Working Under The Table - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

Family Ties Forever! · 09-19-2011, 06:27 AM

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.

-STEFFY- · 09-19-2011, 06:40 AM

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

Brad Russ · 09-19-2011, 06:56 AM

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.

ZeldaGilroy · 09-19-2011, 07:30 AM

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.

Brad Russ · 09-19-2011, 07:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ZeldaGilroy

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.

Marvo301 · 09-19-2011, 12:57 PM

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.

Brian Damage · 09-19-2011, 02:40 PM

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.

mystery_daisy · 09-19-2011, 04:06 PM

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.

Janice · 09-19-2011, 04:29 PM

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.

janet42 · 09-19-2011, 08:10 PM

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!

Retro4Life · 09-19-2011, 10:42 PM

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.

Nighthawk76 · 09-20-2011, 04:47 PM

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.

Coffeecup · 09-22-2011, 07:14 PM

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

shotzette · 09-25-2011, 06:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Brian Damage

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?

Janice · 09-26-2011, 03:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by shotzette

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?

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.

09-19-2011, 06:27 AM	#1
Family Ties Forever! Member Forum Fanatic Join Date: Apr 16, 2002 Location: Keaton residence Posts: 10,214	Working Under The Table 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.
	__________________ Jenny

09-19-2011, 06:56 AM	#3
Brad Russ Member Forum Fanatic Join Date: Feb 17, 2002 Location: Portland, Oregon Posts: 10,085	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.
	__________________ St. John 15:13 - Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends." Currently my favorite song.

09-19-2011, 07:30 AM	#4
ZeldaGilroy Dobie and Zelda Forever!!! Forum 4000 Club Member Join Date: Nov 14, 2000 Location: I don't know...I'm probably lost! Posts: 4,144	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.
	__________________ *Formerly FactsFan* "I always carry a spare wedding ring. A single girl never knows when lightning may strike." ~Zelda Gilroy

09-19-2011, 12:57 PM	#6
Marvo301 I'm NOT a Blockhead! Forum Celebrity Join Date: May 17, 2002 Location: The Great White North Posts: 21,453	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.
	__________________ Only a life lived for others is worth living. Albert Einstein A life isn't worth living unless it has impact on other lives. Jackie Robinson Be always at war with your vices, at peace with your neighbors, and let each new year find you a better man. Benjamin Franklin

09-19-2011, 02:40 PM	#7
Brian Damage I'm Rich Bitch Forum Icon Join Date: Feb 03, 2002 Location: What Ain't No Country I Ever Heard Of...They Speak English in What? Posts: 63,107	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.
	__________________ The Key to the Kingdom of Heaven: John 3:3 *Money Doesn't Buy Happiness...But I'd Rather Cry in My Private Jet*

09-19-2011, 06:40 AM	#2
-STEFFY- Member Forum Fanatic Join Date: Jul 18, 2007 Location: USA Posts: 14,580	I don't understand how the husband who supposedly has a bad back can work as a roofer's helper.

09-19-2011, 04:06 PM	#8
mystery_daisy True Crime Buff Forum 3000 Club Member Join Date: Jun 14, 2006 Location: Galveston Bay Posts: 3,118	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.

09-19-2011, 04:29 PM	#9
Janice Retired Admin - Hollywood Swingin' Forum Legend Join Date: Aug 03, 2001 Location: Beantown Posts: 36,388	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.

09-19-2011, 08:10 PM	#10
janet42 Three's Company Fan! Senior Member Join Date: Feb 22, 2007 Location: Indiana Posts: 1,757	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!
	Last edited by janet42; 09-19-2011 at 11:49 PM.

09-19-2011, 10:42 PM	#11
Retro4Life Accept No Substitutes Forum Veteran Join Date: Feb 04, 2009 Location: IL Posts: 6,708	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.
	__________________ Alex Reiger :[Trying to convince Louie not to antagonize Bobby] "It's not hard to make people feel bad about their lives. What's hard is making people feel good about their lives."

09-20-2011, 04:47 PM	#12
Nighthawk76 Rachel Berry Forum Celebrity Join Date: Feb 28, 2003 Location: Illinois Posts: 23,254	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.

09-22-2011, 07:14 PM	#13
Coffeecup coffeecup. Forum 3000 Club Member Join Date: Jan 17, 2003 Location: snoozeville Posts: 3,181	I think it is wrong to work under the table in any way. What is wrong with paying taxes.