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Comment by toomuchtodo | Hacker News Reader

I am extremely interested in hearing how these people you mention are on disability. My mother spent four years trying to get disability, and suffered from a degenerative spinal issue that culminated in spinal reconstructive surgery a year before she died this July at 59 (I will be forever grateful for the ACA affording her some level of care in her last years).

Without being rude, when someone says someone else is on disability and doesn’t believe they meet the qualifications, I don’t believe them. I have seen what is required to justify your disability (40% of all disability claims are denied).

Every social safety net will have freeloaders on the system. This is preferred over people in desperate need not getting the support they require.

This is how we are measured as a civilization, how we treat the weakest members (with apologies to Ghandi).

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> Every social safety net will have freeloaders on the system. This is preferred over people in desperate need not getting the support they require.

I agree and accept that cost. But at the same time so much of the "support" is ineffective. I wish I had a better solution.

Maybe someone will have a good idea here: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=16002063

He gave you the solution:

“Every social safety net will have freeloaders on the system. This is preferred over people in desperate need not getting the support they require.”

Let the cheaters cheat; cheaters gun cheat. It’s not going to be perfect, but we should certainly be be obligated to help those that truly need it. We’re the wealthiest society in the history of the world. We can afford it, esepcially if we can do a better job weeding out some of the people taking advantage.

I meant how to make the system better especially for those that's truely in need.

Those that really need the assistance are often forced to make choices between food and medicine. Many mental illnesses are undiagnosed. Addicts are stuck in an endless cycle.

Extreme malingering.

If you work hard enough you'll eventually get it, especially if you have a lawyer. It took all of them years and appeals to get approved. If you are persistent enough you'll get approved eventually.

Eventually....

It's like that episode of Seinfeld where George worked to stay on unemployment. It was basically their life goal was to become "disabled." If you dedicate your life to being disabled... It will happen if it's literally your job... My fucking uncle worked for, I don't know how many years to become disabled.... If he put half that effort into being employed....

It doesn't surprise me that people who are terminal aren't able to benefit... The system is rigged.

Some of them, like my aunt, take injuries and claim they've never recovered from them. Even though they have. Who's going to argue with that? How can you prove anything?

My dad is surprisingly "not disabled" when he feels like it.

Once you get into "disabled" territory, you become untouchable...

You can not believe me all you want,I do not give two shits. I know what I have experienced, I don't personally care if you believe me, I don't care. I know for a fact my dad and his siblings are shithead. That I will know for life and I can't avoid.

What sort of appeals - are those prepared by lawyers?

I believe a social safety net is important and I don't see how to avoid freeloaders, but in my community I know a LOT of people who have gotten on disability completely on purpose and if you talked to them for 10 minutes they would tell you they did it on purpose. Not all states have the same qualifications to get on disability.

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