To the attention of:
Barack Obama, US President;
Tom Corbett, Governor of Pennsylvania;
US Senators from Pennsylvania: Patrick J. Toomey, Robert P. Jr. Casey;
US Representatives from Pennsylvania: Allyson Y. Schwartz, Bill Shuster, Chaka Fattah, Charles W. Dent, Christopher P. Carney, Glenn Thompson, Jason Altmire, Jim Gerlach, Joseph R. Pitts, Kathleen A. Dahlkemper, Lou Barletta, Mark S. Critz, Michael F. Doyle, Michael G. Fitzpatrick, Patrick Meehan, Robert A. Brady, Tim Holden, Tim Murphy, Todd Russell Platts;
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I would like to know why there is no dependent's benefit attached to SSI. I understand that SSI is nothing more than welfare for the disabled, however, not everyone who receives SSI is single and/or has a history of being unemployed.
I held a paying job from the age of 13. Due to some life circumstances, I was unable to achieve my dream of going to college to become a medical doctor. I wound up entering the corporate world at the age of 16 where I worked 60-80 hour weeks without vacations. At different times in my life I held down two jobs. I have a very strong work ethic. I always gave of my time and money to charitable causes.
Fast forward a few decades to when I took a break from the work force to do the most important job in the world:raise my children. My plan was to be home with them until they went to school full time and then I would return to paid work.
But, once again, life had other plans. While at home raising my children, I became ill. (Funny, my life plan never involved me not working.) One thing led to another and I had to accept my diagnosis as well as my prognosis. I have an illness for which there is no known cure. It's not contagious. It involves the nervous system. It's called RSD-Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy. Now they are grouping it with other pain conditions and calling it CRPS-Chronic Regional Pain Syndrome. In addition to the RSD, my health deteriorated in other areas including my ability to hear. Imagine having young children and not being able to hear their cries.
I was married to an abuser. I managed to get my children and myself out. I don't know how, now, but I did.
I applied for regular disability since it wasn't that long ago that I worked, making over $30k per year plus benefits. I was denied because I didn't have enough work credits in the preceeding ten years. Of course I didn't! I was home raising my children, duh! I was advised to apply for SSI. I did. I was denied. I got a lawyer and won. I don't receive child support. You can't force someone to pay child support if they don't want to. I don't care what laws are on the books. They find ways around them. My ex is never going to pay support and so I am left to raise my children on SSI.
The SSI is meant for one person and even then it is still below the federal poverty level. Imagine trying to raise three children on an income that isn't sufficient for one!
Why? Why am I being punished because I made the decision to stay at home with my children while they were young? Why is that so wrong? Why am I now condemned to a life of abject poverty because I chose to do what I thought was the right thing for my children and then became ill? Why couldn't I have been given work credit as a homemaker to fill the gap in my "paid" employment? My SSDI would have been much more than SSI because it is based on salary.
Why are my children being forced to live, no, not live, barely survive is the proper term, in extreme poverty just because their mommy got sick? Isn't it bad enough that they have to watch me be sick, help me do things that I can't do for myself, and live with the knowledge that I won't see my grandchildren? Why does the government pour salt into open wounds by forcing them into this situation? Why are you creating a new generation of poverty stricken families?
There's an old saying:Money follows money. Which it is true. The flip side of that is also true: Poverty breeds poverty. How are my children ever to get out of this situation? You might come back with the child support being paid. Wrong. My ex didn't make enough money to begin with for any support to make a dent in our situation. I was the breadwinner. I made the real money, not him.
I worked my entire life. I didn't plan on getting sick. No one does. I never planned for getting knocked out of the workforce in my late 30's. I still had over 30 years of working ahead of me. Now what am I supposed to do?
Trying to survive every day with a debilatating disease is horrific in and of itself. The stress of watching your children suffer, truly suffer, because you cannot provide for them is hell itself. Why are you adding to the pain? Why are you destroying families in this fashion? Why was my role as a mother not counted for something?
I am the backbone of this country because I am a mother! You've destroyed my life and now my children don't stand a chance because no matter what I do, I cannot change attitudes. Everyone, and I mean everyone, believes that low income equals low intelligence. It doesn't matter how many A's my children score. Once they have the label of low income, it never leaves. They are ostracized, criticized and patronized. The discrimination they and I endure makes my skin crawl!
You can solve it! It's so easy! For those who have a work record, simply look and make allowances for parents (male and female) who have made a decision to take some time off to be at home with their families. Give them work credits for it! Being a parent is the most difficult job there is. I think work credits are justified. Give us a dependents benefit. Our children need a monthly stipend so we are not forced to have another generation in poverty! We have to give them a chance! They are innocent! No one is to blame. Life happens. People get hurt or become sick. Nothing shakes your world, your security, the very foundation upon which you build your life more than having a sick parent. Stop compounding it by forcing them to live in extreme poverty! Why are you doing this to our children? Why are you hurting them? Why? We're not lazy! The majority of us have worked. Now we are sick and injured! There is a big difference between us and those who seek welfare.
I beg of you, acknowledge it. I hate knowing that my children are financially better off if I die. At least then they would get a social security supplement because I have worked. They would get three times what we are getting now. In my darkest moments, it seems like the only way. We cannot survive any longer on this income. I am grateful to have any income at all, but I feel cheated because I paid into the system for years and then when I needed it, because of a technicality, it was not there for me. There are tons of others who have never paid a dime yet receive so much more than I.
You have a responsibility to right this wrong. Stop hurting the children. Stop hurting those who are already sick and injured. Aren't we, as a society, supposed to help those who cannot help themselves, those who are the weakest and neediest? I always have and still do when able. Not with money but with my time and in other ways.
I strongly urge you to look at the current SSI guidelines and ask that you make the necessary changes so that those with children are treated fairly and receive proper compensation that would allow them to live at least at the poverty level for their family size. I'm only asking for the federal poverty level. I'm not asking to get rich or live a decent life. I'm talking about the ability to survive. If the system doesn't change, I urge HHS or SSA to keep track of mortality data to determine causes of death. Something needs to be done. We are dying and not just from whatever illness, trauma, injury or disease is ravaging our bodies. We are dying from malnutrition because we feed our children first, lack of medical attention and medicine, stress and so much more. We are parents and we will always provide for our children first and ourselves last even if it kills us in the process.
Why are you making us choose?
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