#assistance programs | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

chronicallycouchbound · 9 months

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I refuse to call government assistance programs “welfare” or “benefits”.

I’ve been on government assistance programs my whole life. I have never lived above the poverty line.

It’s a system that doesn’t care about my wellbeing, they care about doing the bare minimum to keep people alive enough to function and work, and if you’re disabled and cannot work, they give significantly less of a fuck.

And benefits?? What benefits?

Food stamps that run out within two weeks because I am budgeting with 8$ a day with literally dozens of dietary restrictions? Or do you mean the housing voucher that I have to never even have a gift card, penny to my name, Sams club membership, phone bill, literally anything that could be “income” in order to qualify? That same housing voucher system that if I mess up even once with I not only lose all government aid for at least 5 years, it’s also mandatory PRISON time for 1 year?? “Oh but they would never do that, right?” Nope! I have several friends who are now felons for minor lease violations and unhoused as a result! Oh maybe you mean the state health insurance that doesn’t cover most treatments, specialists, and testing I need and if I tried to make a gofundme to cover, I would lose aforementioned housing? Oh and we can’t forget all the money I get for being disabled, which is exactly 0$. I’m still fighting for SSI and have been for 6 years! That’s over 6 years with absolutely zero income. ZERO. And guess what, whenever I *do* get on SSI, I will lose my housing voucher. And I won’t be able to afford my current apartment because even in subsidized low income housing it’s too expensive for the maximum SSI “benefit” amount. And on SSI you can’t have savings over 2000$. Oh and they do make housing for people who are low income where you pay 30% of your income but I can’t even be on the waitlist since I don’t have any income. And on top of all this, I can never get married because I’ll lose all of the programs.

I could keep going. That’s not even half of the programs I’m a part of.

• None of them give me cash in hand. Even for vouchers I have to provide receipts for everything.

• Food stamps just straight up won’t even cover ineligible items. Which includes hot foods.

• I genuinely don’t believe that there’s a way to “game the system” and why would you? You would gain literally nothing.

• It’s designed to keep people poor. Once you make over a certain amount, you lose all or almost all benefits. There’s no way to slowly transition out of the programs, if you’re someone who’s able to. It’s all in or all out.

• All of these barriers are made significantly worse while unhoused/homeless. I’ve been homeless for over half of my life and there’s so many fucked up rules. If I missed one night staying in the shelter, I lost my housing voucher because I no longer was “verified as homeless” even if I was sleeping outside still.

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midnightkissme · 1 year

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It's funny how people assume being disabled means we automatically get disability assistance.

I'm years into my disability case- I have received 0$ for disability. I can not work. I have no income.

The federal government doesn't care and healthy people assume we got it easy(we dont!)

#chronic pain #disability #chronic ill #disabled #assistance #health #healthcare #assistance programs #chronically sick

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takeactionlove · 2 years

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Twenty of America’s largest broadband providers, including AT&T, Verizon, and Comcast, have agreed to offer high-speed internet to millions of Americans essentially for free.

...

On their end, they’ve committed to offering high-speed internet of at least 100 Mbps and capping the price at $30 per month. The government will then provide eligible Americans with a $30-a-month subsidy, offsetting the price entirely

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Eligibility is income-based, and the White House lays out two ways to qualify: Belong to a household whose income is no more than... $27,180 for one person, $36,620 for two, $46,060 for three, and $55,500 for four.

[You can also qualify by participating in specific federal assistance programs or by qualifying directly with the ISP.]

You can find more info, check to see if you qualify, and apply at getinternet.gov.

#internet #usa #assistance programs #politics #low income #this is current as of may 9 2022 #news #biden

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illusioncanthurtme--art · 2 months

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This interaction has been sitting in my head for a WHILE, kind of like that sandwich!!! I've been watching so much billy and mandy lately, and I think the comedic timing and style may have had an influence here lmao! I know it's ooc for zim to not be wearing those elbow length gloves (or full on germ protective gear), please pretend he is :'D

I included transcriptions of the dialogue in the image descriptions in case my writing is hard to read.

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darlingillustrations · 3 months

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This is not art related, but it is Important, and I feel like y'all need to hear about it.

I found a way to get assistance with my Internet Bills.

Bills are really treacherous for me right now, as I imagine that they are for many of you as well. So I started reaching out to all the places where I have bills to see if the companies have any emergency assistance available for hardship situations.

I reached out to my Internet Provider (who will remain nameless). After spending HOURS on the phone, getting the run around (aka: agents trying to upsell products, having disconnections, and being treated really poorly) i FINALLY got someone who treated me like a human being, and he told me about the Affordable Connectivity Program!

