1 00:00:05,200 --> 00:00:07,640 Speaker 1: Hey, this is Annie and Samantha among my stuff. Never 2 00:00:07,680 --> 00:00:20,640 Speaker 1: told you a prediction of iHeartRadio. And today we are 3 00:00:21,200 --> 00:00:25,240 Speaker 1: doing a listener suggestion from Jude and we'll be reading 4 00:00:25,320 --> 00:00:29,560 Speaker 1: Jude's message in a second about marriage and disability because 5 00:00:29,600 --> 00:00:32,199 Speaker 1: it is Disability Pride Month and this is something I 6 00:00:32,200 --> 00:00:35,319 Speaker 1: think a lot of people don't know about. You can 7 00:00:35,360 --> 00:00:39,560 Speaker 1: see our recent episode on women in disability, past episodes 8 00:00:39,840 --> 00:00:43,640 Speaker 1: on the ADA, the past episode we did with Invisible 9 00:00:43,680 --> 00:00:45,800 Speaker 1: Disability with Eves. We've done a lot of stuff around this, 10 00:00:46,040 --> 00:00:48,760 Speaker 1: but those are a few that came to my mind. 11 00:00:49,479 --> 00:00:52,040 Speaker 1: Also a note about terminology. I know I said this recently. 12 00:00:53,440 --> 00:01:00,320 Speaker 1: There's not agreement currently on the quote correct way say 13 00:01:00,520 --> 00:01:04,120 Speaker 1: people with disabilities or disabled people. So just a note 14 00:01:04,160 --> 00:01:06,680 Speaker 1: about that. A lot of people use them interchangeably. Some 15 00:01:06,720 --> 00:01:10,120 Speaker 1: people have really strong opinions and they have great reasoning 16 00:01:10,160 --> 00:01:13,479 Speaker 1: behind those opinions. We're probably going to use them based 17 00:01:13,520 --> 00:01:19,839 Speaker 1: on what the articles we use and also the people 18 00:01:19,880 --> 00:01:23,640 Speaker 1: are using in context of what we're talking about. So 19 00:01:23,800 --> 00:01:27,480 Speaker 1: just a note. Also a note we are not legal experts. No, 20 00:01:28,640 --> 00:01:32,920 Speaker 1: we have never interacted with these services, and they're kind 21 00:01:32,920 --> 00:01:36,520 Speaker 1: of complicated and I would argue purposely, so which we're 22 00:01:36,520 --> 00:01:40,000 Speaker 1: going to talk about, but note about that, and just 23 00:01:40,040 --> 00:01:44,600 Speaker 1: a reminder, the disabled community is the largest marginalized community 24 00:01:44,880 --> 00:01:48,400 Speaker 1: in the world and a majority of us will experience 25 00:01:48,640 --> 00:01:53,000 Speaker 1: a temporary disability at one point. All right, So just 26 00:01:53,040 --> 00:01:55,920 Speaker 1: to reiterate from our recent Monday many on women in 27 00:01:55,960 --> 00:01:59,680 Speaker 1: disability from the CDC quote, about thirty six million women 28 00:01:59,720 --> 00:02:02,880 Speaker 1: in the US have disabilities and the numbers growing. About 29 00:02:02,920 --> 00:02:05,680 Speaker 1: forty four percent of those aged sixty five years are 30 00:02:05,720 --> 00:02:08,640 Speaker 1: older are living with the disability. The most common cause 31 00:02:08,639 --> 00:02:13,040 Speaker 1: of disability for women is arthritis, are rheumatism and from now. 32 00:02:13,600 --> 00:02:16,640 Speaker 1: Women with disabilities are particularly disadvantaged when it comes to 33 00:02:16,760 --> 00:02:20,480 Speaker 1: wage equality. In twenty twenty two, women who are disabled 34 00:02:20,480 --> 00:02:22,920 Speaker 1: made seventy two cents for every dollar paid to a 35 00:02:22,960 --> 00:02:26,680 Speaker 1: man who is disabled. Compared to the non disabled community, 36 00:02:26,680 --> 00:02:29,400 Speaker 1: women with disabilities made sixty eight cents to every dollar 37 00:02:29,440 --> 00:02:32,560 Speaker 1: earned by able bodied men. If an individual from this 38 00:02:32,600 --> 00:02:36,080 Speaker 1: community is seeking employment, the current hiring rate of women 39 00:02:36,120 --> 00:02:38,760 Speaker 1: with disabilities between the ages of sixteen to sixty four 40 00:02:38,800 --> 00:02:42,919 Speaker 1: stands at thirty seven percent. Throughout the employment process, women 41 00:02:42,960 --> 00:02:47,400 Speaker 1: can face challenges ranging from organizational readiness and inclusivity to 42 00:02:47,600 --> 00:02:52,720 Speaker 1: accessible employment processes. And workplace inclusivity provisions, and of course 43 00:02:52,800 --> 00:02:56,119 Speaker 1: people of color and black people specifically are disproportionately impacted 44 00:02:56,160 --> 00:03:01,880 Speaker 1: by all of this as well. Okay, so let us 45 00:03:02,120 --> 00:03:05,560 Speaker 1: get on to this listener mail, so Jude wrote, I 46 00:03:05,560 --> 00:03:07,720 Speaker 1: apologize if this has been covered in the past. Part 47 00:03:07,720 --> 00:03:12,040 Speaker 1: of my disability is memory problems from ect medical treatment, 48 00:03:12,280 --> 00:03:14,400 Speaker 1: and I apologize for not thinking of this before the 49 00:03:14,440 --> 00:03:16,799 Speaker 1: month started, because I imagine you record a good chunk of 50 00:03:16,880 --> 00:03:21,239 Speaker 1: episodes significantly in advance. But I hate the fact marriage 51 00:03:21,240 --> 00:03:24,880 Speaker 1: equality does not exist for disabled people. I mean, while 52 00:03:25,000 --> 00:03:27,520 Speaker 1: SSI is not ideal, if you am asked more than 53 00:03:27,520 --> 00:03:30,000 Speaker 1: two thousand dollars in your bank account, they'll cut you off. 54 00:03:30,240 --> 00:03:33,280 Speaker 1: There's a loophole called abel accounts, but I do not 55 00:03:33,440 --> 00:03:35,520 Speaker 1: know that much about these, though opening one is a 56 00:03:35,520 --> 00:03:38,480 Speaker 1: goal of mine. It's basically all I got because I 57 00:03:38,560 --> 00:03:40,760 Speaker 1: can't work a normal job. But part of it is 58 00:03:40,760 --> 00:03:43,920 Speaker 1: you cannot get married, gay or straight without the risk 59 00:03:44,000 --> 00:03:47,480 Speaker 1: of losing benefits. I've also heard if the government breaking 60 00:03:47,480 --> 00:03:51,560 Speaker 1: couples apart, they understood they couldn't get married with this fact. 61 00:03:52,160 --> 00:03:54,400 Speaker 1: It's not a happy topic and I apologize for that, 62 00:03:54,440 --> 00:03:56,280 Speaker 1: but I think it's a topic more people need to 63 00:03:56,280 --> 00:03:58,920 Speaker 1: know about. I am on the asexual spectrum, but I'm 64 00:03:58,920 --> 00:04:01,440 Speaker 1: not completely a romance took or anything. I would love 65 00:04:01,480 --> 00:04:04,240 Speaker 1: to date someone someday, but I don't look forward to 66 00:04:04,240 --> 00:04:07,600 Speaker 1: starting a conversation with Since I'm disabled, I legally can 67 00:04:07,640 --> 00:04:10,160 Speaker 1: never marry you. If you're looking for that sort of thing, 68 00:04:10,320 --> 00:04:13,480 Speaker 1: go elsewhere. So because of that, I've never tried dating. 