This morning at 8 am I got a real good look at the republicans plan

[mrcheerful]

for america is. I took my SO up to work first of michigan. While she was inside dealing with the Michigan Voc Rehab people, there were about 10 old ladies, late 60's and early 70's, with canes and walkers going to the JET classes the state of michigan has set up to force disabled into job and educational training. Not that they get either jobs or educational training, but hey it looks good on the nightly news. None of these elderly folks looked healthy enough to work, yet because they get public assistance they are forced to attend the JET program or lose their federal grants. It's sickening how the state is treating the elderly here in michigan. I really doubt that the JET program will actually help these elderly ladies become independent, but we can't have the elderly sitting around on their sofa's living off the fat of the land for free can we?

On a lighter note, the SO was talking to the Voc Rehab person who went into a finger pointing game with the SO. A few weeks ago the SO was scolded for refusing to work with Voc Rehab by Voc Rehab. SO is waiting to hear what the judge decides on her SSI hearing, yet Voc Rehab and her FIA caseworker decided that SO wasn't disabled enough to stop her from working so they called her into work first then sent her home because the worker wanted more medical work from her doctor.When this all started the FIA caseworker was saying that Voc Rehab said she could work and it was out of the caseworkers hands. This morning the Voc Rehab person stated that it was SO 's caseworkers decision to send SO to the JET program. My gut feeling on this is the SSI judge got on peoples behinds for going behind his back before he decided if the SO could work or not. Needless to say america is becoming a mean nasty place where no one gets a break unless they have so much money they don't need a break. The robber Baron days are once again upon us.

[Wiley50]

1. State Disability Determination held up my SSI claim for 3 1/2 years

when even their own doctor said I was disabled.

When their time ran out and they couldn't prevent me getting a hearing any longer

as soon as it hit the judge's desk he waived having a hearing and just approved it on the spot.

The state ladies were horrible, lying people that even made illegible the date on my original claim

in order to deny me SSDI and make me only eligible for SSI

Actually it's better because it means I get full Medicaid

and just my prescriptions run $1200/mo

[AuntPatsy]

2. Ive heard that same scenerio happening to so many people, it is so outrageous.

and yet nothing has changed in that department.

[liberaldemocrat7]

7. This has happened as early as 1980 and surprise surprise Republicans work in social work and ..

in these agencies that evaluate people for disabilities.

Yes Republicans work in social work. Now that appears a conflict of interest. I suppose the social workers harrangue clients to get up with help from their own boot straps blah blah blah and I would not find it surprising that Republicans infest the ranks of these low level evaluators of disability.

[Debau2005]

3. I was a Welfare Social Worker

in Alabama in the 90's. So take this advice with a grain of salt!! I don't know what the new laws are, but...back then if any of our clients were denied SSI we filed an appeal immediately. I had the paperwork in my desk ready to go.

So my advice is to file an immediate appeal if the laws haven't changed.

We had some that had to appeal multiple times before they were eligible. It was a horrible system back then I can't imagine the nightmares now!

Good luck, I'll send warm thoughts! :grouphug:

[Emit]

4. I worked as a Voc Rehab Coord with my state in the late 90's, when the welfare to work program was

implemented. That was one of the hardest jobs I've ever had. I spent a lot of time advocating for clients' rights in the VR system -- we got a lot of referrals from Welfare because it was quite apparent that many of the women, and men, Welfare was mandated to have seek employment might have some sort of significant disability that precluded their accessing suitable, gainful employment. I was inundated with referrals, because I gained the reputation as being one of the only VRC's that would actually assist the client with seeking a more permanent disability pay (i.e., SSI or SSDI).

My advice to anyone applying for permanent disability status on the Federal level, (i.e., SSI, SSDI)when you get turned down --appeal, dissent, disagree, reapply -- take it to the top adjudicators if you really feel that you have a significant impediment to employment.

Many clients are sent to Voc Rehab by various agencies to determine whether they can return to work with reasonable accommodations in an appropriate line of work. The quality of the evaluation is only as good as the ability of the VRC to objectively work with each applicant within the framework of the system, and often depends upon the cooperation from the client. There were many times I felt hampered by the system in my decisions to accept or decline a client as eligible for services -- each case is so unique and it's often difficult to fit a round peg into a square hole. Also, it was not up to me as a VRC to determine whether a client was employable, per se. Our state/fed rules related to whether a client was eligible for services and could benefit in terms of a likely employment outcome.

Now, otoh, the majority of my clients, that being a caseload of 150 people, came to me out of their own desire to seek employment with reasonable accommodations because they desired to work, not because one of the systems demanded it. In many cases, because of the nature of my caseload (severely mentally ill), clients were able to work a part-time job and keep their benefits.

Anyway, good luck to you and yours and keep appealing the decision if you do not agree with it.

edited typo

[Sadie4629]

5. Michigan has a Democratic governor

I don't think this one you can blame on the Repubs.

[mrcheerful]

6. And both state houses are controled by pukes

which for your information has enacted laws to force anyone applying for SSI to be put into work first or JET. Come on the gov of any state is very limited to what they can or can't do without congress oking it first. It is a republian law backed by the republican congress.