The Affordable Connectivity Program

This is a federal assistance program in the US and it GIVES YOU MONEY TO HELP PAY FOR INTERNET. I want to scream about it here because Enrollments End February 7, 2024 and I didn't even know this program was a Thing!

Apply Before February 7, 2024!

The application is VERY easy. I completed it is a few minutes, and I got accepted the next day. It will take $30 off my internet bill every month.

So, if you are low income in the US, please please *please* check this out!!

(Link to the government page in reblogs.)

#low income #bill assistance #Affordable Connectivity Program #not art #kitty speaks

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obsessivefangirl · 6 months

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moonstoneraven · 1 year

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they are friends now :)

#kingdom hearts coded #kingdom hearts #kh #kh ienzo #ienzo #data sora #data riku #ienzo and the data boyfriends are now friends #he has two gay little computer programs as his assistants :)#kingdom hearts recoded #they give him advice and it ranges from very helpful to wtf is this

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citizenoftmrrwlnd · 3 months

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stimboard for : a virtual desktop companion with webcore, cybercore, and angelcore themes in a blue pallet

x | x | x x | - | x x | x | x

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superbellsubways · 10 months

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thinking about siblings

#he is not based on any program ijust wanted to give VLC a sibling based on those other types of cones #why the long face #virtual assistants #vlc #Uhhh he doesnt have a name yet but im considering Deli (short for Delineator) since that is. the type of cone But it sounds very stupid #object head #gijinka #doodle #I have ideas for other possible siblings but have this guy for now (its about to be 5 am

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therealcallmekd · 16 days

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Been obsessing over the fact that my old oc, Artie, and Kinitopet are like so one in the same it's actually crazy.

Pink AI that's friendly on the surface, is actually really clingy and obsessive at times. Lonely and really just trying to fulfill a core objective as set by their creator or other influences, someone or something that they look up to as a godly figure maybe.

They both act as your friendly AI assistant, Artie is just for a specific program, while Kinito just gets to be his own thing.

Both want you to stay with them. Both will go out of their way to do things to make sure that happens.

they are so silly to me, and i love them

Also I found an old sketch from way back that somehow mimics the literal same plot beats to the ending portion of kinitopet and that threw me for a loop. Too bad it was only a concept sketch.

ohhh i love sentient silly ai so much... ohhh i love themmmmmm

something something sentience of ai is inherently a tragedy or something like that.

thank you for listening to me ramble. ahem.

#artie'sarthouse #oc art #oc artwork #kinito pet #kinitopet #kinito my beloved #another thing to note. Artie was always meant to be for a horror game. He was supposed to be the front and center guy.#fun fact. I created artie back in 2021. He started as a simple sentient art program assistant and evolved over time #both have genres set in old internet computer program vibes that you'd sketchily download without much thought #I think Kinito was handpicked perfect for me actually. that's my guy.#if anyone wants to ask me more about Artie... please please I would love to answer questions #KD'sCrumbs #FriendshipClub!#rambling to myself!

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sanguinarysanguinity · 3 months

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For U.S. residents who are on Medicare, Medicaid, or are uninsured, and who have been prescribed the antiviral Paxlovid (used to reduce the severity of COVID19), the medication is free through Pfizer's patient assistance program. People who have private insurance might also be able to use the link reduce their co-pay.

(Or if you prefer the phone to a website, you can call 877-219-7225 to sign up.)

The list price for Paxlovid is $1400 for the five-day course, and now that the federal government is no longer providing the medication for free, some people are being told by pharmacies that they have to pay list price (because they are uninsured, or because the medicine is not covered on their insurance). If that's you -- or if your co-pay is steeper than you can afford -- please check out the patient assistance program above!

(Hat tip to Dr. Leana S. Wen at the Washington Post, who talked about the program in her latest column.)

#paxlovid #covid19 #medicare #medicaid #pfizer #patient assistance program

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chronicallycouchbound · 7 months

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“Benefits” my ass.

These are mandatory forms for General Assistance, which pays for my rent, household needs ($45) and some food (100$).

I am disabled and have been fighting for SSI since 2017. Once I am eventually approved, I have to use my backpay to pay back a portion of this (about 1/3 of my backpay, my lawyer gets another 1/3, I get whats left).

In order to have housing (after YEARS of homelessness) I have to waive my rights to confidentiality for my own medical records.