69 00:04:14,360 --> 00:04:16,159 Speaker 1: A few people have dated me in the sense of 70 00:04:16,160 --> 00:04:18,320 Speaker 1: my oblivious ass not knowing it was a date until 71 00:04:18,360 --> 00:04:21,719 Speaker 1: they said something. There's more I could say, like that, 72 00:04:21,839 --> 00:04:25,440 Speaker 1: my government health insurance doesn't cover gender affirming care, so 73 00:04:25,480 --> 00:04:28,400 Speaker 1: while I am pursuing top surgery, I'm going to have 74 00:04:28,440 --> 00:04:30,520 Speaker 1: to find another way to pay for it. If you 75 00:04:30,600 --> 00:04:32,360 Speaker 1: know of a way for me to become a best 76 00:04:32,360 --> 00:04:36,920 Speaker 1: selling author, you know where to find me. Lol. If 77 00:04:36,960 --> 00:04:39,880 Speaker 1: I did, I would reach out immediately. 78 00:04:40,440 --> 00:04:41,880 Speaker 2: And hopefully we would be with you. 79 00:04:42,080 --> 00:04:47,440 Speaker 1: Hopefully we would be with you. Indeed, please buy her 80 00:04:47,560 --> 00:04:56,640 Speaker 1: book available wherever you get your books. Thanks dude. 81 00:04:57,839 --> 00:04:59,920 Speaker 2: That's so sad. I did not realize I was. 82 00:05:00,360 --> 00:05:03,360 Speaker 3: I've heard many people talk about not getting married for 83 00:05:03,440 --> 00:05:06,400 Speaker 3: several reasons like this does hurt my benefits for this 84 00:05:06,520 --> 00:05:08,960 Speaker 3: through the dual income thing. But wow, this is a 85 00:05:09,000 --> 00:05:09,880 Speaker 3: whole different level. 86 00:05:10,440 --> 00:05:14,560 Speaker 1: Yes, I had only heard kind of anecdotally about it. 87 00:05:14,600 --> 00:05:17,480 Speaker 1: I never researched into it. And so thank you very 88 00:05:17,560 --> 00:05:21,160 Speaker 1: much Jude for sending this to us, because, like I said, 89 00:05:21,200 --> 00:05:22,680 Speaker 1: I think a lot of people don't know about it. 90 00:05:22,680 --> 00:05:25,839 Speaker 1: It's very important to talk about. And Jude also sent 91 00:05:26,160 --> 00:05:29,160 Speaker 1: resources which we are going to be referencing throughout this 92 00:05:29,520 --> 00:05:32,320 Speaker 1: And like I said, it is a bit of a 93 00:05:32,320 --> 00:05:36,240 Speaker 1: complicated discussion because it involves a few walls and regulations. 94 00:05:36,640 --> 00:05:39,400 Speaker 1: So we're going to break down some of the important ones. First, 95 00:05:40,320 --> 00:05:45,680 Speaker 1: all revolving around government benefits, largely federal government benefits. Social 96 00:05:45,680 --> 00:05:49,000 Speaker 1: Security are otherwise that disabled people in the US can 97 00:05:49,160 --> 00:05:52,680 Speaker 1: use based on their ability or not to work. Oh 98 00:05:52,720 --> 00:05:57,400 Speaker 1: and just for fun, the rules aren't consistent, so that's fun. Yeah, 99 00:05:57,560 --> 00:05:58,520 Speaker 1: But onwards. 100 00:05:59,200 --> 00:06:02,000 Speaker 3: So this is one of the articles that you sent 101 00:06:02,120 --> 00:06:04,560 Speaker 3: from the Disability Secrets by Bethany K. 102 00:06:04,800 --> 00:06:05,240 Speaker 2: Lawrence. 103 00:06:05,800 --> 00:06:10,240 Speaker 3: So one is Supplementary Security Income SSI for people with 104 00:06:10,279 --> 00:06:13,320 Speaker 3: disabilities who have very low incomes and those who don't 105 00:06:13,400 --> 00:06:17,159 Speaker 3: qualify for SSDI. And in twenty twenty four, the SSI 106 00:06:17,240 --> 00:06:19,480 Speaker 3: income limit for one person is nine hundred and forty 107 00:06:19,480 --> 00:06:22,080 Speaker 3: three dollars per month, and for couples it is fourteen 108 00:06:22,160 --> 00:06:23,839 Speaker 3: hundred and fifteen dollars a month. 109 00:06:24,520 --> 00:06:25,240 Speaker 2: That is not a lot. 110 00:06:25,760 --> 00:06:29,839 Speaker 3: Social Security Disability Insurance SSDI for eligible workers who can't 111 00:06:29,880 --> 00:06:34,240 Speaker 3: work because of disability, disabled adult child benefits which are 112 00:06:34,240 --> 00:06:37,800 Speaker 3: based on your parents' earnings record, and surviving spouse benefits, 113 00:06:37,839 --> 00:06:40,400 Speaker 3: which are based on that record of your deceased spouse 114 00:06:40,920 --> 00:06:42,000 Speaker 3: or ex spouse. 115 00:06:42,400 --> 00:06:44,760 Speaker 1: Right, So those are some key terms we're going to 116 00:06:44,760 --> 00:06:47,479 Speaker 1: be using throughout this. But when it comes to this 117 00:06:47,600 --> 00:06:52,960 Speaker 1: question of marriage and how marriage impacts these benefits are doesn't, 118 00:06:53,080 --> 00:06:56,640 Speaker 1: which is what we're specifically looking into. We're going to 119 00:06:56,720 --> 00:07:00,560 Speaker 1: go kind of piece by piece. So let's start with 120 00:07:00,720 --> 00:07:05,640 Speaker 1: SSI Supplemental Security income, which is the most important in 121 00:07:05,720 --> 00:07:09,880 Speaker 1: terms of this conversation. This was established about fifty years ago. 122 00:07:11,400 --> 00:07:18,800 Speaker 1: Getting married doesn't impact eligibility for SSI, but the spouse's 123 00:07:18,800 --> 00:07:22,800 Speaker 1: income does. So if the spouse in question has an 124 00:07:22,840 --> 00:07:26,320 Speaker 1: income and you live with them, then that does impact 125 00:07:26,400 --> 00:07:30,040 Speaker 1: those receiving SSI because the Social Security Administration or the 126 00:07:30,200 --> 00:07:33,800 Speaker 1: SSA will pin some of the spouse's income to the 127 00:07:33,800 --> 00:07:35,360 Speaker 1: person getting it. 128 00:07:35,560 --> 00:07:37,880 Speaker 3: Right, And I'm pretty sure we'll probably talk about this, 129 00:07:38,040 --> 00:07:42,800 Speaker 3: but This is also the conversation of like domestic violence 130 00:07:42,880 --> 00:07:46,880 Speaker 3: being higher and abuse being higher within the disabled communities 131 00:07:47,000 --> 00:07:49,920 Speaker 3: because of rules like this. Yeah, just as a reminder, 132 00:07:50,240 --> 00:07:54,360 Speaker 3: this practice is called deeming spousal income. Basically, they quote 133 00:07:54,400 --> 00:07:57,720 Speaker 3: deem that a portion of a legally married spouse spouse's 134 00:07:57,760 --> 00:08:00,800 Speaker 3: income to the disabled person in question can essentially lower 135 00:08:00,880 --> 00:08:06,080 Speaker 3: the SSI or make them ineligible entirely. And reminder, we 136 00:08:06,160 --> 00:08:10,920 Speaker 3: pay taxes yeah that go into this. That has been 137 00:08:11,120 --> 00:08:14,160 Speaker 3: used for military use, but not for people in our community. 138 00:08:14,640 --> 00:08:19,440 Speaker 1: Again, reminder, it's also not limited to legal marriage either. 139 00:08:19,680 --> 00:08:24,440 Speaker 1: It impacts those quote holding themselves out to be married. 