What are your thoughts?

I have a friend Chrissy who has Cerebral Palsy. She's usually healthy, but has bad days too. She collects SSI. For the past few months, she's been working in her uncle's real estate office, under the table. Her husband Will is also on disability for a bad back. He also works off the books as a roofer's helper. My mother thinks that this is terrible. She said that she works very hard as a RN and pays a large portion of her pay to the government in taxes.

I can understand why someone would want to do it, but I can see my mother's point. I collect SSI, and I don't think I'd have the nerve to do it. I would feel the need to report the income if I were in that situation.

I don't understand how the husband who supposedly has a bad back can work as a roofer's helper.

I'd probably say something if it were me. There's a good chance that this job thing might not work out for me, so the disability people want me to stay on for awhile to see if I can handle a job. If the job doesn't work out, they know that it'll take me years to be able to get on disability again, so they want to see how it goes first. I'm glad that they are working with me. Definitely makes things easier. As far as others, I'd hope they'd do the right thing, but to each his own.

I think disability is necessary for many people who cannot work. My mother is on disability and it has been a life-saver for her because she absolutely cannot work with the physical pain she is in all of the time. It sounds like your friend and her husband are abusing the system (especially the husband who is on disability for back problems and doing manual labor.) I feel frustrated that I work at two jobs and can barely support my family and some people lie/steal from the government to get what they have. However, it doesn't really matter how I feel. The fact of the matter is that they are breaking the law (a couple actually...disability law and tax laws) and will be in quite a bit of trouble if the government finds out.

I think disability is necessary for many people who cannot work. My mother is on disability and it has been a life-saver for her because she absolutely cannot work with the physical pain she is in all of the time. It sounds like your friend and her husband are abusing the system (especially the husband who is on disability for back problems and doing manual labor.) I feel frustrated that I work at two jobs and can barely support my family and some people lie/steal from the government to get what they have. However, it doesn't really matter how I feel. The fact of the matter is that they are breaking the law (a couple actually...disability law and tax laws) and will be in quite a bit of trouble if the government finds out.

People who blatantely use the system usually get caught. We use to have a roomate named Dan. He basically lied, and ended up getting$15.000 because he claimed he was hurt while working. During the daytime he would lift furniture, and move around like a teenager, but whenever he went to the doctor, he'd get out his trusty cane, and start walking with a limp. Karma got him big time though. He basically lost the $15.000 within a week after joining some Ebay business that he did absolutely no research on, and the money was gone quicker than it came. He is currently serving 7 years in prison on unrelated charges. Iv'e been thinking about working full time for years, but it's been a tough situation, because when you have a mental disability, you just don't know whether or not you will be able to hold onto a job. My counselor Carmen has been encouraging me to work for years, but I never had the guts to until she told me that the law for those with a physical disability are much different from laws with people with mental illnesses. With mental illness, you can be great for a couple weeks, but then suddenly for no reason at all, you are miserable for the next 3 months. I'm manic, so this is often the case for me. If you are honest, they will work with you, and I realize now that I should have taken my counselors advice years ago. Oh well, you can't live in the past, so I'm just focusing on the future. I hope that I can work full time one day. As much as the disability has helped me, there's a huge difference between 1000 per month, and $670.00. I'll just have to wait and see what happens though.

It's because of dishonest people like Jenny's friends that it's such a difficult and long process to get on disability. Because they have to do whatever they can to try to screen out people who try to cheat the system people who legitimitely need help have to go through a long and laborious process to get it and sometimes get denied anyway.

It's wrong. Sooner or later, they'll get you. My aunt's been working for Social Security for over 25 years. I can't believe the stories she tells us, how people try to beat the system. What usually happens is that someone who these cheats know will report them. Usually an ex-girlfriend, wife or even a former friend that they've had a falling out with. The Social Security website has a link where people can report fraud and do it anonymously. If a person works under the table, they better have no enemies.

My friend recently started collecting SSI but to qualify she can't make more than $1,000.00 a month, so she works at a chicken restaurant too. There's a pet sitting service that will pay her under the table but they don't use her much anyway.

I don't think it's right. Our economy is in enough trouble without people stealing from it; and that's what working under the table while collecting SSI is: stealing. I know in some cases, people can work, but they definitely cut your check down. There's no way they tell you that it's fine, no problem. Periodically, SSI recipients are mailed a questionnaire.

In addition to the basic questions, there are also questions on it that ask if your income has changed in any way, have you worked, has anyone given you any money, have you sold anything, etc, etc. It's like a little manual. At the end, before you sign it, you're told in every which way, that it's under penalty of perjury and if you're lying, you're subject to a fine and prison.

Only a fool would take such a chance. Like Brian said, anyone can report these cheats. The SSA has a Fraud Hotline you can call or there's a page on their website.

I think it's wrong for them to get ssi when they are working. Sooner or later they are going to get caught and get punished. I don't think it's fair for my taxes to go to people who don't WORK when they are able to!

Honestly, I think it's stealing, plain and simple, and it's wrong.

People think because they are 'stealing from the government' it's somehow OK but the "government' is you and me, and our taxes, and as Marv said, our ability to be trusted enough to genuinely get disability when it is really needed suffers from their deceptions.

I really get angry at people like that.

