were disabled before the age of 25 (or 26?) there's a thing called the ABLE program that allows a person a savings account that does not count against their SSI benefits. I had to open one for my mother and she is now allowed to save up to 100k in there, it was a lifesaver in allowing her to not need to waste an entire settlement payment just to save her SSI payments. Even if you don't live in a state with a program you can sign up in a different state that offers it, and they are raising the age to 40 something in 2026.
They do the exact same thing here in Germany. But we get vouchers to buy a letter from a lawyer to admonish them for strapping us too much with such penalizing pettiness.
That is nuts. You are supposed to be able to make money on SSI, just not much.
I have been diagnosed with fibromyalgia in 2014. Fighting through CPTSD, ADHD, and late diagnosis autism. First rejection was back in 2016.
Last year I refiled through an external company (a decade without consistent income and further issues kept me from doing so sooner).
Filed July of 2023. Received notice to further paperwork August of 2024. The doctors they want me to see are at a “medical dental staffing office” and a full psyche exam on a Sunday night. And that’s not for months.
My fiance has been supporting me and we were hoping for an answer months ago, now it may not be for another year. And I was told if I was 50, (I’m 46) it would be a much easier “yes” from SSI.
Humans are not machines and we deserve to be able to care for ourselves and each other with a foundation of stability and care. Thank you for the focus on this issue!
Sadly, they treat the machines better than us. The war planes have automatic budgeting increases that everyone already knows has not a snowballs chance in losing. But our funding is always ready to fall, including Joe Biden who said in the 90's that cutting social security isn't off the table. Those who work forces, are the same who burn crosses.
There are definitely jobs you can work with those diagnosis. ADHD? Late stage autism? Gimme a break. Get a job. May not be one you like. But you can definitely take an order for a cup of coffee and then hand someone a cup
@@erinwilson3369 ohhh I can see I have triggered the stranger who has no idea of surviving domestic violence, who has too much pain to exist so bullying others is the only way you can feel powerful. If I listened to people like you, I wouldn’t be alive.
Thank God people like you are being seen for the heartless, traumatized, limited brain functions that cause you to be cruel. I can only imagine how lonely you must be to spend your time cyber bullying. I wish you well, I wish you away, I wish you more clarity.
Actually I just wish you the life of an autistic, adhd, abused, and mistreated person-oh wait, you might already be suffering and that is why you choose to be mean….yah that must be it-it’s okie-you might want to look into late diagnosis for your cruel tendencies-a lot of us struggle with it, it’s okie, therapy will help. 🙏🏻
I was a case specialist at a law firm for Disability Benefits. My most heartbreaking memory was that of a husband calling in for representation on a disability application for his disabled wife. No application was filed yet, they wanted to start the whole process. After, I gathered all her information, we were getting ready to move forward to submitting her application, which I need them to be present, even over the phone is good enough. She wasn't feeling well, so she kindly asked to call her back as soon as we opened the next morning to submit the application.
Next day, I called her and her husband answered to let me know that she didn't make it through the night. In tears, the husband asked if we could still apply for survivor's benefits. I had to let him down as easily as I could. If we had the application active as of yesterday, yes. But, since there's no active application, they don't qualify for anything. That was about 7 years ago and that moment still sits with me every now and then.
that's just awful...
What makes it worse is that survivors benefit is only $255. Ask me how i know :(
Hmm, that’s not true. If they were validly married, and he was old enough to file, he would be eligible for widowers benefits. His wife’s disability application wouldn’t have anything to do with it. You can even apply for disability for the deceased retroactively as long as you file within 3 months, and if approved, he would have been eligible for all her backpay.
@AceRasputin Huh. I was not aware of this. I guess the attorney who I worked with on this didn't want to bother with it. It was a big corporate law firm that cares more about quantity of cases than quality. It was pretty common for the firm and attorneys to turn away potential clients that didn't have arguable "open/shut" cases.
@@jonnythunderflex120 That's horrible, I'm sorry you carry that
23:56 If you’re thinking to yourself “Hey, that Mime looks familiar,” his name is Pierre the Mime and he was the one handcuffed to Q from Impractical Jokers for a day
john oliver and impractical jokers crossover was unexpected
you're serious-
That's funny, when he was spouting MIME HATE: I was thinking of how upset that guy would be 😂
Nice
I'm a permanently disabled man. I work part time as an independent contractor, funnily enough in systems change for disabilities, mental health issues, and substance use disorders. In other words, I'm trying to help fix this shit, and I spend my life advocating for myself and others. Thank you John and team for this episode. The horrified gasps of the audience are warranted, justified, and been my life for decades. Please, my fellow non-disabled Americans:
Help us with this bullshit.
I founded a non-profit for the same purpose.....and (unironically) tfg stripped me of SSI I have depended on for decades....
Luckily my state recognized the BS, and is helping me go through the process.... again.
I do the same. Help others jump through the hoops because no one helped me and filling that stuff out was hell’a depressing. Thanks volunteering 👊
Thank all three of you so much, from the bottom of my heart.
You give me hope that someday, I might be able to help my fellow disabled folks, too.
This is so accurate. The way you delivered this video made it easy for anyone to understand how important it is. Thank you Mr. Oliver.
The Marriage Penalty is straight up eugenics
Yes. My comment on it blew up too
My husband and I have been yelling this for years! But no, we get called conspiracy theorists for seeing the writing on the wall!
@@SarafinaSummers yes
"Oh? You want to get married and have a happy life?"
* evil villain laughter *
"Don't be silly, only able bodied people can have that."
@@伏見猿比古-k8c yep
The measure of a society is found in how they treat their weakest and most helpless citizens: This quote is attributed to Jimmy Carter.
"the strength of a people is measured by the well-being of its weakest members" is part of the preamble of the swiss constitution
It's usually attributed to Gandhi, not Carter. It was actually said by Hubert Humphrey, or maybe Pearl Buck. The jury is still out.
And this is what everyone out there is doing with Covid. They don't CARE who they harm or kill. www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/research/coronavirus/
Yes, we have had four Republican president's since Carter, and they are only beholding to big money donors.
@@Itcouldbebunniesas was an eye for an eye to Ghandi or the Bible which says it makes you blind. Most of the pervs quote attributes are wrong unless they sound predatory. MotherTheresa not a good woman either you’ll have to look for yourself.
I'm a disabled veteran who is thankfully still able to work (some). I work for a gold buyer and my employers are insanely easy for me to work with in regards to my needs hours/location wise. HOWEVER at least once a month I get a customer coming into the store, seeing me with my cane, and then going on a rant about how they wish more disabled people like me and worked instead of just "living off the government." I AM living off the government, I have disability benefits through the military and am currently working only 1 day a week because I can't drive safely anymore. Even though my work pays me very well, they don't pay me "work one day a week and live off of that" well, almost no one does. I haven't even bothered applying for non military benefits because my military benefits are, quite frankly, easier to deal with. DO YOU KNOW HOW BAD YOU HAVE TO BE TO BE EASIER TO DEAL WITH THAN THE VA?!?!?!?! Seriously?