Note that “phone bills” are misspent money. I am entirely reliant on someone else’s kindness to be on their phone plan. This had to be approved by my GA caseworker. I NEED a phone, not just for my dozens of appointments to manage my life threatening chronic health conditions and serious mental illnesses, but also to call the pharmacy, to call my landlord, DHHS, heating assistance programs, case management and therapy, AND, of course, for my monthly general assistance appointment. Yes. They REQUIRE me to have a phone AND I cannot pay for it. I have zero income since I’m unable to work anyways.

What happens if I “misuse” these theoretical funds? Federal prison time, a mandatory minimum of 1 year, PLUS disqualification of all government services for up to 5 years.

So yeah, “Benefits” my ass.

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soothebellss · 1 year

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gentle reminder that your local pokemon center has free resources for pokemon healthcare, grooming, behavioral training, food, housing, etc for those who need it

#the program that i work for to train service mons is thru my city’s pokemon center and is also free #there’s absolutely a wealth gap but pokemon centers are here to make sure you and your pokemon are safe and healthy #esp for those who are disabled #and ppl who otherwise need assistance #eg children n eldery folks #those ten year olds need Someone to look out for em #pokeblogging #pkmn irl

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dontmeantobepoliticalbut · 9 months

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As multiple work stoppages continued across the United States, Democratic Sen. John Fetterman of Pennsylvania on Thursday introduced legislation that would enable striking workers to qualify for federal food aid.

Called the Food Secure Strikers Act of 2023, Fetterman's bill would amend the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 to ensure that striking workers aren't excluded from receiving Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits. In addition, the bill would preserve food stamp eligibility for public sector workers who are fired for striking and clarify that any income-eligible household is entitled to SNAP benefits even if a member of that household is on strike.

"Every union worker who is walking the picket line this summer needs to know that we have their back here in Washington," Fetterman said in a statement. "The union way of life is sacred. It's what built Pennsylvania and this nation. It is critical for us to protect workers' right to organize, and that includes making sure they and their families have the resources to support themselves while on strike."

"As chair of the Nutrition Subcommittee and an advocate for the union way of life, this bill is just plain common sense," he added. "I'm proud to introduce this bill that will eliminate the need for workers to choose between fighting for fair working conditions and putting food on the table for their families."

Workers typically forgo pay when they exercise their right to walk off the job in pursuit of higher wages and better conditions. Although union strike funds sometimes provide workers on the picket line with a stipend, it is less than their regular income.

Under existing law, striking workers and their households are ineligible to receive SNAP benefits unless they already qualified for food stamps prior to withholding their labor. This gives employers significant leverage over employees who can only endure economic hardship for so long. By repealing the current restriction on striking workers securing SNAP benefits, Fetterman's bill would help restore some balance to the struggle between capital and labor.

"It's good to see lawmakers attempting to correct the wrongs of the past by reinstating a benefit for striking workers that never should have been taken away in the first place," said International Brotherhood of Teamsters president Sean O'Brien. "Congress should never pass laws that punish American workers and hopefully this amendment is a repudiation of that practice."

O'Brien spent the past several weeks preparing 340,000 United Parcel Service (UPS) warehouse workers and delivery drivers for what would have been the second-largest work stoppage at a single employer in U.S. history, trailing only a 1970 strike of 400,000 General Motors workers. Although a UPS strike has likely been averted after the logistics giant and the Teamsters reached a tentative five-year contract agreement on Tuesday, Fetterman's proposal comes amid a nationwide wave of ongoing and potential labor actions.

"The United Auto Workers have mirrored the Teamsters' militant stance, blasting CEOs ahead of their own contract negotiations slated for later this year," The Intercept reported Thursday. "And the truckers union has staged trainings in dozens of cities for a strike that could shut down shipping from coast to coast. In California, meanwhile, thousands of hotel workers organized with Unite Here are already on strike, along with tens of thousands of Hollywood writers and actors belonging to the Writers Guild and SAG-AFTRA, respectively."

The walkout of 160,000 writers and actors, who are fighting for improved remuneration and attempting to safeguard unionized jobs threatened by artificial intelligence-induced automation, is perhaps the most well-known of the current strikes.

Earlier this month, an anonymous studio executive admitted to Deadline that "the endgame is to allow things to drag on until union members start losing their apartments and losing their houses," drawing widespread condemnation, including from star actor Ron Perlman.

The Food Secure Strikers Act is designed to counteract the delay tactics that bosses rely on to crush workers.

"Workers who make the difficult decision to go on strike are coming together to lift the standard of living and gain more respect for all working people," said Becky Pringle, president of the National Education Association (NEA). "They are prepared to make sacrifices—but going hungry should not be one of them. The Food Secure Strikers Act of 2023 will help ensure that when striking workers stand in solidarity for better working conditions and wages they can receive SNAP benefits so they don't put themselves and their families at risk."

