Archive for the ‘168’ Category
Asking for help
That’s never been one of my strong suits. However, as a mom, I know I need to do it in order to keep food on the table and the lights on. So after Jimmy was let go, I went to the Department of Health & Human Services and applied for help. Help in the form of cash assistance, food stamps, medical assistance. Any kind of assistance. I’ve decided to write about it here because I’m so tired of the stigma that goes along with it. I was near tears writing out the application. I was in tears while being interviewed. Not because of anything the interviewer said, but because of my own humiliation – of being 41 years old and having to ask for help – again.
“That’s what it’s there for” – that’s a term I hear over and over again. Thankfully, they’re right – it IS there for us this time. We were accepted into all of the programs, and now I have medical coverage that won’t put us further into debt. I have my medications for my stomach, my joints AND my head. I have money for food. I’ll even have some money to pay bills. It’s not a huge amount, but it’ll keep the lights on. We haven’t heard from unemployment yet.
Did you know that there’s a lifetime cap on the length of time you can receive cash assistance? It’s 5 years. Not only that, but it’s for all the adults in the house. So both Jimmy & I have that 5 years together, not 5 each. We’ve rec’d cash assistance once before, for 1 month. So we’re back to that ticking clock. When you think about it, though – we have another 20+ years before we’re considered for social security – so using that lifetime cap now is scary. However, yeah – that’s what it’s there for.
In order for us to qualify for cash assistance, we are required to attend employment training. Typically, we would both be required to do this, for a combined 55 hours a week. I’ve applied to be exempted from this because of my health issues. While that’s processing, Jimmy’s doing 35 hours a week. That’s 35 hours that he’s at this place, where he has to take tests (math, IQ, geography, etc.), learn how to write a resume, etc. It leaves him with NO TIME TO FIND A JOB! It’s ridiculous. Next week, they’ve told him he will be required to volunteer somewhere for 35 hrs a week, until he finds a job.
The whole process has him (once again) SO miserable. He’s 44 years old. He doesn’t need assessment tests to tell him what he wants to be when he grows up. But he’s doing it so that we can get through Christmas. Once we get to the New Year, I’ll get the taxes submitted and we’ll at least be able to drop the cash assistance and not have to do what is required. Maybe then he’ll actually FIND a job.
This is one of the reasons why I’ve been so quiet. Another reason is not knowing how we’re going to get through Christmas this year. So hopefully now things will calm a bit in my head.
I just wish it were January already.