Also, these customers are ALWAYS a Republican who's been ranting about politics the whole time. I was never a Democrat,. I've voted red as often as I've vote blue in my lifetime, but not after listening to this crap and crap like it every day. It's really easy to see who actually gives a crud about veterans when you look at things like this and PACT (which looks good on paper, but has really screwed a LOT of veterans in my neck of the woods over).
I do understand the ignorance of others, including family. They assume they know your life after seeing you for a few minutes.
Also, thank you for your service. I’m curious, don’t know much about the PACT Act. From your perspective, what is wrong with it or how should it work?
Such an awful set of individuals who feels we who have been hurt and disabled is "Living off the Government" I personally feel for those of us who I see as our seniors over 65 still working cause their SS or pension is not enough to pay these high cost rent, food etc. Why can't the elderly who already paid into the system and the disabled born that way or due to an accident of no fault of their own; get their SSI/SSDI without all this BS? Medical exams and notes for those whose injuries and pain cannot not be seen with the naked eye should be enough for our Government to do the right thing. People who say we trying to live off the system; I pray they stinking rich and never have to face homelessness and poverty 😢
Best to you. Thank you for your service.
So sad to hear that you've become disabled. Whenever I hear about U.S. military personel who are KIA's or MIA/POW's, I feel sad and grateful at the same time. Especially to American soldiers who served in The Korean War (I am a South Korean).
However, at the same time, I am mystified why so many American voters who support Republicans go on rants about disabled people "living off the government". Don't they remember that Americans With Disabities Act (ADA) was ratified and signed by a Republican president, namely, George H. W. Bush? That's what I learned from world history-related books. Anyway, thank you so much, John Oliver, for producing this entertaining and informative show.
A totally blind viewer from South Korea
First of all, thank you for your service and sacrifice for your country. If you have family members or relatives who served in The Korean War, please pass my thanks to them(I am a South Korean). Anyway, as for your sad story about your customers ranting about disabled people ""living off the government"", it is outrageous to say so. Don''t they remember that the ADA(Americans with Disabilities Act) which was ratified in July of 1990 was signed by a Republican president, George H. W. Bush? That''s what I learned from many U.S. history books.
THANK YOU for covering this! It is so so so demoralizing to go through all of this, especially while sick and in pain, only to be disbelieved by… most everyone.
I am constantly reminded of how ignorant people are about this issue because I STILL have to listen to people throwing around the myth that people that n disability are just looking for a quick and easy handout from the government. People are genuinely salty about having their taxes go towards these mythical “freeloaders”.
Never mind that they’ve never actually MET anyone who’s done that, mind you.
I work at a homeless shelter in Tennessee. One of the main things I do is walk my guys through the disability process, making sure they make all the appointments and complete all the paperwork. I won't claim to understand the process, but I do know how it feels when we get a denial letter for guys who have no chance of working. So no surprise that Tennessee was up first.
My mom is on SSI and she raised me and my brother on that income, the older I get the more I find that impressive. There was a time where her SSI got cut off and we were homeless, didn’t seem like the offices cared
No idea why they have written a script about what should or should not be happening. It has no impact on anything.
I had a drunk driver break my back and was turned down for SSDI with the SS Administration claiming that I didn't have enough work credits. Thirteen & a half years later they found my missing credits, but SS Admin claims that they can only offer me SSDI because they "lost my work credits for too long". They offered SSI, which is a death trap, and I would find a nice bridge before taking it. Two of my friends got off SSI the only way possible, taking their own life...
This all sounds really scary and heartbreaking.
I know there's a homelessness crisis - which is probably only fueled by these practices.
I don't understand why they deny so many support - when later they might have to pay lawyers + have additional work + pay them back in full.
I'm from Germany and there are also small mistakes the government /those institutions make - they migt even give a denial the first time. After repeating the request it always went my way though.
Repeatedly denying the majority applying for SSI/SSDI to save money seems particularly cruel.
The cutoff for the money you're allowed to save is also cruel - 2000€ is almost nothing now - it's not even enough for a security deposit for a flat. 😳
@@theresabu3000They do it because they don't care about the cost, they want us to suffer.
Many who should qualify for disability don't even survive the process of applying for it and many don't survive long even after being approved because it just isn't enough.
If you try to work, they cut your benefits. If anyone tries to support you, they cut your benefits. If you happen to still be alive, they'll cut your benefits and hope you don't survive long enough to recover them.
The government just wants us dead.
@@theresabu3000 Because the only thing they want to spend government money on is the military.
Oh boy I love watching "The United States is a Living Hell" featuring Tookie the Tucan.
Sarcasm noted. If you don't like him or his show, you could always just not watch it.
@@myke030 Wasn't sarcasm mate, John often makes self deprecating jokes about his nose that he looks like a bird, he voiced Zazu from the live action lion king remake :)
This show really could be called "The United States is a Living Hell, I love it
@myke030 tell me you're not a fan without telling me you're not a fan 😂 the OP comment was a quote straight from John in many of these episodes
@@myke030 There's still time to delete your comment!
lol
I have some physical disabilities and also treatment resistant major depressive disorder. I was encouraged to apply for SSDI and I did so. The judge who was assigned to my case was well known as a judge who denies applicants. She denied mine based on the depression. Why? She stated that my "ER visit" - for what was thoroughly and completely documented by multiple doctors, nurses, and paramedics as a su*c*de attempt, was actually a visit to the ER to get my medications refilled. I appealed the judge's decision as it was based on opinion and contrary to everything written by doctors and nurses and paramedics. It was denied.
30 plus years as a caseworker trying to help mentally ill people get benefits. This is spot on. Denials are a weeding out process to see who has the stamina to go through an appeal. That process usually takes an average of two years!
i was approved on 1st appeal 18 month's in,,,,for Depression , ASD II, Narcelopsy, PTSD , Bipolar and BPD, OCD,, i'm not sure which of these got me fully approved, my clinical psychologist was very experienced, i also have the worst Aspergers score he's ever seen, from before the DSM 5 changed Aspergers to ASD II,, luckily i live in a blue state where i hear way less of the ssd or ssi horror stories.. my dr listed me as incurable,, ss has sent me one notice 6 years in asking if i'm same/better or worse,,, it took me 2 pages to explain why i'm worse,, i haven't heard from them since...idk if this is common to be treated fairly while so many others are not treated fairly..mental issues are so hard to explain, let alone document.
@@herchelleonwood7463it was probably the bipolar
When I worked for MHMR in TX, 21 years ago, & there was a fully capable family of 5 receiving checks for their reading disability. It was damn easy to get approved back then. Not sure when it became so difficult, but in 2016 I had a neighbor who had a brain tumor larger than his head, & he couldn’t get approved because he had a hull of an old worthless boat in his name. Ended up paying someone $150 to haul it away.
Sucks when your disability includes symptoms that make navigating that bureaucracy and having that stamina to stick with it more difficult lol
@@popejaimie You have to be disabled but not so disabled you can't deal with the system 🤷.
My wife was denied SSDI while she was locked away in a secure psychiatric facility. I'm not sure how they expected her to work when she was not allowed out of the facility.
Her appeal took 31 months.
That's both sad and ridiculous.
I was in the hospital for 2 months. My ssi paid $30 each month instead of the normal $943. Like my other expenses didn't exist because I was in the hospital. if family had not helped, I would be homeless.