140 00:08:24,880 --> 00:08:28,280 Speaker 1: This very much confused me, but it essentially means you're 141 00:08:28,280 --> 00:08:32,520 Speaker 1: presenting yourselves as married and or are essentially married, as 142 00:08:32,559 --> 00:08:36,800 Speaker 1: we would traditionally judge it. Quote. If there's any evidence 143 00:08:36,840 --> 00:08:39,600 Speaker 1: that either of you present yourselves to others as married, 144 00:08:39,960 --> 00:08:44,320 Speaker 1: social security will probe further asking questions such as, how 145 00:08:44,320 --> 00:08:47,559 Speaker 1: do you introduce the other person in social situations? How 146 00:08:47,679 --> 00:08:50,040 Speaker 1: is mail addressed to you and the other person? Do 147 00:08:50,120 --> 00:08:53,440 Speaker 1: you still use your married name if applicable? Do you 148 00:08:53,559 --> 00:08:57,000 Speaker 1: own your home jointly? If you rent, are both your 149 00:08:57,160 --> 00:09:00,840 Speaker 1: names on the lease? Do your bills, bank accounts, and 150 00:09:01,160 --> 00:09:07,400 Speaker 1: tax returns identify you as married, so the SSA could 151 00:09:07,480 --> 00:09:11,400 Speaker 1: judge you're pretty much married. I'm guessing that they think 152 00:09:11,440 --> 00:09:14,200 Speaker 1: you're trying to evade the rules by being married in 153 00:09:14,320 --> 00:09:20,200 Speaker 1: all but documentation and lower or remove the benefits of SSI. 154 00:09:21,800 --> 00:09:25,280 Speaker 1: We found a it was a really dry report from 155 00:09:25,360 --> 00:09:29,360 Speaker 1: two thousand and three from the SSA about this, and 156 00:09:29,400 --> 00:09:32,679 Speaker 1: it seemed to hilariously be like, Yep, it's better if 157 00:09:32,679 --> 00:09:36,360 Speaker 1: you don't get married but are living together, but yeah, 158 00:09:36,360 --> 00:09:40,439 Speaker 1: you can't hold out for marriage. They like saying the 159 00:09:40,520 --> 00:09:41,560 Speaker 1: quiet part out loud. 160 00:09:42,920 --> 00:09:44,960 Speaker 3: I mean, I think there's a lot of people who 161 00:09:45,040 --> 00:09:48,920 Speaker 3: have that conversation in general about legalities in marriage in general, 162 00:09:49,240 --> 00:09:51,240 Speaker 3: and for those who do want to get married, that's 163 00:09:51,280 --> 00:09:51,880 Speaker 3: so absurd. 164 00:09:51,920 --> 00:09:52,560 Speaker 2: But for those who. 165 00:09:52,440 --> 00:09:54,040 Speaker 3: Don't want to get married, they're like, I'm good with it. 166 00:09:54,160 --> 00:09:57,880 Speaker 3: I'm one of those people from Disability Secrets. If you're 167 00:09:57,880 --> 00:10:00,480 Speaker 3: living with someone but not married to that part and 168 00:10:00,559 --> 00:10:04,679 Speaker 3: we're never married, social Security might count your roommate's income 169 00:10:05,120 --> 00:10:07,960 Speaker 3: as if you were married. This could lower your SSI 170 00:10:08,080 --> 00:10:11,480 Speaker 3: benefit or even make you ineligible for benefits. But if 171 00:10:11,480 --> 00:10:14,640 Speaker 3: you're living with a sibling, a caregiver, or a platonic roommate. 172 00:10:14,880 --> 00:10:18,439 Speaker 3: The SSA wouldn't consider the other person's income. If someone 173 00:10:18,480 --> 00:10:21,360 Speaker 3: is getting free room aboard from a person they're living with, 174 00:10:21,600 --> 00:10:25,520 Speaker 3: this can cut their SSI buy one third. Yep. 175 00:10:27,120 --> 00:10:30,640 Speaker 1: If both the people in question receive SSI, their payments 176 00:10:30,720 --> 00:10:34,160 Speaker 1: are combined and lowered to the couple's rate, which is 177 00:10:34,200 --> 00:10:37,720 Speaker 1: lower than twice the singles rate. So, in other words, 178 00:10:38,520 --> 00:10:42,679 Speaker 1: two single people together are getting more, but if you 179 00:10:42,880 --> 00:10:44,880 Speaker 1: become a couple and you get the couple's rate, you're 180 00:10:44,880 --> 00:10:45,640 Speaker 1: getting less. 181 00:10:45,880 --> 00:10:46,480 Speaker 2: Just absurd. 182 00:10:46,920 --> 00:10:51,680 Speaker 1: Yeah, and it has been called the marriage penalty. So 183 00:10:52,360 --> 00:10:55,240 Speaker 1: this amounts to going from nine hundred and forty three 184 00:10:55,240 --> 00:10:57,319 Speaker 1: dollars a month, which, as you said, Samantha, is very 185 00:10:57,400 --> 00:11:00,880 Speaker 1: very low for a single person, to a seven hundred 186 00:11:00,880 --> 00:11:04,079 Speaker 1: and seven dollars a person a month for a married 187 00:11:04,120 --> 00:11:09,839 Speaker 1: couple if both are receiving SSI. This also impacts countable 188 00:11:09,960 --> 00:11:14,400 Speaker 1: resources outside of a car, house, and household goods. This 189 00:11:14,440 --> 00:11:17,960 Speaker 1: is reportedly because the SSA believes it's cheaper and easier 190 00:11:18,040 --> 00:11:23,440 Speaker 1: living with another person, but it's basically saying, if you 191 00:11:23,440 --> 00:11:25,800 Speaker 1: marry someone who is making forty thousand dollars a year, 192 00:11:25,920 --> 00:11:29,520 Speaker 1: which is about the federal minimum wage ish they make 193 00:11:29,640 --> 00:11:32,000 Speaker 1: enough to take care of you completely, which is out 194 00:11:32,000 --> 00:11:38,400 Speaker 1: of touch and wrong and no, sorry, I wish what 195 00:11:39,200 --> 00:11:41,400 Speaker 1: and this isn't taking into account so many things, so 196 00:11:41,440 --> 00:11:45,600 Speaker 1: many things like wage stagnation, the gender pay gap, childcare, 197 00:11:46,320 --> 00:11:50,480 Speaker 1: numerous unpaid and unseen things that go into care or rent, 198 00:11:50,559 --> 00:11:54,840 Speaker 1: in housing control, the difficulty of getting a disability friendly job, 199 00:11:54,880 --> 00:11:57,360 Speaker 1: the difficulty of getting these benefits in the first place, 200 00:11:57,400 --> 00:12:02,000 Speaker 1: the difficulty of understanding how they work, work, the paperwork. 201 00:12:02,720 --> 00:12:08,480 Speaker 1: I'm telling you. When I was researching this, my mind 202 00:12:08,640 --> 00:12:10,960 Speaker 1: was like, oh my gosh, I'm so tired. 203 00:12:11,600 --> 00:12:14,520 Speaker 3: The amount of people I've had to advise in social 204 00:12:14,520 --> 00:12:18,440 Speaker 3: work to do their disability paperwork twice and to make 205 00:12:18,480 --> 00:12:20,520 Speaker 3: sure that you appeal because you will most likely be 206 00:12:20,559 --> 00:12:24,280 Speaker 3: denied immediately no matter what. Like my parents, who are 207 00:12:24,440 --> 00:12:27,560 Speaker 3: very staunchly conservative and all like I don't want to 208 00:12:27,640 --> 00:12:30,120 Speaker 3: take care of anybody else, they had to go for 209 00:12:30,160 --> 00:12:33,320 Speaker 3: disability paperwork. They got denied, and they were very upset 210 00:12:33,440 --> 00:12:38,880 Speaker 3: because we would never take advantage of ma'am, ma'am. And 211 00:12:38,880 --> 00:12:40,840 Speaker 3: then me having to talk to them like you have 212 00:12:40,880 --> 00:12:42,880 Speaker 3: to appeal. I don't think they did. I think they 213 00:12:42,880 --> 00:12:45,080 Speaker 3: got discouraged and they didn't. I'm like, no, you have 214 00:12:45,160 --> 00:12:48,360 Speaker 3: to appeal these paperwork because they are literally stacked against you. 215 00:12:49,840 --> 00:12:53,280 Speaker 3: Any kind of paperwork when it comes to federal government, 216 00:12:53,320 --> 00:12:55,480 Speaker 3: which for assistance for any of that are probably some 217 00:12:55,520 --> 00:12:58,959 Speaker 3: of the most complicated paperwork I have ever seen. One 218 00:12:59,000 --> 00:13:02,040 Speaker 3: of the best things that happened in my college course 219 00:13:02,400 --> 00:13:05,520 Speaker 3: was us being given a full form and told do 220 00:13:05,640 --> 00:13:07,640 Speaker 3: this as an assignment, and then coming back and realizing 221 00:13:07,679 --> 00:13:09,760 