Welfare is indeed a controversial issue. Somehow, it annoys me when almost everyone I know continues to talk about how benefits shouldn’t be for those who abuse the system and for those who refuses to work. Like that’s fine, but have you even considered about how hard it is for people with disabilities to get benefits? What about the downsides of having benefits that nobody talks about?

My interest for talking about the ableism of benefits and welfare came from a discussion in my social work class, one day in March. I was learning about promoting social well-being through policy practice, and the welfare system wants you to have the proper identification. While others in my class were talking about the agonizing waits for social security on a typical day, my perspective on dealing with Social Security is even more agonizing. It wasn’t because of the idea of taking over, but it was because of the fact that it is something that is never talked about.

While there is the agonizing fact that you need to have proper identification and a social security number, trying to get benefits because of a disability is much more agonizing. Yes, we do have to be sure we have the proper identification and wait several hours; what is even more agonizing is the fact that it takes an extremely long time for disabled people to even get on benefits. I remember filling out an application in August 2014, and it was grueling having to put down numerous facts, along with the doctors I have had in the past and who I have now. I remember waiting for several hours to meet with someone at the Social Security office because of needing clarification on a number of things. I didn’t even start to get benefits until March 2015; it took seven months to get the approval.

One thing that takes an extremely long time for approval is having to prove that you are, indeed, disabled. That’s so ableist isn’t it? Even if you say multiple times, Yes, I have cochlear implants or hearing aids because I am deaf. Yes, I have a wheelchair, walker, cane or scooter because I am physically disabled, and even, Yes, because of the disabilities I have, I take para-transit because I cannot drive,” it will almost never be enough for Social Security to grasp these facts. The ridiculous part is that they will send us to doctors, where they will have to write the approval that we are disabled! I went to the doctor once due to Social Security failing to understand that I do have cerebral palsy, even with having a wheelchair, and when I was asked if I could walk -- with my response being nope -- the response I got was, “Have a good day!” That’s an annoying thing with having to get approval for Social Security, having to waste so many hours to find that nothing is even going to happen.

With Social Security, we can only have a certain amount in our account, or they will dock benefits if we go above the required amount. We can’t have more than $2,000 (which really isn’t a lot), but Social Security believes that it is too much for us to have. You constantly have to spend down a lot not to break the barrier that Social Security has, but it’s tricky when all you want to do is save the money up for something that will be useful for the future. In my case, I am saving up on benefits to pay for part of my new wheelchair, but I need to spend down if I end up saving too much. Not only that, but I am a college student and pretty soon I will have to start paying off loans.

The most annoying aspect of having benefits from Social Security? Having a job and getting docked of your benefits if you end up having a salary that is high enough to make Social Security end benefits. I do not have a job, yet, but somehow I keep hearing negatives from people I know who are against benefits saying, “Why can’t that person get a job? They can’t live on benefits forever!” While I do not hope that I will end up with social security forever, it isn’t easy to find a job when the employers are discriminating.

I am lucky to be a person with disabilities, and to have benefits from Social Security. While there are definitely some limits with having these benefits, this gives me the chance to be more independent in providing for myself. People with disabilities do not abuse the system, but we do need benefits in any case where we have to end up funding things that wouldn't be provided.