Update-Not good-venting

I wish it was positive but Its isn't. I've posted here a few times about my situation but have been away for some time. I have been fighting everyone and everything it seems. i am so exhausted and drained. I can't even think straight. I really just don't think I care anymore.

First the pain clinic. You will have to read my older posts because it is too hard to revisit it all but suffice it to say....I have gotten nowhere.

I have lost my disability benefits and hours on the phone and even a case worker can't help me find out why. The reason they gave me after my last 75 minute phone call was that in 2005 I made $100.00 too much for the year, Even though I never exceeded the monthly SGA amount. Not even close. I don't know where they are getting the info. they can't/won't tell me. The woman just kept saying 'YOU MUST HAVE!" But couldn't tell me for sure where the info came from.

In October/Nov. was charged with an overpayment. I fought it and sent in all my paperwork including pay stubs and bills and the 10 page application they have you fill out. they found it was not my fault. They said they found I did not have to pay it back (which is great since I never saw an extra 6 grand that they supposedly OVER paid me) and that if i did pay it back I would not have money for bills, food etc.

Two days later I got another letter telling me they wanted info about me. The letter said they HAD new info about me (the info I gave then for the overpayment?) and said to call if I needed more info on what info they wanted (confused?) Since they didn't state on the letter what they had or what they needed I called the number and ext of the person given. After 4 detailed voice mails she never called back.

I KNOW I was calling the correct number because it was an ext. and the person on the greeting said "this is.....(.name of person....please leave a detailed message")

I also wrote letters to two different people whose names were also on the letters. No reply. I was asking these people to contact me and tell me what i needed to do. They are supposed to tell me what they want. Why give me a number and a name if it isn't going to be of any use????

what I did get, however, was another letter saying that I no longer get benefits. I applied for a request for reconsideration. The benefits should not be cut until the request is handled. They cut me off anyway. I got a bill for $400.00 from medicare. No explanation just a bill. I guess now that they cut my benefits I lose everything.

I am in credit counseling and have paid them every month for over a year and when my benefits were cut I called them to explain and they said I had two weeks to get the money or all the creditors would drop me from the program and everything would start over again. where did the money come from for that bill? My disability check. they take almost all of it.

I can't begin to tell you all the anxiety and worry i have. All the people that are supposed to help either can't or won't. This really has to do with a person just not returning my phone calls. Never even left a message to prove she tried to call. Nothing...then she makes that decision that sends everything spiraling.

I don't know why I was trying so hard to pay the creditors off. It doesn't matter at this point. They are going to start hounding me again soon and it will be like i never paid them a penny. All that money I could have used to live on that they took each month amounts to nothing now.

I have called legal aid twice and have not gotten a call back. I have an answering machine. People can leave messages. What could be the problem?

I told 0ne of the reps from social security that I was worried about how I was going to pay my bills and she told me that there should be no problem since I have a part time job.....she also said they could not tell me anything more and I should go to welfare...

I have been through things like this before but I am astounded at the fact that people can't just do simple things that can prevent this type of hardship. Some of the things that have been said to me by these people are so un-called for.

I have three doctor's appointments next week and I have no insurance. I had an appointment with my case worker last tuesday. I also signed up for Anger management classes on tuesday. I went to Anger management and then went to work for an hour. I went back to meet with the case worker and she came out and said she could not see me because i had anger management that morning.

Come to find out the insurance won't pay them for two appointments on the same day/ They signed me up anyway and then she told me I had to go. I guess its ok for her to sit in her office and do nothing while I busted my ass to get there to do the right thing to get help and then get sent away? It was my time slot. nobody else was there....assinine!

I really would love to add every detail in here to tell the whole story but its too long and boring. this little story is a mere skeleton of what the whole beast looks like.

I really do have the sense that i have done everything i could do. if i had no faith before i really have none now. I am walking around in a bubble and I can't understand how doing everything right has resulted in this mess.

What are people supposed to do? I thought there was supposed to be some type of protection, rights or rules for those of us who are disabled? It sure isn't true in my world.

It just makes me so angry how somebody can sit behind a desk, pushing a pencil and screw up somebody elses life and not give a darn. It is like she had nothing better to do so she thought she would mess with somebody else and cause them grief.

I know that it is the whole system that is messed up, but she could have atleast helped you somewhat. It is as if they get a gold star for getting rid of a client.

I can't believe that they said that they over paid you six thousand dollars. Did they show you where? Probably not because you didn't get to talk to the lady.

Try to relax, the stress from this isn't going to help your fibromyalgia any. I am sorry that you are having to go through this. I hope things get srtaightened out.

Hugs, Karen

*stunned silence*   omg...

I think contacting your political representitive is the best starting point you may have.  I live in Oklahoma, and know of several people that have had a problem with the system in one way or another, and after contacting their representitive, the problem magically disappeared.  I don't know if that would help (as I am sure that all reps are different in the way they consider things) but it would at least be a good starting point!

OMG...I cannot believe the way you were treated not once, but multiple times! That's insane! I do customer service for a job and yes, it's not fun getting calls because lets face it, the only time people call customer service for anything is because something's wrong lol. But still....EVERYONE has a boss. Holy crap, if I ever dared acting 1/10th of the way these people have treated you, I would have been booted from my job! My god...I am just astounded with how they have treated you!