Speaker 3: we'd all know mistakes, it had to start over again, 222 00:13:09,920 --> 00:13:12,160 Speaker 3: and that what that process looked like. And this is 223 00:13:12,200 --> 00:13:14,920 Speaker 3: exactly what they do to try to discourage a person 224 00:13:15,000 --> 00:13:18,080 Speaker 3: who was in need. So all of these things is 225 00:13:18,120 --> 00:13:22,120 Speaker 3: such a way to hinder and discourage a person from 226 00:13:22,200 --> 00:13:27,080 Speaker 3: getting actual assistance, which they've probably probably already paid into, 227 00:13:27,360 --> 00:13:30,960 Speaker 3: which is the other part that's like, uh anyway, Also, yeah, 228 00:13:31,000 --> 00:13:34,040 Speaker 3: with all that, children also factor into the equation here. 229 00:13:34,400 --> 00:13:37,000 Speaker 3: Each child impacts the numbers in terms of when a 230 00:13:37,040 --> 00:13:39,840 Speaker 3: spouse's income is attributed to the person receiving SSI. 231 00:13:40,360 --> 00:13:43,760 Speaker 1: Yes, and speaking of complicated, so it's like a chart 232 00:13:44,240 --> 00:13:46,120 Speaker 1: how many children you have, how much money you'll get 233 00:13:47,440 --> 00:13:51,240 Speaker 1: or won't get. Basically, by getting married, a disabled person 234 00:13:51,280 --> 00:13:54,280 Speaker 1: could receive less or none of the benefits they were 235 00:13:54,320 --> 00:13:58,040 Speaker 1: receiving before. This can mean a huge difference in quality 236 00:13:58,080 --> 00:14:00,280 Speaker 1: of life, or even the difference between the life life 237 00:14:00,880 --> 00:14:05,880 Speaker 1: or death, so it's a really big deal. The SSA 238 00:14:06,280 --> 00:14:10,760 Speaker 1: requires that those receiving SSI contact them within ten days 239 00:14:10,800 --> 00:14:15,120 Speaker 1: of marriage are new living arrangements. Otherwise they will charge 240 00:14:15,240 --> 00:14:20,640 Speaker 1: an overpayment, which is usually collected by withholding SSI payments. 241 00:14:21,280 --> 00:14:25,680 Speaker 1: And if anyone's dealt with stuff like this before, the 242 00:14:26,040 --> 00:14:30,600 Speaker 1: interest rate if they choose to charge it can be outrageous. 243 00:14:31,600 --> 00:14:36,240 Speaker 1: And I feel ten days, you're just so stressed during 244 00:14:36,240 --> 00:14:40,440 Speaker 1: those times. I can easily see how that would fall 245 00:14:40,480 --> 00:14:41,400 Speaker 1: through the cracks. 246 00:14:41,960 --> 00:14:44,760 Speaker 3: Yeah, people don't even go and get their name changed 247 00:14:44,840 --> 00:14:46,600 Speaker 3: or get their status change. Some of them don't even 248 00:14:46,680 --> 00:14:50,000 Speaker 3: go and get their marriage certificate and turned down, Like 249 00:14:50,240 --> 00:14:52,720 Speaker 3: I know that it takes a long time. Women changing 250 00:14:52,760 --> 00:14:56,120 Speaker 3: their last name. Oh my gosh, it's a damn process. 251 00:14:56,400 --> 00:14:59,640 Speaker 1: So this, yeah, it feels like you would have to 252 00:15:00,560 --> 00:15:03,000 Speaker 1: with the mail being what it is, so you would 253 00:15:03,040 --> 00:15:06,760 Speaker 1: have to mail it pretty much immediately right to work 254 00:15:06,840 --> 00:15:08,119 Speaker 1: to rip in time. 255 00:15:08,120 --> 00:15:10,360 Speaker 3: Right, And they probably don't give you notice that tell 256 00:15:10,400 --> 00:15:13,400 Speaker 3: you that you did that, because the IRAS sure doesn't. 257 00:15:13,440 --> 00:15:14,640 Speaker 2: So You're like, I don't know if it went in 258 00:15:14,760 --> 00:15:18,920 Speaker 2: or not. I got I hope so rectors cross situation 259 00:15:19,680 --> 00:15:21,720 Speaker 2: if they wanted to take home more money from me. Thanks. 260 00:15:31,440 --> 00:15:34,720 Speaker 3: So here's a quote from nineteenth News. Qualifying for SSI 261 00:15:34,880 --> 00:15:38,040 Speaker 3: is important even for people with significant disabilities who can work, 262 00:15:38,120 --> 00:15:40,960 Speaker 3: because eligibility is tied to being able to receive home 263 00:15:41,040 --> 00:15:44,880 Speaker 3: and community based services covered by Medicaid. In many states, 264 00:15:45,320 --> 00:15:49,120 Speaker 3: Medicaid is the only health insurance that provides in home care, 265 00:15:49,440 --> 00:15:52,600 Speaker 3: and the average cost ranges from fifty one thousand to 266 00:15:52,720 --> 00:15:56,480 Speaker 3: seventy thousand per year according to the Government Accountability Office. 267 00:15:56,720 --> 00:15:59,720 Speaker 3: Even most people making middle class income and salary jobs 268 00:15:59,720 --> 00:16:03,120 Speaker 3: can afford the level of care out of pocket. And again, 269 00:16:03,280 --> 00:16:05,840 Speaker 3: as someone who has experienced trying to get care for 270 00:16:05,960 --> 00:16:11,000 Speaker 3: people and assistance for people, it is incredibly expensive. The 271 00:16:11,080 --> 00:16:15,240 Speaker 3: amount of cost per hour, and they charge per hour, 272 00:16:16,600 --> 00:16:18,800 Speaker 3: and it could be as simply and it's based on 273 00:16:18,800 --> 00:16:20,880 Speaker 3: the provider. And by the way, it's the limited amount 274 00:16:20,920 --> 00:16:24,280 Speaker 3: of people that are providers is so small that it's 275 00:16:24,320 --> 00:16:26,280 Speaker 3: probably one of the most discouraging things I've ever seen 276 00:16:26,320 --> 00:16:28,200 Speaker 3: in my life because the likelihood that these people are 277 00:16:28,240 --> 00:16:30,520 Speaker 3: qualified for very specific things are low. 278 00:16:30,920 --> 00:16:31,480 Speaker 2: To zero. 279 00:16:32,600 --> 00:16:35,520 Speaker 3: I've never been more frustrated in my life than trying 280 00:16:35,560 --> 00:16:38,440 Speaker 3: to get accessible care for those who are desperately in 281 00:16:38,520 --> 00:16:42,000 Speaker 3: need who are on Medicaid. And y'all, to get on 282 00:16:42,080 --> 00:16:44,720 Speaker 3: Medicaid you have to be in the poverty level essentially, 283 00:16:45,520 --> 00:16:47,480 Speaker 3: which is also another problem because you want to live 284 00:16:48,080 --> 00:16:51,280 Speaker 3: and free yourself. So there's so many complications to this, 285 00:16:51,360 --> 00:16:53,200 Speaker 3: and if you get too much assistance, by the way, 286 00:16:53,240 --> 00:16:56,040 Speaker 3: it can stack against you. Yes, so much of this, 287 00:16:56,360 --> 00:17:02,240 Speaker 3: So just getting that I can't imagine, because in home 288 00:17:02,280 --> 00:17:06,160 Speaker 3: camera's probably one of the most expensive ways outside of 289 00:17:06,160 --> 00:17:12,119 Speaker 3: being in an institution that is actually qualified with true 290 00:17:12,280 --> 00:17:17,440 Speaker 3: amount of medical professionals who can actually cater to their clientele. 291 00:17:17,440 --> 00:17:19,520 Speaker 3: So what I mean by that is like having one 292 00:17:19,600 --> 00:17:21,720 Speaker 3: doctor of per threte patients instead of one doctor per 293 00:17:21,760 --> 00:17:26,720 Speaker 3: one hundred patients type of thing. So it's incredibly difficult. 