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Comment by scott_siskind | Hacker News Reader

Out of curiosity, what country offers disability benefits for these conditions?

This is for me a (as a fellow sufferer of some of these conditions, who has never received any state support and doesn't even have health insurance) an extremely shaky moral ground.

Because 95% of the homeless population and drug addicts are clinically diagnosable of most of these conditions under DSM IV definitions. And almost none of them receive anything.

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I am in the U.S. and I am lucky because I am white and my OCD kept me from using any drugs to cope. But I was hospitalized several times and had a few suicide attempts, plus my family history. Those are all big factors in getting disability.

If you are homeless and do not have an address there is zero chance to get disability. That is why we should house them first without any qualifications. Or maybe they justneed to set better goals. :)

Did I understand this correctly - if you are homeless in US you are automatically ineligible for disability benefits from state?

Legally, no. Functionally, yes. Even though they no longer mail checks you need a bank account as well. And then the issue with getting in contact with you.

There is only wealth in this country because we treat the most vulnerable like garbage.

I would guess most European welfare states offer disability benefits for severe depression. For example Finland has disability pension system for people who are verified by a doctor unable to work anymore. Severe depression is an acceptable condition for this benefit.

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