That's horrifying. I've considered trying to get disability temporarily to try to recover from my own psychiatric issues (PTSD, DID, agoraphobia), but it's stories like this that make me realize I'd never be able to even get it. Doesn't matter that I haven't been able to leave my apartment in 6 years. I feel like I'm just going to die like this. I wasted the last of my 20s here. Now wasting my 30s here. I want to get better, but without help and the free time to do it, I know that just won't happen.
I used to work in a third party company hired by the government to do evaluations for SSI/SSDI and omg does it make you depressed. Multiple people came in with terminal illnesses, and I knew in my heart they weren’t getting their money before they died. Most of these people just wanted to help their families but the system tells them their lying. I had multiple people come in while in active heart failure or liver failure. A man came in for an evaluation after trying to get disability for 25 YEARS. He got injured on the job while working in the navy, had 7 failed surgeries, and so many treatments and he wasn’t able to get his money. I could rant for hours about so many things about this system and my experience being a part of it.
Thank you for doing your best. It sounds like you have a good heart. ❤
@@redwolf7502 my husband worked for a large “health care/ insurance provider” he was so depressed just processing data
He now works for a food corp & is barely in a better place
I processed claims for 3 years. I had to take short-term disability leave for my mental health twice. Now I work at a nonprofit actually helping people!
@@redwolf7502 we also lost family members to medical neglect and obstruction of the for-profit over pro-humane treatment that we have here & now since I was 4 and traumatic events and multiple misdiagnosis
Thank for doing this episode
I’m currently texting from a dialysis chair.
2018 had a heart attack and a minor stroke. During my stay in the hospital for the heart attack I found out I have CKD
Today I go to dialysis 3x a week for 3:45. I got denied for disability. I still work because even if I got disability it wouldn’t be enough to cover rent. Thank you
John Oliver is a hero for covering these extremely important topics
I’ve got a friend who has cancer. And it keeps metastasizing everywhere. She was in assisted living because she got a treatment that caused her to not be able to walk. Through intense PT, she can walk with a walker. She got booted from the assisted living because she could no longer pay for it, her regular SS and Medicare wasn’t enough. She applied to get Medicaid to help with the expenses. This woman has nothing but her clothes and personal items. No house, no apartment, no car, no job, no money. She has, basically, terminal cancer. She was denied Medicaid because she was able to be mobile.
She did have a bit of luck. She was able to move in with her daughter. Her daughter is now her sole caregiver. She is a teacher, so she isn’t rolling in money.
She had to move hours away from the town she had lived in for 40 years, leave her friends and her church family. Because she isn’t close enough to dead.
Sometimes the government bureaucracy is such a fucking joke. And us, as normal working blue collar people just don’t have the money to fight ‘city hall’.
What state? Most states would absolutely put her on medicaid. Mobility has nothing to do with it. If you have SSI or SSDI and no assets or working spouse, you qualify. If you are truthful she should appeal because thats bs
The government has no problem giving billions to other entities but US citizens can pound sand.
Your friend can go into a nursing home near her home, but not an assisted living residence paid for by Medicare (they don't pay for it ever) or Medicaid (very few take Medicaid, and you would not want to be in those nasty places anyway). She may end up in a NH anyway when her terminal cancer requires complete care. She can be mobile and qualify for a Medicaid nursing home. That is not a problem. But not assisted living. Assisted living facilities charge more when you need more care in assisted living, and the cost goes up every year, just like rent. And they all have contracts where they can tell you to leave in 30 days for lots of reasons, including you are too sick for them. So she could still get kicked out while dying.
@@jackiedavis5822 It took me over 6 years to get my SSI Disability. The important part is to NOT Reapply, because you have to start all over again. By reappling you loose that possible money that is accumulating while you wait to get approved. It is critical to not reapply but instead to APPEAL the denial! I kept appealing and re-re-reappealing for my Disability. Agein it took over six years but when I finally was granted my SSI, I got a huge lump sum check that was spplied retroactively to the original application date! Yep!
The goal of the state that you apply in and the Federal Government via Social Security is to wear you down in hopes that you will give up and quit!
Here is another important hint. DO NOT HIRE A LAWYER! IT is a waste of time. More than likley, they will take your money and run. When you are in the final stages of multiple appeals, you will receive a letter from Social Security ststing that you have been assigned to a judge fir a hearing about your appeals. This means you are in the home stretch 😊 Along with that final letter will be a list of Government Approved Attorneys that are sanctioned to represent your final appeal in court. ❤
Now here isctge tricky part. Your assigned attorney will get a very small percentage of your retroactive award money, not to exceed a few thousand dollars.
While the Judge makes the decision of " Yes you are Disabled in the eyes of this court, but it may be several months to years, before we can grant you full Disability..."
Durring that wait time you don't collect a penny. They are betting on the fact that you are poor dye to your health and or you might not live long..
So in my case I accepted SSI over SSDI so that I could start collecting SSI within the following month, along with a big fat check right away! ❤ Good Luck!!
Imagine that: the government is often a wasteland of inefficiencies, until it comes to denying disability benefits and staying on top of every recipients bank account. "Sir, we noticed there was $0.50 increase to your savings account 30 seconds ago, we're going to be freezing your check and will need you to pay back every penny of last month's check." Meanwhile, that same government takes months and years to get everything else done.
The system is efficent in contempt for the disenfranchised and swooning affection for the establishment
They say that it's illegal to preemptively take money away from SSI/SSDI individuals here in Germany (we have basically the SAME system as there with only minor pretty insignificant differences), but they still often do (they know in advance about tax refunds or changes in disability pay). Seeing as we're living at 60% of the poverty level, every time they take something away that they shouldn't have, it cuts straight into our food budget... and there's only a single food bank here with mostly rotten foods they would otherwise be trashed by the supermarkets. And still there's not enough to serve all needy people.
Dang. That’s bleak and so true.
I’ve heard some disabled people are afraid to pick up coins off the street.
These guys can't keep track of whether or not you paid your taxes
But they can track whether or not your bank account reaches $2000.01
My husband got ALS at age 33. We got approved for disability, but the $900 per month didn’t even scratch the surface. He needed round the clock monitoring which would have cost $18,000 per month. We were told that if he went on Hospice we would get a whopping 2 hours of caregiving help per week, but in order to even get that he would have to stop taking any life-prolonging drugs. How do I work to keep a roof over our head, but also take care of him 24 hours a day? Basically the system just wanted him to die. Before ALS we were both productive members of society with full-time jobs, health insurance, etc. There should be some kind of safety net in this country, but there just isn’t.
Oh wow, this one's gonna hit close to home, innit?
Edit: "Many feel they are trapped in an endless cycle of poverty." BECAUSE WE ARE.
It costs a lot of money to be poor
How can you keep an army of people ready to work for low wages?
You keep them desperate for resources.
@@E.J.Crunkletonexactly.
What is a person without a country to rely on? American, apparently.
I genuinely pity those who are born there.
@@BurgermanForever-nh2vpyou said a mouthful!