294 00:17:26,760 --> 00:17:29,960 Speaker 3: And the amount of people who the good ones who 295 00:17:30,119 --> 00:17:33,360 Speaker 3: stop providing services for Medicaid because they've had, god had 296 00:17:33,680 --> 00:17:36,360 Speaker 3: so many run arounds with the government and not being 297 00:17:36,400 --> 00:17:40,679 Speaker 3: able to do that for them for people, as you 298 00:17:40,680 --> 00:17:42,680 Speaker 3: can tell, I could keep going, but it's one of 299 00:17:42,720 --> 00:17:45,840 Speaker 3: the most frustrating, disheartening and honestly it does feel like 300 00:17:45,880 --> 00:17:48,960 Speaker 3: it's a bit of eugenics within the government when it 301 00:17:49,000 --> 00:17:49,880 Speaker 3: comes to stuff like this. 302 00:17:50,560 --> 00:17:54,040 Speaker 1: Yeah. Yeah, we'll touch on that more briefly in a second. 303 00:17:55,040 --> 00:17:57,880 Speaker 1: But this has been continues to be a big point 304 00:17:57,880 --> 00:18:01,479 Speaker 1: of conversation because we have people in government that are 305 00:18:01,520 --> 00:18:05,240 Speaker 1: seeing things like I understand, I can go days without 306 00:18:05,440 --> 00:18:09,400 Speaker 1: this necessary piece of life. I don't know why we 307 00:18:09,480 --> 00:18:10,960 Speaker 1: have to provide. 308 00:18:11,400 --> 00:18:13,240 Speaker 3: It's not like I go back to my regular life 309 00:18:13,240 --> 00:18:15,760 Speaker 3: after the one day I tried to see what this felt. 310 00:18:15,560 --> 00:18:21,439 Speaker 1: Like, right, Oh makes me mad? And yeah, like like 311 00:18:21,440 --> 00:18:24,639 Speaker 1: you're saying, those those home care hours are huge and 312 00:18:24,680 --> 00:18:27,800 Speaker 1: there's so many it's so important. In many cases, it's 313 00:18:27,840 --> 00:18:33,360 Speaker 1: about like human dignity and the cost of losing that 314 00:18:34,000 --> 00:18:35,760 Speaker 1: and the cost of providing that. And on top of this, 315 00:18:35,960 --> 00:18:38,040 Speaker 1: we need to have another conversation about how we pay 316 00:18:38,080 --> 00:18:42,120 Speaker 1: workers for doing this, because there is a reason there's 317 00:18:42,160 --> 00:18:48,439 Speaker 1: so much burnout and it's not compensated or respected like 318 00:18:48,520 --> 00:18:49,360 Speaker 1: it should. 319 00:18:49,000 --> 00:18:51,479 Speaker 3: Be, you know, as in fact, most of the times 320 00:18:51,520 --> 00:18:55,400 Speaker 3: that the workers are there, they're unqualified. And I don't 321 00:18:55,400 --> 00:18:58,320 Speaker 3: see that as I'm not saying that as a slap 322 00:18:58,359 --> 00:19:00,119 Speaker 3: to those who are in there in the field. What 323 00:19:00,240 --> 00:19:03,119 Speaker 3: I'm talking about is in general, they're so unwilling to 324 00:19:03,320 --> 00:19:06,119 Speaker 3: pay the people what they're worth that they're willing to 325 00:19:06,160 --> 00:19:08,280 Speaker 3: hire people who are not qualified to do it, so 326 00:19:08,600 --> 00:19:12,520 Speaker 3: maybe have one or two like ten hour courses and 327 00:19:12,560 --> 00:19:16,960 Speaker 3: then they come in as an assistant without like any conversations. 328 00:19:17,119 --> 00:19:20,160 Speaker 3: Like I've had friends who would do part time jobs 329 00:19:20,200 --> 00:19:23,679 Speaker 3: as college students being parapros. So they assist those with 330 00:19:23,760 --> 00:19:28,160 Speaker 3: disabilities in schools and try to be like active advocates 331 00:19:28,200 --> 00:19:30,679 Speaker 3: and all that, but they're not really qualified. They're just 332 00:19:31,160 --> 00:19:33,840 Speaker 3: sometimes college students who just need extra money, which means 333 00:19:34,040 --> 00:19:37,040 Speaker 3: they're not giving the care. Not not everyone, because there 334 00:19:37,040 --> 00:19:38,800 Speaker 3: are those who really do care and love their job 335 00:19:38,840 --> 00:19:41,400 Speaker 3: and love the people they're representing, so I'm not saying that. 336 00:19:41,480 --> 00:19:44,639 Speaker 3: But the qualifications are so low that any almost anyone 337 00:19:44,640 --> 00:19:46,959 Speaker 3: can do it. So it's kind of like, is this 338 00:19:47,040 --> 00:19:50,040 Speaker 3: really helping? Are you just throwing, like, you know, a 339 00:19:50,040 --> 00:19:52,520 Speaker 3: band aid over a huge gap of needs, And which 340 00:19:52,560 --> 00:19:54,280 Speaker 3: is also often why a lot of the kids in 341 00:19:54,320 --> 00:19:57,080 Speaker 3: the system that have any type of disabilities, learning disabilities, 342 00:19:57,119 --> 00:19:59,520 Speaker 3: any of that, are left behind because again, no one 343 00:19:59,600 --> 00:20:03,760 Speaker 3: is really qualified to represent them and advocate for them, 344 00:20:04,080 --> 00:20:06,639 Speaker 3: and they don't know how. That's that other conversation. It's 345 00:20:06,680 --> 00:20:08,960 Speaker 3: like the parents don't know how, so the pair pros 346 00:20:08,960 --> 00:20:12,560 Speaker 3: definitely don't know how oftentimes. So I say this with 347 00:20:12,680 --> 00:20:17,520 Speaker 3: like having seeing that and then although imposing all these 348 00:20:17,560 --> 00:20:19,919 Speaker 3: things on top of that and not allowing for people 349 00:20:20,880 --> 00:20:23,520 Speaker 3: with disabilities to have the life that they want. 350 00:20:23,600 --> 00:20:24,920 Speaker 2: It's just such an odd thing. 351 00:20:25,000 --> 00:20:28,119 Speaker 3: And so having these workers who are not qualified because 352 00:20:28,160 --> 00:20:30,920 Speaker 3: they don't care enough to teach and or give them. 353 00:20:30,840 --> 00:20:32,200 Speaker 2: The qualifications that they need. 354 00:20:32,440 --> 00:20:34,080 Speaker 3: And then the ones that are so good at it 355 00:20:34,160 --> 00:20:36,360 Speaker 3: and the ones who are caring and the ones who 356 00:20:36,400 --> 00:20:38,960 Speaker 3: do go beyond to learn about it are burned out, 357 00:20:39,200 --> 00:20:41,920 Speaker 3: like you said, And it's all literal minimum wage because 358 00:20:41,920 --> 00:20:45,440 Speaker 3: that's the only the most maybe is like twelve dollars 359 00:20:46,320 --> 00:20:49,359 Speaker 3: an hour, and this is for the sake of someone 360 00:20:49,359 --> 00:20:50,200 Speaker 3: else's livelihood. 361 00:20:50,280 --> 00:20:52,760 Speaker 2: Like it's like question mark. 362 00:20:52,920 --> 00:20:57,880 Speaker 1: Yeah, yeah, a lot of big question marks in this one. 363 00:20:58,200 --> 00:21:04,280 Speaker 1: So that is SSI. Let us talk about SSDI or 364 00:21:04,440 --> 00:21:08,640 Speaker 1: Social Security Disability Insurance. Okay, so if someone has worked 365 00:21:08,920 --> 00:21:13,520 Speaker 1: long enough to qualify for SSDI, getting married shouldn't affect. 