Hi, Patreon supporter here. I am living off SSI and sometimes have ‘extra’ money I am not allowed to keep, but seeing as I live with my parents and cannot drive I cannot dump this money into something useful like a car or appliances. As is I am basically just keeping other friends afloat and buying things I don’t actually need, do you have any better suggestions? I am disabled and cannot work full-time, currently unemployed.

bitchesgetriches:

<looks through binoculars> CRIKEY! IT’S A WILD DONOR!!

Hello, beloved donor! Thank you so much for supporting us, and for asking this valuable question! I’m so glad you asked it on the Tumblr, because we have many readers who may benefit from this kind of question.

So for readers who aren’t familiar with this, here’s what’s happening: SSI (Supplemental Security Income) is a need-based program. An individual cannot have more than $2,000 in countable assets and still receive the assistance. Though there are some big exclusions, including your primary residence and one car.

I hear what you’re thinking. “Huh, that sounds like a crappy program that creates perverse incentives.” You are correct! If a person with disabilities cannot perform full-time work that reliably pays their bills, they deserve social support. If they can work a little bit, or monetize a hobby, or just live super frugally, it’s unfair to yank the rug out from under them. An ideal program wouldn’t create this disincentive to save money.

But this is the program that we have, so what should you do? Luckily, there are several potential workarounds.

ABLE savings accounts

These are savings accounts that allow disabled people to save $100,000 or more that don’t count towards SSI threshold. (The specific limit varies by state.) You can put in up to $15,000 a year. This is a GREAT option for saving up for your own home one day, investing in your education, building an emergency fund, or just generally having a better cushion for all the crazy hits in life. This site has some good supplementary information.

PASS 

PASS is more structured than ABLE. It’s structured around a specific plan to get you off of disability entirely.

Let’s say you used to work in a factory, but had an accident and couldn’t do heavy physical labor anymore. So you decide what you’d really like to do is go to school to pursue a new line of work that isn’t so physically demanding. Or you want to open your own business, which you can run from the comfort of your home. PASS would be a good option for this kind of situation.

Although if I’m being honest, reading about it kinda makes the program sound like a bit of a bureaucratic mess compared to ABLE.

Invest in your primary residence

If you like your folks and have a good relationship with them, you could kick some money their way for home improvements. You use the plumbing and the appliances and the roof just the same as they do. You could also investigate if it’s possible to formally pay them rent, if this would in turn help their overall stability. If they can make improvements to their house, you could eventually see that money again in the form of their estate.

And if your parents are jerks, maybe just save up for a place of your own.

It sounds like you like to help other people who are struggling. I bought a bigger house than I needed, specifically because I knew I could put those empty rooms to good use. We’ve had four friends in the last two years who’ve been going through hard times and needed a place to stay rent-free for a few months. Being able to offer them a landing pad was really special, and I totally bless that approach.

Donate

Creating a cushion for yourself is probably the most responsible option. Especially in our current political climate, which is so hostile to poor people and judgmental towards disabled people who cannot work.

But if for some reason there are barriers that prevent you from doing so, there are way worse ways to spend your extra cash than helping others. You can do that in many ways: by donating to charities, paying a little more for goods that are locally/ethically made, supporting artists, giving directly to people you know who are struggling, etc.

That last one is, admittedly, super tricky. I’ve loaned/given money to friends in the past. Sometimes it works out just fine, and sometimes it changes the relationship and feels bad for one or both parties. So use your discretion. If you get to a point where money sours a relationship, use it as a learning experience.

Ask other people, too

All of our information on this topic is secondhand, so by all means, ask other people who are in your situation! There are forums and blogs and Facebook groups for every kind of community. Find your people and share survival tactics. This is especially helpful for navigating regulations unique to your state.

Thank you so much for being a Patreon donor. Donate $5 to us and you guarantee we will answer your question in as much detail as we can. Oh, and jokes! I didn’t make my answers as funny as a Patreon donor deserves. So I’ll end with a real thigh-slapper.

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