I'm so glad you've dedicated a whole episode to something disability-related. Been waiting so long for this. Please, please, please cover systemic ableism. It's really important to see the system of interlocking oppressions that is to blame for why the system was designed this way, for why disabled people are policed and accessibility is rationed.
you hit this SQUARELY on the head..it took me 6 years, homelessness and being called a liar by the SS judge... and a jobs list from 77... i called them on this during my first hearing... after that.. i got a solid lawyer.... i cannot stress this enough, GET A GOOD LAWYER.
Like this to the top.
The fact that some lawyer gets to take a chunk of your pitifully inadequate disability benefits (in most cases) just so you can finally get them, and that attorney gets more money the longer it takes is yet another fuxed-up aspect of this horrorshow.
I agree. My lawyer took a third of my back pay, but I was so relieved to get approved. Took 4 years. 3 denials. My state had to get judges, on video, from other states to help catch up on the caseload. That was over a decade ago.
Judges can be such jerks! My first judge was wicked.
I'm so glad I finally got it after 10 years of trying.
Thank you so much for shining a light on this egregious situation.
I get SSDI and get 23 dollars in snap benefits... The best diet in the world... Homelessness, starvation and terminal cancer... I'm a useless eater according to my own government... And I'm terrified... If you're not a productive member of a society... You're not a member of society at all...
Same here. I’m disabled and my daughter is special needs and her father died. I make $30 too much to get snap benefits . You only getting $23 that’s absolutely ridiculous but I know many people in the same position you are in. I raise my child on my disability benefits. She does not get disability benefits because she gets death benefits from her father dying but it’s very little and I probably run out of money at least a week if not more before I get paid again.
Omg same. I think it's $26 a month for snap. And homeless for 6 months
I'm so sorry. You are a valuable human person, your worth has NOTHING to do with the amount of cash the government has decided it will give you. There are people out there with money coming out of their ears, skimming off what others have been putting in for ages, who decide what other people can have to live. Someone once told me that living in misery in a broken system doesn't mean there's anything wrong with you, it just means the system is wrong. I don't know if you need to hear that, but I hope you know it's true.
I get SSI and am broke 7-10days before payday with a roommate or I'd be homeless
Politicians believe poor and disabled people deserve to either work for poverty wages or starve to death.
Notice how the government agency tasked with giving out benefits is massively understaffed and incompetent while the one tasked with taking them away is basically a highly trained team of benefit assassins. That's not an accident.
You damn right it's not.
"BENEFIT ASSASSINS" [EXPLOSIONS INTENSIFY] "COMING SOON TO INTERDIMENSIONAL CABLE"
That way Congress can brag to their constituents about the generous benefits they have approved without actually having to pay for them.
I think we have all had the person with disabled plates cut you off, park in the handicap spot, and then jog onto the store. Fraud is a real thing.
@@waynehartlerode8936 LMAO @ thinking a disability placard is the same thing as SSI/SSDI.
Thank you, John, for covering this topic. I'm a Special Education Transition Teacher and SSI/Medicaid is something we talk about with students and families often. Even if they do receive benefits, they might be receiving $900 a month with a $2000 cap. Honestly, who is able to live on $900 per month, especially if you require medications or adaptive equipment? The lack of programming for adults with disabilities is a whole other topic as well.
I don't know anyone with rent under 900 dollars a month unless it's public housing. It's ridiculous.
Tell them about ABLE accounts. It's a legal loophole to save, invest and receive donations without affecting the $2000 asset limit.
It's by design
The lack of adult programming is truly terrible. My brother didn’t understand why he couldn’t do any of his activities anymore and became depressed and blamed his caretaker.
$963 per month, plus $2000 extra on top o that, is STILL 10% below the poverty line. The $963 alone is 25% below the poverty line.
i applied in 2019, just prior to the pandemic. I just finished my court date with the judge to determine my case. I waited 5 years just to hear them say no and give me job options in retail, industrial and hospitality sectors. They no longer look back 15 years of your work history; they now only look 3 years back. Too bad that rule was put in place 3 months BEFORE my court date. everything is systemically against you. As for my options now, Id better un-disable myself and throw on a Walmart uniform, because now I'm projected to lose my ABD cash benefits too.
The reason they declined me was because I could drive and I had a license to drive. I guess those folks with the handicap tag on their cars aren't disabled at all. None of them. Unbelievable.
I'm so glad to see that he did a piece on disability, but I would love to see his team walk the walk (which they often do!) and get proper closed captions for youtube! They shouldn't be auto generated (and leave out swears) for such a high up show
Absolutely agree! Really hope they see this.
UA-cam probably would lower the advertiser friendlyness of a video if the subtitles included swear words. UA-cam already bleeps out swear words, which I hate with [ __ ]. So I'd be happy enough with the subtitles provided, even if its automatic, if UA-cam would stop playing with it as they're super good already.
On HBO, where his show is, the CC is absolutely fine.
YT captions is a YT problem
@@NixxxxxxThey still have the swear words in the audio. If it’s in the audio, it should be in the caption. Equal experience should be expected and rendered.
@@IntellectualCuriosity Yes and no. The fact they’re censoring the captions, YT problem. The fact they’re not accurate is a YT problem because auto captioning isn’t accurate. For people that can hear, it isn’t as noticeable how bad it can be. For people that can kinda hear, it’s enough to confuse things, and they’ll never know how they were misinformed. For people that have never heard anything (Deaf since birth/Deaf before they acquired spoken language), trying to figure out a jumbled mess can be impossible.
John’s show/HBO/whoever has the contract with the company creating the captions for television - should be negotiating a contract that includes paying for the rights to use those captions on YT - and all social media.
Relying on auto captioning could leave them open to lawsuits. I’m just saying.
Why are social programs essentially punitive in the United States? Cut the Pentagon budget by 35% & put that money into social programs for children, the elderly, the disabled & the poor. Then we'd look like the Scandinavian countries, where, e.g., anyone with dementia has access to a high end care facility with an excellent standard of living.
Because the government doesn't want poor people and disabled people to have autonomy. The government wants a slave labor class.
We can't do that because otherwise we'll be labeled a hardcore socialist with communist, facist ideals trying to overthrow good old American, capitalist society. So I guess too bad to the disabled, poor and old.
the rich want the poor to stay poor if they live too well and start getting better opportunities they become more educated and more knowledgeable on history and the wider world, thus harder to manipulate...
WASHINGTON- Today 1/30.2024, Reps. Raúl M. Grijalva (D-Ariz.), Jan Schakowsky (D-Ill.), and Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.) reintroduced the Supplemental Security Income (SSI) Restoration Act. The bill modernizes and improves SSI by streamlining the claiming process, increasing asset limits, setting the minimum benefit at 100 percent of the Federal Poverty Level, and eliminating punitive reductions in benefits.
It failed to get Republican support...better luck next year i guess...billionaires dont want the poor not to be poor lol
Our government doesnt have our best interest in mind
As someone who is currently going through the disability approval process (I just got my first denial and I've lawyered up for the appeal), this was both surreal and a peak behind the curtain. "Oh THAT'S why they said that they thought I could work some kind of nonspecific job even if I'm disabled!" "Oh THAT'S why the woman in charge of my case had the enthusiasm and helpful demeanor of a narcoleptic sloth!" "Oh THAT'S why the one doctor they sent me to was entirely unqualified and tested me for things I did not claim to have!" Haha our country is a joke
I also got my first denial and I have been putting off finding a lawyer etc. because the stress, effort, and time involved is hardly worth the what, $900/month? they grudgingly hand out.