366 00:21:14,240 --> 00:21:19,240 Speaker 1: There are their spouse's benefit payments. There aren't income limits, 367 00:21:19,280 --> 00:21:23,399 Speaker 1: there aren't property limits like there are with SSI. Now, 368 00:21:23,440 --> 00:21:28,000 Speaker 1: if someone gets both SSDI and SSI, that can change 369 00:21:28,000 --> 00:21:31,280 Speaker 1: the answer that being said. If a person is collecting 370 00:21:31,400 --> 00:21:36,359 Speaker 1: SSDI from someone else based on their work, marrying or 371 00:21:36,440 --> 00:21:40,560 Speaker 1: other things can impact the benefit amount. So here are 372 00:21:40,600 --> 00:21:44,280 Speaker 1: a couple of common examples of that. An adult child 373 00:21:44,320 --> 00:21:48,359 Speaker 1: receiving benefits from their parents SSDI based on their parents 374 00:21:48,440 --> 00:21:53,280 Speaker 1: work record will probably lose the SSDI benefits. By getting married, 375 00:21:54,000 --> 00:21:57,800 Speaker 1: children can lose their parents SSDI dependence benefits based on 376 00:21:57,880 --> 00:22:00,640 Speaker 1: a couple of things, including turning eighteen or nineteen depending 377 00:22:01,080 --> 00:22:05,919 Speaker 1: or getting married. Another big example, widowers are eligible for 378 00:22:06,000 --> 00:22:10,760 Speaker 1: receiving their partner's SSDI if they were eligible. However, if 379 00:22:10,800 --> 00:22:14,440 Speaker 1: you're younger than sixty, are younger than fifty, and don't 380 00:22:14,440 --> 00:22:18,760 Speaker 1: have a disability and you remarry, those benefits stop, which 381 00:22:19,160 --> 00:22:24,880 Speaker 1: I think again is ridiculous because yeah, like you said, 382 00:22:24,920 --> 00:22:27,320 Speaker 1: you put work and money into this, Like wow, okay, 383 00:22:27,359 --> 00:22:33,200 Speaker 1: it goes away right all right. And just to note here, 384 00:22:33,359 --> 00:22:35,000 Speaker 1: I know we joke about it on the show. You 385 00:22:35,040 --> 00:22:38,040 Speaker 1: can hear it in our voices because we laugh when 386 00:22:38,080 --> 00:22:41,879 Speaker 1: we feel helpless. Our healthcare system in the US is 387 00:22:41,920 --> 00:22:46,359 Speaker 1: a mess at best at best, and this isn't to 388 00:22:46,400 --> 00:22:49,280 Speaker 1: say there aren't amazing people working in it, working to 389 00:22:49,400 --> 00:22:51,360 Speaker 1: change it. We've heard from some of you, we know 390 00:22:51,480 --> 00:22:54,639 Speaker 1: some of you, and you're amazing, and you do so 391 00:22:54,760 --> 00:22:57,240 Speaker 1: much in the face of so much. But in this case, 392 00:22:57,280 --> 00:23:01,320 Speaker 1: what we're talking about specifically here is some of the 393 00:23:01,400 --> 00:23:05,520 Speaker 1: routine medications and procedures or visits for people receiving SSI 394 00:23:05,640 --> 00:23:09,280 Speaker 1: or SSDI are thousands, if not tens of thousands of 395 00:23:09,280 --> 00:23:13,760 Speaker 1: dollars a month. And we know all about private insurance 396 00:23:13,760 --> 00:23:15,560 Speaker 1: and how they try to get around covering people with 397 00:23:15,600 --> 00:23:18,240 Speaker 1: pre existing conditions legal or not. It's not supposed to 398 00:23:18,240 --> 00:23:21,120 Speaker 1: be legal, but I feel like they still get away 399 00:23:21,160 --> 00:23:24,560 Speaker 1: with it. And this includes a spouse's insurance, which seems 400 00:23:24,560 --> 00:23:27,119 Speaker 1: to be a big part of what underpins this marriage penalty, 401 00:23:27,560 --> 00:23:30,840 Speaker 1: which we also know if you're depending on your spouse's 402 00:23:30,840 --> 00:23:36,200 Speaker 1: private insurance that that can look pretty grim as well. 403 00:23:37,080 --> 00:23:42,240 Speaker 1: So it's really really expensive ultimately, as what I'm saying, 404 00:23:43,359 --> 00:23:46,280 Speaker 1: and most of us, I would say almost all of 405 00:23:46,320 --> 00:23:51,040 Speaker 1: us couldn't afford it. So Jude also sent us an 406 00:23:51,160 --> 00:23:54,600 Speaker 1: NPR story from twenty twenty two called millions of disabled 407 00:23:54,600 --> 00:23:58,000 Speaker 1: Americans could lose federal benefits if they get married by 408 00:23:58,200 --> 00:24:03,440 Speaker 1: Eric Mahoney that pr fashion has a very specific personal 409 00:24:03,480 --> 00:24:07,000 Speaker 1: story while also telling like a much larger story in it. 410 00:24:07,080 --> 00:24:11,520 Speaker 1: Mahoney interviews Congressman Jimmy Panetta of California, who had recently 411 00:24:11,560 --> 00:24:14,760 Speaker 1: introduced the Marriage Equality for Disabled Built Act in the 412 00:24:14,840 --> 00:24:18,800 Speaker 1: US House of Representatives. Other states like Ohio and Louisiana 413 00:24:18,840 --> 00:24:22,639 Speaker 1: falliwed suit. I feel like all of them have been stalled. 414 00:24:23,960 --> 00:24:27,000 Speaker 1: But please let me know if that's not true, and 415 00:24:27,080 --> 00:24:30,040 Speaker 1: they dive into how these laws and rules were written. 416 00:24:30,600 --> 00:24:33,359 Speaker 1: It was just assumed people with disabilities wouldn't get married, 417 00:24:33,760 --> 00:24:37,280 Speaker 1: which is an incredibly ablest idea that we've talked about 418 00:24:37,320 --> 00:24:43,480 Speaker 1: before and also holds the kind of infantilizing and desexualizing 419 00:24:43,480 --> 00:24:47,160 Speaker 1: of people with disabilities within it, but also a long 420 00:24:47,280 --> 00:24:52,200 Speaker 1: history of violence and control. It's also true the idea 421 00:24:52,400 --> 00:24:55,600 Speaker 1: used to be that one person, the man in a 422 00:24:55,720 --> 00:24:59,359 Speaker 1: very heterosexual sense, was the breadwinner who took care of 423 00:24:59,440 --> 00:25:02,520 Speaker 1: the wife, who did all the housekeeping. This is no 424 00:25:02,600 --> 00:25:05,640 Speaker 1: longer the case and really not possible for a lot 425 00:25:05,640 --> 00:25:09,040 Speaker 1: of people. Almost everyone I know that's in a couple 426 00:25:09,160 --> 00:25:13,800 Speaker 1: can only exist based on dual income. It's just really 427 00:25:13,840 --> 00:25:17,879 Speaker 1: antiquated and yes, we need to address why single income 428 00:25:17,920 --> 00:25:21,360 Speaker 1: homes are so unrealistic now too, and pay people who 429 00:25:21,400 --> 00:25:23,720 Speaker 1: take care of kids. Having kids is. 430 00:25:23,640 --> 00:25:27,439 Speaker 3: Expensive, right, I think it's just such a weird fault 431 00:25:27,440 --> 00:25:31,119 Speaker 3: of like again in a world where our country specifically 432 00:25:31,160 --> 00:25:33,240 Speaker 3: is like, we need to care for the children, but 433 00:25:33,400 --> 00:25:36,000 Speaker 3: not really few and you take it on your own. 434 00:25:36,040 --> 00:25:36,800 Speaker 2: You're on your own. 435 00:25:37,840 --> 00:25:42,520 Speaker 3: It's gotten like this level of disconnect where you think, well, 436 00:25:42,560 --> 00:25:45,640 Speaker 3: now they have children, and you're pushes for more children 437 00:25:45,640 --> 00:25:47,000 Speaker 3: to be born because that's your thing. 438 00:25:47,080 --> 00:25:48,680 Speaker 2: Apparently, how are you going to help? 439 00:25:49,200 --> 00:25:54,920 Speaker 1: Yeah, And there's like so many things that we've talked 440 00:25:54,920 --> 00:25:57,439 Speaker 1: about very briefly or mentioned very briefly in this that 441 00:25:57,560 --> 00:26:00,440 Speaker 1: I might well, at the very least, so you could 442 00:26:00,480 --> 00:26:05,080 Speaker 1: do something to raise the like our pay what we get. 443 00:26:05,680 --> 00:26:11,840 Speaker 1: You could do something to prevent housing and rent going wild, 444 00:26:12,080 --> 00:26:13,520 Speaker 1: like so many small things. 