I am very far in debt as well, but have decided to not go the credit counseling route because I know I need the money to live and if I give it to them, I have nothing. I wish there was some way I could help you. Is there anything you need? I could try to put together a box or something for you...

Is it just me, or does anyone else notice that it seems like the people who have illnesses get treated the absolute worst? Especially illnesses where you're not supposed to have stress because that makes it worse? It seems like if you have one of those illnesses, people make it their mission to stress you out.

I am so so SO sorry this has happened to you. I wanted to go into the Social Work field myself because I truly genuinely want to help people. They should not have insensitive rude people in those positions. Please let me know if there is anything I can do for you...

Kathy

Hi.  This is an amazing story.  When you deal with the government this kind of stuff happens. 

 

As far as how you possibly made too much money in one year...I think the amount they told you you could make per month was the maximum amount for one month.  I'm sure you know that but some people will only work for a few months a year so they don't exceed the maximum for the year.  So, you really need to pay attention to not only the monthly maximum but also the yearly maximum. 

 

You might try copying your letters and your questions and send the copy by registered mail...where someone has to sign for them.  You can follow that on your computer and even get copies of the signiture off the computer.  Include a letter explaining the problem but don't make it so lengthy that no one will read it.  Keep it as simple as possible and include your phone number so someone can contact you. 

 

If this doesn't work, try calling your congressman.  Someone needs to listen.

 

Sherrine

What angers me is that this is normal for the system. o matter how overworked I was at a job I always considered the questions of the customer. We have businesses and a government that only listens to the bottom line, money.

I think that folks who mistreat clients they way you have been should be fired--no ifs, ands or buts. I become really annoyed when people speak to me as if I am an idiot.

I have spoken with challenging people in government social services. Fortunately, I am so independently oriented that I do not take them seriously. they could do serious damage to my sense of self esteem if I let them.

I have heard from others that working part time is not worth it. I think a person should if they desire to or need the additional income but I have been told it is more trouble than it is worth.

Do something nice for yourself today and tomorrow. try to enjoy life and ignore the ignorant evildoers.

Donnaeil

Hey Telula...if you change your mind and do need anything that I can provide, please let me know. On some level, I do understand what you're saying. I haven't been able to apply for disability (I have considered it but there's no way I could live on that even WITH the part time job and still be able to pay rent or any kind of bills) but I understand about feeling like you just want to do well for yourself and it's so hard when you feel like you keep getting pulled down. I want to get a new job because mine creates SO much stress for me and I think that may actually be making my health worse. Only problem is that because of my health I'm on an Intermittent FMLA leave. That just means that once I've used up all my sick/vacation days, if I need to miss work because of not feeling well or a doctor's appointment, I can miss and not lose my job...but I also don't get paid for those days. To qualify for Intermittent FMLA, you have to be at your job for 12 months. If I got a new job, I'd have to wait out those 12 months and honestly, I don't think I'd be able to do it. I'm missing a day or two every week or every other week. Not good.

So then I considered going back to school because I feel SO...I don't know what the word is...pointless, maybe. I just feel like I want to be DOING something with my life. I feel like such a failure. I had been in advanced classes since I was in the 3rd grade and went to college. I got my associates and was progressing to my bachelors when my endometriosis hit and then a series of just craptastic events in my life followed....the rape, the domestic violence, the breakup....then it was hello to Fibro! I ended up getting kicked out of school because I missed class so much. Anyhoo, my point was that I started off SO WELL in life. Everyone had such high expectations for me. I was the first one in the family to ever go to college. And I know I can't control my health, but I feel like a failure/disappointment.

I understand what you're saying. It is so frustrating to WANT to excel and to feel like it's impossible. That will put you into a depression right there.

I know it doesn't ease anything that you're feeling, but there are some of us out there who may not have the same situation but we have the same feeling. If you need anything, please let us know.

{{{Hugs}}}

Kathy

I have a dental appointment today and it just hit me that my insurance is cancelled. I can't go now because the dentist is not something I can afford.

It doesn't really matter anyway because I am in so much pain right now i can't even think of going anywhere. probably not to my job either.

And that just makes me more angry that this is going to keep happening and I have yet to hear anything about my case!!!

Just an update on things. Went to the Lawyers office and the receptionist faxed 18 documents to social security. That was a week ago.still no word. The woman never called my case worker back and I had to request a meeting that could take weeks or months and in the meantime I am not getting my check. So that's it. I guess I just wait. Its strange how someone i have never met has screwed up my entire world.

My credit cards are now going to collections due to the fact that there was no money for the credit counseling people to take. They don't care either.

Not sure what to do. had a really bad night and could not sleep because of pain and pins and needles in my legs and feet from nerve damage. Fought with myself whether to take a hydrocodone but since they shorted me on my script I didn't want to so I took benadryl to put me to sleep. Last night was one of the worst nights I have had in a very long time.

I am still feeling very lost. I hope this all ends sooner than later. I can't believe they won't even respond to a case worker or a lawyer's office.