@@Ravuununfortunately, better than nothing??? 😂😂
Same here. The lawyers and stupid doctors make the money.
You too, huh? My lawyer, at least, is good to me. Claims I have a strong case.
I sure as shit hope she's right- my ALJ hearing is in like two weeks, and GOD is this making me nervous...
I'm waiting for my first denial. I'm kind of assuming they'll deny my first application, based on everything I've heard. I think the hardest part for me so far has been the function report, and the worst question on the function report was "What do you do from the time you wake up until the time you go to sleep?" the video call with the disability determination person was really weird too. It started out with her telling me she was going to describe what she saw. And then she wrote things down while staring at me and what she could see of my apartment through my webcam. I thought later about how she couldn't smell my place through the video call. Should I have volunteered that information? You're not allowed a shred of dignity as a disabled person.
The worst is mental health disabilities that they largely just consider to be made up. Some of us get gaslit for years into believing that everyone experiences exactly what you are and that you just need to try harder and learn to endure. Then we grit their teeth and suffer in silence for years, until our sanity is slowly eroded by hours and hours of intense stress and our minds are so broken that we wish we were never born.
Yup :(
Going through this with my husband.
The VAST majority of mental health cases in disability application are absolute bogus. Everyone thinks their ADHD means they get to have productive workers slave for them. I've personally reported several people who were faking their cases and had their SSDI and SSI revoked. I encourage everyone to do the same.
@JJones-zg7yz I wish I could tell you know what you are talking about. But you don't. Many of these people actually WANT productive employment themselves but are denied.
Thank you for making this
I am disabled . Only gets paid 1200 per month, I can not make more than 1400 per month .
Trying to get an apartment but rent here is around 900 for a studio .
Stuck in poverty all my lifw
Abd no adjustment for cost of living increases. Absolute insanity!
@@Heritage367 and yes I can’t even work that much even if I want to
I can not make more than 1400 per month
And I can go back to the work force but I am afraid I will get fired again through my disability and can’t get them again
It’s a hard life here
@@Heritage367and for overpayment they asked them back . I have to pay over 4000 back
I have M.S. and been denied medical assistance AND disability. I would LOVE to have the use of my legs backs and be able to feed my family and pay my bills. But because i "look fine" on the outside, the SS doctor said i could do physical therapy and return to work. That would have been fine, if my right leg hadnt already atrophied to the point of not being able to support my weight...so how do i return to my VERY physical job at the lumber mill without my legs??
Hire an attorney. NOSSCR has a referral service. It is contingent fee system, so there is no up front fee and the attorney only gets paid if they win your case. Ideally you want to find a firm where you can actually speak with an attorney.
You should meet a "medical listing" if your confined to a wheelchair.
I am a disability examiner. If you are to the point you are consistently using a rollator or wheelchair in your home and community and at medical appts, and have medical visits w neuro and a dx of MS per MRI or other objective findings, please immediately search the listing 11.09 and then apply ASAP. Gather the medical record yourself as best you can (which is HARD I am sorry) and be sure to report all these medical sources to field office when u apply as well. The pending caseload is astronomical, may take even years to have case be assigned. I'm sorry. My mother also has MS, was denied and gave up. I ended up in this job to help, and frankly my help is pointless when the whole policy itself is inappropriate and this restrictive. Please keep trying, even though it is an awful process.
another thing about being on disability as an american. We are all meant to feel if we are not working or if we cannot work that we are somehow less than.,
Good old capitalism. Ya I catch that from all sides myself.
@@dbptwg I see you.
Its like if they only knew how fucking shitty this is. If they knew about the poverty and having to make the shittiest choices about healthcare.
That attitude that your family has there is exactly the problem. They just assume that you are not worth the help or that you are somehow wanting this.
Well that's just capitalism. Your value is based solely on your productivity. The overpriveledged trust fund baby CEO's think your a valueless, non asset of you aren't highly productive.
@@dbptwg I just stopped going and stopped talking to my family because of that. And because of the whispers and general attitude towards me like I'm just lazy and not born disabled. I just didn't know it because my Boomer parents wouldn't let a doctor diagnose me.
"There's nothing wrong with him. He's just a little odd." - Boomer parents in denial
Thanks, mom and dad. Now I'm fucked for life because I didn't get diagnosed until I was 27 and fucking homeless because my disability kept me from working. Could have gotten the full benefit if I'd been diagnosed at 10. Now, I'm living on $950 a month. Does my mom care? Nope. She's got her house. It's paid off. She doesn't give a fuck about what happens to me.
Fuck America.
Ableism.
Valkyrie's story made me cry out loud!! TELL IT JHON! U R Truly a FRIEND of the PEOPLE, just by being your funny, truthful, ethical self! We neeeeed more like you; please have lots of kids!! Can't count the times my head was in such a dark place given politics, etc, only to come out of it inspired and smiling bec of Last Week Tonight; YOU ARE THE BEST! TY for being you and doing what you do.
My dad nearly died from lupus complications at 25. He lived with lupus, a dangerous blood clotting disorder, cancer, one leg, a thyroid disorder, and survived several strokes. Despite all of this, he once had his disability benefits revoked because he coached my softball team. They thought that because he saved up his spoons and medicated his pain enough to spend two hours at a softball field 14 nights a year, he was well enough to work. It's a bullshit system, and I've never forgiven the people who put us through the fear and uncertainty of that decision.
That's absolutely bonkers!!! I'm so sorry you all had to go through that!!
How did they find out about the coaching? Is it part of the reviews process? Through medical records?
Yeah. I have family who worry about how I never go out and they're like "Surely you can volunteer a few hours at soup kitchens or the humane society or the zoo or museums, you love that sort of thing" and like- even if I could stick to a schedule needed to volunteer without constant bad days, I would be TERRIFIED that my volunteering anywhere doing anything for even 2 hours a month would be seen as 'proof' I could work an actual job and cost me my benefits.
@jalexanderart2 I'm a disability examiner. Yes if you mention your activity levels at your medical exams, the doc may add that to your med record to demonstrate your current functioning. They often don't add much detail so this often hinders ppl since we can't tell if someone is coaching softball 14 days a year, or 150 days a year, they just add tidbits but don't usually give a holistic approach to the record...also depends on the docs attitude or impression of you, of course, they could underplay or (rarely) overplay limitations as well. Esp for ppl with chronic conditions like lupus, your medical record probably contains more personal info than you'd expect, be aware what you report at exams since doc's are often trying to assess you and help...I hope...but it could be seen as "inconsistent" with the record and it's quicker to deny than to fight for an allowance on complicated claims for those under 55, so many who are overwhelmed with work and stressed/medicated themselves while trying to keep up with caseload assignment will nitpick evidence for things like that to deny someone quickly. Every part of this is awful. I only know about the actual determination aspect, I know nothing about giving or receiving benefits, that's a different office entirely.