445 00:26:13,920 --> 00:26:16,440 Speaker 3: How about what you can do we save the environment 446 00:26:16,640 --> 00:26:19,119 Speaker 3: and help the environment so our children don't grow into 447 00:26:19,160 --> 00:26:23,080 Speaker 3: this horrible, horrible healthscape with no access to anything because 448 00:26:23,080 --> 00:26:25,080 Speaker 3: you know, beaches are being closed off because of bacteria 449 00:26:25,160 --> 00:26:28,240 Speaker 3: that's growing because of climate change and pollution. 450 00:26:28,800 --> 00:26:30,000 Speaker 2: We can do about that, y'all. 451 00:26:30,440 --> 00:26:33,119 Speaker 3: But yeah, on top of that, if every child is 452 00:26:33,119 --> 00:26:36,800 Speaker 3: special and unique and has all these things, then we 453 00:26:36,880 --> 00:26:39,359 Speaker 3: need to treat each child as a special case and 454 00:26:39,440 --> 00:26:44,720 Speaker 3: provide exactly what is needed, including whatever medical care they need, 455 00:26:45,040 --> 00:26:48,960 Speaker 3: and without grumbling and without fighting and without overcharging. 456 00:26:49,600 --> 00:26:51,440 Speaker 2: Mm hmmm, that would be awesome too. 457 00:26:52,200 --> 00:26:56,520 Speaker 3: And here and just like one more reminder here, disability 458 00:26:56,560 --> 00:27:02,439 Speaker 3: in this country is expensive and very very expensive. Another 459 00:27:02,520 --> 00:27:07,040 Speaker 3: story re read estimated that without Medicaid provided through SSI, 460 00:27:07,160 --> 00:27:09,480 Speaker 3: the person in question would have to pay one hundred 461 00:27:09,520 --> 00:27:12,920 Speaker 3: thousand to two hundred thousand a year for in home business. Yeah, 462 00:27:12,960 --> 00:27:16,359 Speaker 3: that's the number I was looking for, honestly, because fifty 463 00:27:16,400 --> 00:27:21,960 Speaker 3: to seventy with Medicaid is pretty generous. I think even 464 00:27:22,040 --> 00:27:24,320 Speaker 3: with Medicaid it would probably hit to one hundred thousand 465 00:27:24,359 --> 00:27:28,960 Speaker 3: grand a year, especially if it's like in home care 466 00:27:29,040 --> 00:27:30,120 Speaker 3: consistent in home care. 467 00:27:31,000 --> 00:27:37,080 Speaker 1: H Yeah, and it depends on so many factors too. 468 00:27:37,760 --> 00:27:51,400 Speaker 1: But it's expensive, that we can say for sure. And 469 00:27:51,440 --> 00:27:56,439 Speaker 1: going back to another point that you mentioned, Samantha, another 470 00:27:56,480 --> 00:28:00,800 Speaker 1: part of this whole thing is this over blown and 471 00:28:00,880 --> 00:28:05,159 Speaker 1: politicized fear of fraud that people are essentially trying to 472 00:28:05,200 --> 00:28:08,280 Speaker 1: gain the system, and that people with disabilities are lazy 473 00:28:08,720 --> 00:28:13,720 Speaker 1: and aren't trustworthy, not worthy honestly, and not only is 474 00:28:13,720 --> 00:28:16,800 Speaker 1: that completely wrong, it was clear and doing this research. 475 00:28:16,840 --> 00:28:20,440 Speaker 1: As I said, how difficult every step of this is, 476 00:28:20,760 --> 00:28:23,120 Speaker 1: from getting the benefits to proving that you need them, 477 00:28:23,280 --> 00:28:24,600 Speaker 1: to keeping them right. 478 00:28:24,680 --> 00:28:27,320 Speaker 3: Just as a reminder, to lose disability, it doesn't take 479 00:28:27,359 --> 00:28:30,679 Speaker 3: anything literally like to like. You have to be so 480 00:28:30,880 --> 00:28:33,320 Speaker 3: on top of everything that you may not even get 481 00:28:33,359 --> 00:28:35,240 Speaker 3: a notice that you're about to be dropped. 482 00:28:35,480 --> 00:28:37,440 Speaker 1: Yes, there have been a lot of news stories about 483 00:28:37,480 --> 00:28:41,400 Speaker 1: that lately. Here's a quote from Forbes. As disability scholar 484 00:28:41,520 --> 00:28:44,600 Speaker 1: Ari Niemann recently noted in a New York Times article 485 00:28:44,600 --> 00:28:47,959 Speaker 1: on how benefits are confusing by design, the sheer complexity 486 00:28:47,960 --> 00:28:51,520 Speaker 1: of these different rules are, like most disability benefits rules, 487 00:28:51,920 --> 00:28:56,200 Speaker 1: kafka esque. Intentionally or not, they further penalize people who 488 00:28:56,240 --> 00:28:59,360 Speaker 1: have less access to accurate information and less ability to 489 00:28:59,400 --> 00:29:03,480 Speaker 1: strategic plan out their finances and legal arrangements. Because obviously, 490 00:29:03,560 --> 00:29:05,680 Speaker 1: if you know about these penalties ahead of time, you 491 00:29:05,720 --> 00:29:10,160 Speaker 1: can avoid them by simply not getting married. It's a 492 00:29:10,240 --> 00:29:13,560 Speaker 1: terrible position and a gut wrenching decision, as anyone who 493 00:29:13,600 --> 00:29:16,680 Speaker 1: is married or has wanted to marry well knows, But 494 00:29:16,760 --> 00:29:20,520 Speaker 1: the penalty itself and the supposed savings to the taxpayer 495 00:29:20,960 --> 00:29:24,400 Speaker 1: is easily avoided, but it's also easily triggered if the 496 00:29:24,440 --> 00:29:27,040 Speaker 1: people involved don't know about it, or if they get 497 00:29:27,040 --> 00:29:30,400 Speaker 1: bad advice about it. In a sense, the government hopes 498 00:29:30,440 --> 00:29:34,280 Speaker 1: in part to save money by disabled people accidentally triggering 499 00:29:34,400 --> 00:29:36,680 Speaker 1: these benefits reductions. 500 00:29:37,120 --> 00:29:40,520 Speaker 3: Right again a guy actor where they also hope they 501 00:29:40,520 --> 00:29:44,480 Speaker 3: can just kill them off. It's eugenics legitimately any we 502 00:29:44,520 --> 00:29:48,520 Speaker 3: can continue on another times. Articles from twenty sixteen quotes 503 00:29:48,680 --> 00:29:52,400 Speaker 3: Philip Cohen, a sociologist at the University of Maryland, College Park, 504 00:29:52,600 --> 00:29:55,880 Speaker 3: who knows the overall first marriage rate in the United 505 00:29:55,920 --> 00:29:58,600 Speaker 3: States from people age eighteen to forty nine is forty 506 00:29:58,640 --> 00:30:02,320 Speaker 3: eight point nine per one thousand, for people with disability 507 00:30:02,520 --> 00:30:04,760 Speaker 3: is just twenty four point four. 508 00:30:06,200 --> 00:30:08,320 Speaker 1: And yes, as you said, some have even brought up 509 00:30:08,360 --> 00:30:11,120 Speaker 1: the dark history of eugenics in this and how this 510 00:30:11,440 --> 00:30:14,920 Speaker 1: intentionally or not seems to discourage disabled people from getting married, 511 00:30:15,880 --> 00:30:18,760 Speaker 1: which is something many people do before I have kids, 512 00:30:18,760 --> 00:30:23,680 Speaker 1: not everybody. It even seems to incentivize divorce, which, when 513 00:30:23,720 --> 00:30:26,680 Speaker 1: you put it in context of the whole Christian Conservative 514 00:30:26,720 --> 00:30:32,560 Speaker 1: push for the nuclear family, seems a little off something 515 00:30:33,640 --> 00:30:34,240 Speaker 1: is not right. 