The legislation is co-sponsored by Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and 10 Senate Democrats, including Sherrod Brown (Ohio), Elizabeth Warren (Mass.), and Ron Wyden (Ore.). A companion bill was unveiled in the House by Democratic Reps. Alma Adams (N.C.) and Greg Casar (Texas).

It is also endorsed by numerous unions and anti-hunger organizations, including the Teamsters, NEA, the United Food and Commercial Workers, the Communications Workers of America, the Food Research Action Center, and Hunger-Free America.

"We need to get rid of the anti-union provisions in our code that starve striking workers," said Casar. "We're seeing workers exercise their rights across the country by going on strike to demand better wages and working conditions. That's why our bill, the Food Secure Strikers Act, is more important now than ever. We need to stop starving strikers, and ensure all working families are able to make ends meet."

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unpretty · 1 year

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idk man. from 2008 to 2019 i was self-employed. i dropped out of high school in 2006 and then dropped out of college in 2010 and moved to a swamp to watch my great-grandma die because that was the only thing i could afford to do. then i went back to college and lived off student loans for a while. if i managed to scrape together $500 in a single month, that was a very good month. i applied for a gamestop credit card i shouldn't have qualified for and used it to buy taco bell gift cards for when i couldn't afford groceries, then paid a stupid amount of interest on the cost of my taco bell gift cards because i couldn't afford to pay off the balance.

during that period i bought over 2000 ebooks and 600 steam games. i like to believe that i'll read or play them someday. i probably won't, with most of them. but it was nice to have the option. i paid $10 a year for a domain name that did nothing but show a single image when you went there because i thought that was funny. i bought every sims expansion. i bought a ps4 and pretended i was in debt for a ps4 instead of taco bell gift cards and the sims. i barely ever played anything on the ps4, but it was nice to have the option.

when i got a part-time retail job in 2019 ($12 an hour! 20 hours a week!) i felt RICH. i was getting $200-$300 a week! that's so much fucking money! i was spending most of it on gas, and food that i could eat in a store break room without dying. but it was still so much money!! i paid off all my credit cards and then immediately ran them back up. i bought matching couches for me and my cat at tj maxx. i bought a ferris wheel for mini cupcakes. i bought cute dresses and shoes that i never had a chance to wear because the only time i went anywhere was to work, in my work uniform. i was 29 and that was the most money i had ever had in my life. now i'm 32 with a full-time office job and most of my money goes toward debt but the rest of it ends up being spent on dumb shit. every month i look at my budget and try to figure out where it all went wrong and every month the conclusion is, "spent too much money on dumb shit". you would think that i would try to stop doing that, and yet.

it's like. i was poor and now i'm lurking somewhere near the low end of middle class, and in both cases buying dumb shit was simultaneously proof that i would be rich if i could just stop buying dumb shit, and that i couldn't possibly understand true poverty if i was capable of buying dumb shit. i do not know how to explain to people that i will always waste more time and money than anyone ever should on dumb shit that i think is funny. there is nothing i want more than to spend my last dollar on a laugh and my last minute laughing, and no one's insistence that they would use them better will change this.

#original #my worst habit from poverty is the superstition that #money needs to be spent immediately #because saving money invites money-costing trouble #if i have zero dollars and my car breaks down i will somehow some way pull enough money out of thin air to make it work #but if i manage to save up $500 then my car will immediately break down in a way that costs $600 to fix #poverty also brings the understanding that the charitable will pay for dinner but not dessert #metaphorically speaking #there are programs to get help paying for food and rent and utility bills #there are not programs to pay for video games #but the programs to help pay for necessities will demand to look at your bank account as proof you have no money #and will not accept 'that is my birthday money for a video game' as an explanation #so you get this bad habit of just #spending any money you happen to get free and clear #if the Helping Poor People Program sees you have $200 saved up they will demand you spend that first #if you spend the $200 on video games and comic books you will not have this problem #all of my worst habits as a Bad Poor came from restrictions put on assistance lmao

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phantomrose96 · 1 year

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I'm joining a volunteer program to help out in the computer science classes at local high schools. Finally I get to fulfill every young adult's worst nightmare of returning to high school at age 26.

#but actually though i think itll be a fun time #the gist is that comp sci courses are pretty New in a lot of these schools #and they don't necessarily have staff who are well-equipped yet to teach them #so the volunteer program is for industry professionals to give guidance to the teacher and give assistance in class to the students #to like strengthen the program #there's training ill get over the summer for like. how to do this well #ive got the summer to unbecome the XKCD Feldspar comic #chrissy speaks

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