@@neintales1224see above comment -- it could be, I worry about that when I see regular "organized activity" in record and will take time to disambiguate the record and demonstrate someone could not *sustainably* do this work...some else may see that in record and start working toward a denial, or cessation at a review. That's extreme and frankly inappropriate but I refuse to lie to ppl and say it doesnt ever happen. Hope this helps ❤
Edit: I thought you said 2 hours a week, whoops. They won't know if you volunteer and never told a counselor or doctor or someone, there's no way it would enter record then. 2 hours of month is clearly not significant. The fact any examiner thinks even a few hours a week is significant is just as insane. Do what you can for your mental health and community wellness, please live as well as you can, just be aware about sharing info to med ppl as it could be misrepresented in record and used to show medical improvement in some way
Thirty thousand people died while waiting for Social Security disability determinations during fiscal 2023, the Social Security Commissioner Martin O’Malley told Nextgov/FCW in a recent interview.
Wow
Two weeks after my denial with an attorney a colleague of mind send me a Newsbreak online column saying the SSA will not no longer be denying claims base on their out dated system they used. I have since appeal. So sickening!
Terminally ill disabled still are subject to the waiting. Interviewer cried while filling out my spouse's form because he said he knew death would come before benefits were approved.
They don't give a shit about us.
30,000 fellow citizens 😢😢😢😢😢😢
the $390 million paid from appeals could be better spent paying out SSI/SSDI to more people. completely nonsensical, inefficient, and disrespectful system
Yes
As someone who waited years for her SSI, I still vastly appreciate the reality check on the true horror of getting a mammogram.
Yeah the SSI doctor that reviewed my case determined I wasn't disabled because I could..tie some shoe laces on the back of a teddy bear. 🙂 So I guess if anyone in 2024 has a shoe lace tieing business, then I'm all set.
the messed up part, is when a judge is deciding whether you can work a job or not, they don't actually consider whether or not that job actually exists.
Pretty sure that's just their way of telling you to be a shibari artist for kink events lmao
Tying shoe laces will not pay enough for food clothing shelter transportation healthcare so it should not be even allowed to be a job that can disqualify you. Go and get admitted to the hospital and tell them about your anxiety because you’re going to be homeless. Do that a couple of times and then apply again and get a lawyer
That is awful. I'm sorry you're going through that
I’m sorry, WHAT?
If you're declined, prove you can't still work even with desperation, then we'll think about it while you juggle bankruptcy and homelessness. Sounds like prison gives you a roof and food better. What a disgusting inhumane system there 'Merica.
I know people who have committed crimes to avoid being homeless... Sadly Republicans in particular have tried to abolish any of these 'socialist' policies for ages that actually help people survive and have said things like 'People like those should just die', so of course the problems never go away.
My dad gave my wife the best advice in the world about this. He told her to apply, get denied, because everyone pretty much gets denied initially, the immediately get a lawyer. She had a stack of medical records three friggin feet tall and was denied. She got a lawyer and within 3 weeks was approved. For those saying that some cant afford a lawyer keep in mind that you dont pay the lawyer if you are accepted, which 99% of people who really need to be on it will be accepted with a lawyer, SSDI pays the lawyer.
Welcome to America, where we pay our debts with your suffering. Come on in and be free from your human rights!
Yeah, If I lived in the US, and were at in the state those people with disabilities are, I would probably rob a bank. Either I get millions or I go to prison with a roof over my head and 3 meals and medical treatment. Quite the sad state of affairs.
@@thegarage5919 if you watch the video you’re leaving a comment on they mention the fact that even with lawyers and appeals, denials are still happening. This is not an issue about “proving you really need it”. This is a broken system.
I am disabled and thank you so much for talking about this.
Thanks for doing this episode. I'm going through this with my brother and it's literally atrocious
my mother, whose only income was SSDI for a decade, makes "too much" to qualify for food stamps or for me to qualify for fafsa financial aid. All this despite the fact that she regularly goes into the negative paying for meds or food.
Your mother was and remains a hero.
As the comments can attest, calling SSI and SSDI application process a "nightmare" is sugarcoating it. And if the GOP leadership had their way with it, the programs would cease to be. The amount of times I was worried about the Trump presidency getting rid of SSA's budget was a yearly nightmare to begin with. They instead chose to cut the funding in chunks as if it were a slasher film that knew it was getting an NC-17 rating.
Yet we all know someone who's on disability that really shouldn't be.
@@timheinrich3752 So the answer is get rid of all of it? I don't think a scorched Earth policy is the way to fix and update the system.
@@timheinrich3752 I truly don't know anyone who's on disability that shouldn't be. I do, however, know dozens of people who really should not have been turned down for disability and have had to reapply, and still didn't get approved.
@@timheinrich3752I know way more people who probably should be but aren't, honestly
I’m wondering if it’s changed since I applied 6-7 years ago? Because the online form was straight forward, the bureaucrats you deal with after are the problem.
As someone who has worked with adults with developmental disabilities. It's actually crazy how our system is set up. Individuals can't make a certain amount of money without losing their benefits, but at the same time there's programs for them to get jobs and be productive members of society. It's like a oxymoron. Because of this, most of them will just kind of waste away their lives because there's no other options. It's very depressing to see.
Because politicians believe people who are unable to work have no value.
It's by design
to be fair those jobs theyre giving disabled people are never really gonna put them at risk of going over $2k. i work for a company that runs group homes and had to shred confidential information for a while. the paychecks ive seen are $189 at the top end and $2.97 at the low end.
My significant other has been fighting for about five to six years now. MS, PTSD, potential cancer diagnosis.
Still denied, still fighting.
Yeah we don't get rich on SSI. After paying rent & utilities, I'm lucky if I have $200 for everything else, including medicine.
Thank you for this. I'm writing my dissertation on disability advocacy, and to see the statistics so starkly and so absurdly nightmarish as I do... I honestly feel like I am going insane every time I do a deep dive into the experiences of disabled people. You cry, scream, beg, lay across the capitol stairs, and they still step around you, ignore you, make you feel insane for being mad that you are being ignored, and being killed through negligence. We're human beings, goddammit, but because society at large has so broadly dismissed, marginalized, and alienated disabled people in every aspect of said society, we still are ignored.
The ssi doctor I had lied about me falling. He said the fall was,”patient walked across the floor on her toes”.
I a paralyze. I can’t even get my toes in most shoes now.
The disability judge angered the blind doctor by not knowing what stage four cancer was and expected me to work just because I wasn’t always wheelchair bound. He said my disability isn’t being in a wheelchair and it must have been hard for me to walk and was amazing but my disability was pain. I have CRPS 2 from stage four spinal cancer.
Get a lawyer. Call every lawyer until you find one. SS should have a list. It should be mostly covered by SS if you win. They make it a gamble.
It should be like a criminal case where you have a right to a lawyer even if you can’t afford it.