516 00:30:34,680 --> 00:30:37,120 Speaker 3: Well, I mean, if we follow along those lines and 517 00:30:37,160 --> 00:30:39,760 Speaker 3: we know that it comes from an area and background. 518 00:30:39,280 --> 00:30:40,480 Speaker 2: It makes a lot more sense. 519 00:30:41,560 --> 00:30:46,520 Speaker 3: It's true we laugh because we're in vain, but yeah, 520 00:30:46,680 --> 00:30:47,600 Speaker 3: but that's just real. 521 00:30:48,480 --> 00:30:52,080 Speaker 1: Yeah, yep. And of course there are a lot of 522 00:30:52,080 --> 00:30:55,040 Speaker 1: discussions and disagreements around marriage, but for many it does 523 00:30:55,120 --> 00:31:00,320 Speaker 1: signify acceptance by society, a legal recognition of commitment, something 524 00:31:00,360 --> 00:31:03,040 Speaker 1: someone may have wanted their whole life. And for a 525 00:31:03,040 --> 00:31:06,800 Speaker 1: lot of folks, there are substantial government benefits for getting married, 526 00:31:06,800 --> 00:31:10,640 Speaker 1: and it seems pretty dub that in this case it's 527 00:31:10,680 --> 00:31:16,040 Speaker 1: the opposite. If it's a choice between living and functioning 528 00:31:16,080 --> 00:31:19,000 Speaker 1: in marriage, then there's no real choices there. And I 529 00:31:19,000 --> 00:31:22,120 Speaker 1: feel like the fact that they have that kind of 530 00:31:22,600 --> 00:31:29,840 Speaker 1: holding out for marriage really drives home the point it 531 00:31:29,880 --> 00:31:33,440 Speaker 1: doesn't even matter if they think that you're basically a 532 00:31:33,480 --> 00:31:39,080 Speaker 1: married couple, then that they're going to take those benefits 533 00:31:39,080 --> 00:31:40,720 Speaker 1: away anyway, right. 534 00:31:41,080 --> 00:31:44,160 Speaker 3: Literally trying to find any reason to take the benefits away. 535 00:31:44,920 --> 00:31:49,800 Speaker 1: Yeah mm hmm uh. And as I said, for some people, 536 00:31:49,840 --> 00:31:52,440 Speaker 1: this is yeah, this is life or death. This is right. 537 00:31:53,000 --> 00:31:56,080 Speaker 2: So for a chunk of people, this is life or death. 538 00:31:56,240 --> 00:31:59,720 Speaker 3: Like endpoint because as what we've talked about before, and 539 00:31:59,760 --> 00:32:04,520 Speaker 3: as been said it stated by many disability activists, being 540 00:32:04,640 --> 00:32:09,840 Speaker 3: able bodied is temporary, whether it's age or whatever, whatnot, 541 00:32:10,240 --> 00:32:14,280 Speaker 3: being disabled is a reality is going to happen. We 542 00:32:14,320 --> 00:32:16,160 Speaker 3: see that again, Like you know, we've talked to you 543 00:32:16,200 --> 00:32:17,600 Speaker 3: and I have talked about the fact that our parents 544 00:32:17,600 --> 00:32:20,960 Speaker 3: recently had gone to the hospital for different incidents, and 545 00:32:21,440 --> 00:32:23,560 Speaker 3: we fear when they fall or when they do something 546 00:32:23,560 --> 00:32:25,680 Speaker 3: and are no longer able to care for themselves. The 547 00:32:25,760 --> 00:32:29,320 Speaker 3: cost of money just in trying to find in living 548 00:32:29,400 --> 00:32:33,880 Speaker 3: care for elderly yeah, is absurd. And if you if 549 00:32:33,920 --> 00:32:37,280 Speaker 3: they are not already like provided by Medicare, which is great, 550 00:32:37,560 --> 00:32:39,720 Speaker 3: but they're still trying to cut Medicare. We saw that 551 00:32:39,760 --> 00:32:42,200 Speaker 3: in the state of Georgia. They're trying to cut Medicare 552 00:32:42,560 --> 00:32:45,240 Speaker 3: and trying to reason with my parents about like your 553 00:32:45,280 --> 00:32:48,200 Speaker 3: governor has done this, but they don't quite see it. 554 00:32:48,360 --> 00:32:51,200 Speaker 3: Like they have come to the realization that Medicare is 555 00:32:51,240 --> 00:32:53,760 Speaker 3: allowed for them to go get examinations, which I'm really 556 00:32:54,000 --> 00:32:57,400 Speaker 3: glad that they have actually taken the opportunity to use 557 00:32:57,560 --> 00:33:00,240 Speaker 3: those benefits, but like trying to remind them to is 558 00:33:00,360 --> 00:33:03,000 Speaker 3: very very We're on a very like thin line on. 559 00:33:03,080 --> 00:33:05,080 Speaker 2: Whether or not this is going to be accessible in 560 00:33:05,120 --> 00:33:05,600 Speaker 2: the future. 561 00:33:06,360 --> 00:33:11,560 Speaker 1: Yes, and just to note again I'm not legal experts, 562 00:33:11,840 --> 00:33:14,400 Speaker 1: but a lot of this does relate to in the 563 00:33:14,560 --> 00:33:18,080 Speaker 1: US when you get like social Security as an older 564 00:33:18,120 --> 00:33:19,920 Speaker 1: person as well, so a lot of it does. 565 00:33:19,720 --> 00:33:21,680 Speaker 2: Have right, They're all interlocking. 566 00:33:21,920 --> 00:33:26,480 Speaker 1: Yeah, it's just please don't look up, do your own research. 567 00:33:26,840 --> 00:33:30,320 Speaker 1: I hope this is a good starting off point. But 568 00:33:31,320 --> 00:33:34,640 Speaker 1: like we said, it's confusing. It's purposely designed to be confusing, 569 00:33:34,880 --> 00:33:37,959 Speaker 1: and it changes often. It changes often, so I believe 570 00:33:38,040 --> 00:33:40,640 Speaker 1: the numbers be quoted in this was as of twenty 571 00:33:40,800 --> 00:33:42,640 Speaker 1: twenty three or twenty twenty four, so it was a 572 00:33:42,680 --> 00:33:49,920 Speaker 1: recent change. But yeah, I'm thank you so much, Jude, 573 00:33:50,200 --> 00:33:54,360 Speaker 1: yeah for suggesting this. And if there's anything we got 574 00:33:54,400 --> 00:33:58,360 Speaker 1: wrong or could have phrased better, because I was a 575 00:33:58,360 --> 00:34:04,200 Speaker 1: little like, wow, us some damnse documentation. Yes, please let 576 00:34:04,280 --> 00:34:07,600 Speaker 1: us know. And if there are any resources or if 577 00:34:07,640 --> 00:34:09,600 Speaker 1: you have any stories you would like us to share. 578 00:34:10,480 --> 00:34:14,440 Speaker 1: I would love to hear from all of you. You 579 00:34:14,480 --> 00:34:17,279 Speaker 1: can email us at Stuff Media, moom stuff at iHeartMedia 580 00:34:17,320 --> 00:34:19,000 Speaker 1: dot com. You can find us on Twitter at mom 581 00:34:19,040 --> 00:34:22,239 Speaker 1: Stuff Podcast. We're also on Instagram and TikTok at stuff 582 00:34:22,239 --> 00:34:24,799 Speaker 1: I never told you. We're on YouTube, and we are 583 00:34:24,880 --> 00:34:27,399 Speaker 1: on public, and we have a book you can get 584 00:34:27,440 --> 00:34:29,399 Speaker 1: wherever you get your books, where we did talk about 585 00:34:29,480 --> 00:34:32,160 Speaker 1: some of this stuff in there. Thanks as always to 586 00:34:32,239 --> 00:34:34,520 Speaker 1: our super producer Christina, our executive producer Maya, and our 587 00:34:34,520 --> 00:34:35,320 Speaker 1: contributor Joey. 588 00:34:35,440 --> 00:34:35,799 Speaker 2: Thank you. 589 00:34:36,120 --> 00:34:38,000 Speaker 1: Thanks to you for listening stuff I Never told you 590 00:34:38,040 --> 00:34:39,640 Speaker 1: This direction of My Heart Radio. For more podcast from 591 00:34:39,640 --> 00:34:41,080 Speaker 1: my Heart Radio, you can check out the heart Radio 592 00:34:41,080 --> 00:34:51,040 Speaker 1: app Apple Podcasts, wherever you listen to your favorite shows