I think its very wrong. I see people abusing disability and government aid every single day. Often shoppers will come in and use their Link cards and buy $50 worth of junk food that they really don't need. Link is for buying the food you need to servive. Also, government aid is for people who cannot work not people who don't want to work. Many people who are on disability are capable of working they just don't want to.

I think it is wrong to work under the table in any way. What is wrong with paying taxes.

It's wrong. Sooner or later, they'll get you. My aunt's been working for Social Security for over 25 years. I can't believe the stories she tells us, how people try to beat the system. What usually happens is that someone who these cheats know will report them. Usually an ex-girlfriend, wife or even a former friend that they've had a falling out with. The Social Security website has a link where people can report fraud and do it anonymously. If a person works under the table, they better have no enemies.

Or, someone posts about it on a public forum like this one. Seriously though, your friend is breaking the law and she's going to get caught. If she's an ethical person, the guilt will gnaw at her. If she's not ethical, why do you want her as a friend?:rolleyes:

Or, someone posts about it on a public forum like this one. Seriously though, your friend is breaking the law and she's going to get caught. If she's an ethical person, the guilt will gnaw at her. If she's not ethical, why do you want her as a friend?:rolleyes:
Brian's not the one with the friend who works under the table. That's Jenny (OP) and that "friendship" has been running on fumes for quite a while now. Jenny just wants her friend to stop calling her. I know this because Jenny's my personal friend.

Hey guys. I just wanted to let you know that I'm going to be calling my case manager Dan soon, and I'm going to tell him about the job. I'm a bit worried, because if they take away my disability, it will put us in a really tough spot. As it is, I did the calculations today, and with my check next month after paying rent, cable, and everything else, I will be left with exactly 0 dollars. I'm not kidding either, got some people who I have to pay back, and Pavan, I'm so sorry man, but I will be sending you something on the first. Fact is, I just haven't had the money to send, but I so love to help, and will definitely get that out to you as soon as I can. I keep promises, and I love helping. Iv'e been feeling so guilty over the past month for not getting that out to you, but I definitely will soon.

God has given me exactly enough to pay everybody though. Once again, not a penny less, not a penny more. It's funny, the last 5 or 6 times that Iv'e been to the store, everytime I had exactly what I needed, no more, no less. Actually wait, there was one time that I had a penny extra, but yeah, God has been amazing, and has been taking care of us, very good care of us. A few weeks ago I needed money, but I gave it to my mom for gas. Later on that day I went to the store, a bunch of stores actually because I wanted to see where the lowest prices were so that we'll have more food from now on, and not run out after only half the month. But anyway, like I was saying, I gave my mom the gas money, and as I was about to leave Albertsons, I walked past the self checkout machine, and when I did, five dollars miraculously came out. And once again, it was almost exactly what I needed.

About a month ago, my mom went to Albertsons with our homeless friend Brenda, who stays with us off and on. She said to my mom, look down. When my mom did, she found a receipt lying there, so she picked it up, and when she opened it, there was $20.00 dollars wrapped up in it. I was so impressed with Brenda. Somehow she knew money was there, and even being homeless, she was selfless, and pointed the money out to my mom. Not many people like that in the world these days.

So yeah, even the thought of losing my disability, doesn't have me too nervous. God has always taken care of me and my family, and He'll work it all out for us, no doubt. Like it says in the Bible, don't worry about tomorrow, their are enough problems for today, so just worry about today, and tomorrow will take care of itself. One of my favorite Bible verses.

I'm not going to lie, I am going to wait until October 2nd to let Dan know, incase he does take me off, because if I don't get my money on the first, um, yeah, we just can't risk that. It would be tough, and we'd probably have to live in our car for awhile. We've already lost cable, electricity, internet, and we still owe a bunch of rent, so yeah, but I will be telling him on the second.

I was actually like you guys for four or five years. Carmen constantely told me that the laws for people with mental illness are different from those with physical disabilities. Did a little research of my own, and find out that it was true, it was then that I finally took her advice. My case manager Dan has always worked with me, so I will probably be okay, but you never know.

After my first day of working I told my landlord John to pay me less. He use to pay me 8 or 9 bucks an hour, and I told him that I would never screw him over, so since I'm working about half as fast, he's only paying me 5 dollars an hour now, which I'm not complaining about, I'm ecstatic that he asked me to work for him at all, and anything is better than nothing. No complaints here. Fact is, 4 years in bed, abusing drugs, alcohol, not sleeping for up to five days, not eating for up to 7, I really messed myself up, and would have been dead within a couple years, no doubt, so that's why I told him to pay me less, because it's not that I don't want to work faster and make more, it's because I can't right now. Four years of damage is going to take more than a few months to get over, but fortunately I'm feeling a little better everyday.

Anyway, I do want to thank you guys for giving me that little kick in the butt that I needed. I would have told him eventually, but thanks to you guys I'm going to take care of it alot sooner. Enjoy the rest of your week everyone! :)

Not sure they can really cut your pay like that even if you okay that. If you had disability when you were making 8 or 9 dollars and hour and it gets cut to 5 dollars an hour, they might ask questions.

Not sure they can really cut your pay like that even if you okay that. If you had disability when you were making 8 or 9 dollars and hour and it gets cut to 5 dollars an hour, they might ask questions.

Yeah, very true. Iv'e thought a little bit about that myself. Fortunately, I know that everything will work out. Of course I don't want to lost disability, but like I said, if I do, I'll survive.