I was hurt in a car accident in 2009 I was 41 and I had lower spine and neck herniated disc. My lawyer at that time representing told me as I get older it will get worst. His office tried to get me disability in 2011 and the judge said I can get sedentary jobs. I was a nurse aide and going to school for nursing. I could not get a desk job. I took jobs in retail and managing torn myself up more and was living on Aleve that was not working. I had four falls in 4 years. Then 2018 City truck slam into the back of my suv at a red light. 2023 another car run into my back. I had a torn right rotator cuff for years and was told I needed surgery. I refused; until 2023 after having covid19 in 2022 for 3 weeks all my injury resurface and I went to see a orthopedic doctor who was so egotistical would not look at the other doctors MRI. He recommended surgery telling me if I was older he would say; leave it alone. I told him about my injuries and my lower back bothering with constant pain. He told me he don't work with the lower body so I proceeded on doing the surgery for my rotator and it was the worst mistake I make. A year later my shoulder in worst pain compared to before the surgery. Because of the insurance company requiring PT had they done a full MRI of my body this doctor would have probably say NO WAY. Days after my surgery my knees was clamping on me. My lower spine hurted more because I had to sleep for months in a recline position. My knees I am told is arthritis knee and my right foot heel hurts once I am sitting or standing for longer than two hours. When I got an attorney and he filed SSDI I got unfavorable because of what this surgeon wrote in his note to SS. Even though the spine doctor and ny chiropractor explained she have a life long injuries and my herniated disc in the back is pushing out on to other parts in the body and the nerve. I had the steroid shot twice cause the surgeon send me to get pain management for my neck he said that what causing my pain. Absolutely because he was not listening to me when I was trying to explain I have injuries in my body. I only took the shot in the lower spine. Not helping. I am awfully achy painy. I cannot sleep well because of the shoulders radiating pain to my clavicle bone and scapula. I appeal my case on my own and if they deny again I will have another attorney on it. And I will file a suit on that surgeon. He cause me to lose my SSDI even though he don't work with the lower body. I am now turning 56 next Saturday 🤷♀️
This happened to me too! I can’t move my legs due to MS and they put down no problem walking. I’m in an electric wheelchair!!!
@@jenniferw1595 Oh my Goodness! We need to get our congress members involved. I called this out more than a year ago. I left a message for the person at SSA office phone asking if they were disabled over there too. That the SSA will have their Divine Justice soon. Now we have this video done with more awareness of what others are going through. Pain is no joke. When I call he never answer cause he send me to their doctor who sent me to a radiology group I worked for and did not know they had some treason doctors dismissing people injuries as if nothing was wrong with them. I have so much injuries that right now I am on Prednisone to numb me a bit so I have a bit of a normal active life. I am waiting on my appeal. This is crazy that no matter what your situation they had folks in the system to sweep in under a rug and not pay you what you were contributing towards if ever you got hurt and unable to work to enough to take care of yourself. Awful situation! I pray there is help to changed this around.
So happy this is being brought to light. Not all of us can work regular or any jobs sometimes, and we deserve to be treated with decency and support regardless.
Thank you to Mr Oliver and his crew. Me and my girlfriend are in the middle of an over 2 year battle trying to get disability. We (Her, myself and my 3 kids) are all suffering and absolutely in the dark about what we’re waiting for. It’s nice to know we’re not alone and people are making efforts.
I'm so sorry you're going through that- especially with kiddos to worry about! ❤ The way the SSA treats people is RIDICULOUS, and I hope you have an end to your struggle for help soon, friend!!
I tried getting disability, even just temporary disability, for over a year. Diagnosed with depression, anxiety, panic disorder, c-ptsd, and DID. I was told to find a job where I don't have to interact with people. After a year and working with a social worker I finally got a hearing. The first question that I was asked was how many hours I work per week. I said 20. I was told I work too much to qualify. They want you to be immobile, homeless, or dead before they'll give you any help.
It’s true. You have to have zero assets left. No bank account, a vehicle appraised at less that $1000. Live on general assistance and food stamps which in CA is about $350 plus $200 respectively while you apply and appeal.
You have to appeal it and fight: took me 3 years and one appeal but I was approved in my 30s
@@theTwilightSystem It took me over 6 years to get my SSI Disability. The important part is to NOT Reapply, because you have to start all over again. By reappling you loose that possible money that is accumulating while you wait to get approved. It is critical to not reapply but instead to APPEAL the denial! I kept appealing and re-re-reappealing for my Disability. Agein it took over six years but when I finally was granted my SSI, I got a huge lump sum check that was spplied retroactively to the original application date! Yep!
The goal of the state that you apply in and the Federal Government via Social Security is to wear you down in hopes that you will give up and quit!
Here is another important hint. DO NOT HIRE A LAWYER! IT is a waste of time. More than likley, they will take your money and run. When you are in the final stages of multiple appeals, you will receive a letter from Social Security ststing that you have been assigned to a judge fir a hearing about your appeals. This means you are in the home stretch 😊 Along with that final letter will be a list of Government Approved Attorneys that are sanctioned to represent your final appeal in court. ❤
Now here isctge tricky part. Your assigned attorney will get a very small percentage of your retroactive award money, not to exceed a few thousand dollars.
While the Judge makes the decision of " Yes you are Disabled in the eyes of this court, but it may be several months to years, before we can grant you full Disability..."
Durring that wait time you don't collect a penny. They are betting on the fact that you are poor dye to your health and or you might not live long..
So in my case I accepted SSI over SSDI so that I could start collecting SSI within the following month, along with a big fat check right away! ❤ Good Luck!!
@@elsagrace3893 It took me over 6 years to get my SSI Disability. The important part is to NOT Reapply, because you have to start all over again. By reappling you loose that possible money that is accumulating while you wait to get approved. It is critical to not reapply but instead to APPEAL the denial! I kept appealing and re-re-reappealing for my Disability. Agein it took over six years but when I finally was granted my SSI, I got a huge lump sum check that was spplied retroactively to the original application date! Yep!
The goal of the state that you apply in and the Federal Government via Social Security is to wear you down in hopes that you will give up and quit!
Here is another important hint. DO NOT HIRE A LAWYER! IT is a waste of time. More than likley, they will take your money and run. When you are in the final stages of multiple appeals, you will receive a letter from Social Security ststing that you have been assigned to a judge fir a hearing about your appeals. This means you are in the home stretch 😊 Along with that final letter will be a list of Government Approved Attorneys that are sanctioned to represent your final appeal in court. ❤
Now here isctge tricky part. Your assigned attorney will get a very small percentage of your retroactive award money, not to exceed a few thousand dollars.
While the Judge makes the decision of " Yes you are Disabled in the eyes of this court, but it may be several months to years, before we can grant you full Disability..."
Durring that wait time you don't collect a penny. They are betting on the fact that you are poor dye to your health and or you might not live long..
So in my case I accepted SSI over SSDI so that I could start collecting SSI within the following month, along with a big fat check right away! ❤ Good Luck!!
I have almost same as you diagnosed. DID, cptsd, severe general anxiety, depression but also BPD and ADHD which honestly is misdiagnosed autism (im 37, it was diagnosed as a young child) the DID stayed covert until 34, at which point through an emotional trauma my alters decided to make themselves known. It was terrifying. Through this, my entire life was ruined as my mental health took a nose dive. I had to quit my job as a school bus driver due to dissociative episodes. My fiance had an affair and left me around that time. I became agoraphobic, my anxiety getting really bad, got overwhelmed and overstimulated easily. I tried working a job overnights not dealing with people but only lasted a couple months and it got progressively more difficult the whole time. Havent worked in 3 years now. Technically homeless with no income.
Applied for disability through paperwork and phone interviews. Im bad with phones. I was denied. Been meaning to try to get a lawyer, i struggle socially and with such things. I only have 3 friends and only ine is local to me. I finally asked if she will help me get in contact with the lawyer. Im not confident i will ever have a life again or support myself. Very suicidal often. I do literally nothing. I feel so bad and guilty about myself and my disabilities. The system is such bs. Even when i get disability, it wont be enough for rent even in the worse part of town in a studio apt. I will have to get on the year long waiting list for whats called section 8 here. Certain apt buildings for struggling people, government pays the rent and you only cover 30% of whatever your income is. The rest of my life i will basically be a prisoner to my circumstance. And why? Because i had a traumatic childhood. Because my SA caused my personality to need to break into multiple pieces just to be able to handle it. Because my trauma responses to this day are too much to control even with meds and therapy. Getting disability will only ease my anxiety by 1%. Life is panic and defense for me.
I am on SSDI, And i can confirm everything he said here is 100% accurate.
I'm on SSI and can also confirm everything he said here is 100% accurate.
I'm on the German equivalent and its basically the exact same here. I thought it was just Germany that likes to kick it's citizens when they're already down.
Same.
i had to move back home with MY MOTHER! i am too old for this, she still bosses me around. wakes me at 2 am and tells me to always be sure the freezer is shut. i just had my 65th birthday.
If your disability started before the age of 26, an ABLE account might be an option to help. They will hopefully be raising the age to 46 in 2026, which... isn't soon enough, but is something to look towards. It's a savings account that does not count against social security saving limits.
Thank you thank you thank you thank you. Thank you John Oliver and the Last Week Tonight team for doing a full story about disabled people and some of our struggles. Thank you thank you. We are often ignored.
This is how the elderly and the disabled end up homeless. If lucky enough, they have a vehicle to live in, but even that's a problem because now there are less places they are allowed to park.
Better hope that the vehicle is nearly worthless as most of these states consider vehicles a “disposable asset” that counts against the maximum value of gross assets you can have in order to be a part of any program, including disability, Medicaid and food stamps
@@HistoricGentleman I agree, it's extremely sad and terrifying.
Part of me wishes I had enough money to buy a plot of land and pave it, maybe have a couple RV hookups and a dorm style bathroom setup ( a few sinks, stalls, showers) and just let the people who need it be able to use it.
Been watching a few vanlife channels for years now. There’s two that are very popular with seniors, & they all seem to blame immigrants, & think that DJT is the only one who’ll save them.
@@HistoricGentlemanYour vehicle doesn't count against your asset limit if you're living in it.
I'm a disabled vet. I was injured last March. The injury was on an extremity that had been rated by the VA. Ligament was torn. Typical turn around is 35 days. It took 165 days to get an MRI, and >6 months to get a surgery. I've been without work this entire time. The county offices don't return my calls. All the rental assistance programs have been cut. ACP that gave us free internet was cut. DAV and VSO assistance have 7 week waiting lists for a fucking phone call. If this is how the treat veterans with military related injuries that they are 100% responsible for, then I can only imagine what it's like for everyone else. I owe more than $3k in unpaid bills and my entire savings is gone.
It's enraging that we wear out veteran's bodies but only sometimes grudgingly provide for your healthcare after, and break promise after promise that was made to you about your future. I'm sorry. I hope you get some good support.
Stay strong and keep calling. Contact your congressman if you have to. They can help some too. I waited 2 years and became homeless and almost starved to death waiting for mine to be finished. But if you can keep at it and make it there is a light at the end of the tunnel.
@@GwenApMannanan So... WAIT? You have to nearly sacrifice your life TWICE? Once in combat and, again, to live whatever life that combat gave you? That's HORRIFIC!
@@trinleywangmo it was really bad. :( Things usually move faster now. When I got out it was the middle of OIF/OEF in 08 and a ton of Vietnam vets suddenly decided to start filing out of nowhere and the system was seriously bogged down. The VA didn’t know how to handle it.
On the upside I receive excellent care today.
And yet the right wing says the UK system doesn’t work.
FYI the 31% is WAY misleading. People are afraid to apply bc of how hard it is. Most people never finish the almost year long application process. It's not at ALL like 31% of qualified ppl are approved. A tiny minority even get thru the process to be counted for those stats.
That's assuming that we even know that we're disabled and not just having extremely bad luck with employment. Which is a fairly common thing for hidden disabilities. Especially ADHD and autism where there hasn't been a very good track record of identifying people for a proper diagnosis or diagnosing the patients that are identified as being possibly so.
All government assistance programs are built like this (with the exception of SS for some reason). EBT couldn't be more difficult to navigate. It takes days on the phone having to provide details for every penny earned and if they think you make too much or too little they will reduce or cut benefits without notice. You'll be waiting on that money to feed your family when you suddenly realize you went from, enough to buy groceries for a month to enough to cover a week.
Right?? @@SmallSpoonBrigade I swear my entire life and my parents lives make so much sense now that I know we're autistic and ADHD. Like no fucking wonder we can't keep jobs.
Obviously true and utterly meaningless. Every conclusion and suggested improvement stated in this video was determined IN 1975, yes, FIFTY YEARS AGO, none were adopted, they are not considered for adoption, they never will be adopted, Case Closed, End of Story, no need to discuss it further or bring it up ever again. Not gonna happen...Nope...no way. FIFTY YEARS AGO. Same story, TV commentary back then, never changed, never will.
"If they would rather die,” said Scrooge, “they had better do it, and decrease the surplus population.”
My son has profound disabilities. I took him to our intake appointment so they could see him in person. He had a seizure during our appointment - yay Woody! - and was approved within weeks. We had that same Covid clawback crap to deal with, and now I keep his money in a dresser drawer.
Mr. Oliver you are prince for bringing all of this forward. I'm writing my representatives right now.
"I have sold everything that I own of any value, with the exception of my wedding ring" made my cry with 2nd hand shame of the system.
The whole Valkyrie story.. made me cry, heavily tinged with rage.
The hypocrisy of how quickly they'll find out and act if go over 2k$ in savings, compared to the delays when signing up or appealing is just ridiculous.
yep. We have to give them access to our bank accounts and if it reaches $2k, our benefits get reduced.
Yup, feels like a lot of people are caught in that "safety net" and are drowning because of it. Richest and most powerful country in the world doesn't take care of it's people? I've been trying to get "benefits" for over 20 years now. I've seen friends die in poverty waiting to get benefits.
A safety net that drowns people....only in capitalist America.
Germany kicks it's poor and sick in the chops when they're down, too. I almost couldn't tell he was talking about America... it sounds so similar!
The US takes care of rich people, everyone else needs to pull themselves up by the proverbial boot straps
You forget your place. This is a eugenicist society. They want you dead.
My good friend, a vietnam vet, is probably going to die in the next few years because he is experiencing the same thing with the VA. A lot of vets die waiting for treatment.
Yup - my sister has been in a relationship for about 12 years and would LOVE to get married. However, her partner also has disabilities and they can’t have their benefits take away so they can never get married. 😢
I've met Patricia jetter, she's naturally funny, and fun to talk to 😂 pretty awesome she's on here. I have a friend that is disabled and she was denied multiple times in Florida.