Since this is pretty anonymous, I'm able to be frank. Social Security limits my cash on hand to $2,000, or else I risk losing my disability allowance. Normally I don't spend very much, and I hang onto my cash in the event of needing a car repaired, or something expensive like that.

The problem is that my cash inevitably floats towards that limit, and I end up having to buy whatever sounds nice, just to bring down my cash levels.

I'd much rather be able to save up a few thousand, so if something happens to my car it can be replaced, or if I wanted to do something with my teeth, like get braces, that I could have that done. There are plenty of ways I could easily sink in 3-4 thousand dollars, without spending disability money on frivolous things that people probably wouldn't want me spending their tax dollars on.

Anyone else agree, that people on disability should be able to save more?

Idk. Personally I'd say if you're able to save up a few thousand maybe they should just pay less. They should only cover what you really need in my opinion, so if you're able to save it, you're already paying for what you need and the rest should go back to the government.

Problem is that there are always really big incidental expenses like car repairs and traffic tickets. You can never know when they're going to happen, and without some level of money put back you're pretty much screwed if they do occur.

yes, it would be nice to have the money to be able to have my powerChair worked on if need be. & the van (with a chairlift) could really use a new/good rebuilt tranny In my area my family isn't allowed a car for more than $4000 because I'm disabled

I think the gov. should cover these expenses for you so you don't have to save up for them.

That would be nice, but while the government provides a safety net for medical problems, food, and housing, there is no such safety net for transportation, dental work (aside from teeth pulling), or as Rusty Gunn said, getting her powerChair worked on.

I'm just glad that when I had my cavities filled, that it didn't cost more than 500. Dental work can get much worse.

To be honest with you, I think it's terribly unfair that they limit the rights of disabled people like this. Everyone should be able to save up as much money as they want. Am I right in guessing that you live in the States?

Yeah, I live right in the heart of it - Oklahoma.

& I am a neighbor to your north in Kansas and I am a guy

While I don't agree with it (That limit could be higher), I think that the gov mentality is that if they are paying you, your only way to "pay they back" is putting that money on the street (economy) again by spending it.
So, they don't want you to save "their" money, they want to use you as a spending machine to move the economy.

Does that make sense? I think I made some mistranslations.

Yes Amauri a very understandable view of of it, but being a person also on Disability, i couldnt acheive anything without saving, i couldnt afford to pay bills, i couldnt afford to replace anything, such as electrical goods for example a washing machine or refrigerator, if i owned a car i couldnt pay for my car registration or insurance without saving, also couldnt replace furniture, and none of that money would be flowing through the economy, plus id hate to have to have a house repair done without savings.

If I could actually manage to save more money then what I was given, I'd probably be in agreement. My issue is that what I'm giving in a month is barely enough to live on and support my wife and 2 children. Wife can't work because I'm incapable of taking care of the children by myself(well, for now anyways, youngest is ALMOST to the point where just "watching" her would be enough), so all we get is what I get in a month due to my broken back.

Really? Are you sure? When I got my backpay after winning my disability case of 3 years, I paid off a brand new(no mileage on it, but not new for that year) car that cost 12k exact, that didn't hurt us any whatsoever, and the government is definitely aware of us owning the car, since we also get food stamps and they need to know anything major like that that we own. Obviously it isn't worth 12k anymore. I'd be surprised if it was worth 4k, it's 7 years old now with over 100k miles, but it didn't hurt us then whatsoever.

On another note, to the OP, WHOA, you have teeth pulling covered? I don't even get that much >< Had to have my parents pay that on the credit card and pay them back because Medicare wouldn't cover it ><

here in the states that arguement is countered by the notion that paying for those expenses with credit is easy and low risk. which is idiotic, but thats more or less to be blamed on the banks for pushing the fallacy

I have to pay for my own dental as well, and can easily set me back in the thousands, if i need extractions and my teeth replaced, which was why i basically started saving so much, because a friend went to the dentist, had 2 extractions cost him $700.

Blame the people who don't deserve government assistance but still get it. There isn't enough money to go around to all the people who are on it so they have to make cuts where they can.

The idea is that if you can save money, you are getting too much assistance because you aren't given that money to save, it is to pay your day to day bills. If you have so much left over that you can save upwards of $2k or more, then they need to lower your payments. I realize bad things happen, but that's what credit is for. Legally, you can not save money that is given to you to pay bills - period. Also you can own 1 car and it can be worth any amount of money as it's seen as your way to get two and from doctor's appointments - which if you're on disability you should be going to. If you own 2 or more cars, the vehicle worth the least is considered your "freebie" and the others are considered "assets". They take it a bit far when they consider even $20 you get on your birthday as "income" but they're giving you free money, so I suppose they're entitled.

And before you jump my case, I've been on disability since 2001 due to severe agoraphobia. I've had to jump through all the hoops, I've gotten the lovely letter of "we find that you're able to work but we forgot to stop your payments so you owe us $3500 due immediately", I've been to court to rectify that issue (if you ever have to go to court, HAVE A LAWYER. No matter if they tell you it's completely informal or not. They're chew you up and spit you out.), I struggle to pay even the most simple of bills, etc. I don't - however - accept EBT or Medicad. (I have it, but never use it.)

Disability is being stretched to it's absolute limits by freeloaders and others who are capable of working but don't want to. Those who know how to play the system get well over two to three times as much as I do a month (which is by far not enough to live on, so I still live with my parents) and that means someone else who actually NEEDS the help will get denied. I hear all to often people talking about how they DESERVE assistance because they can't afford their $40k cars, 4 bedroom houses, vacations, etc. These are the same people who get food stamps/ebt, finanical assistance and so much more. These are the people who have forced the states to make rules that completely screw over the honest disabled person.

Now, I do think they tie your hands though once youre in the system. I'm not well enough to return to work completely but I want to try to do some volunteer or short term employment to attempt to learn to work again with my disability. However, if I do that, I get cut off. Because even if I get hired and then fail to be able to actually do the job - they consider me well enough to work because I tried. Then I have to go back to court, go through all the hoops again... you get the picture. So it's just easier to struggle and pray that one day I'll find a job that I can do the first time out or I'm royally screwed.

Are you guys speaking of SSI Disability? My older sister has Fibromyalgia and is on Social Security Disability (since she worked at a very good job for decades paying into the system) and she has no limits on assets.

That's not their problem tohugh, they're yours.
The disability money should really just pay to house and feed you, not for a new TV or a broken car.

Why not take a single college course every time you get $2000? That'll put a dent in it, and not be frivolous.

I'm just baffled to read this. They should tie (part of) it to income, not savings.

I suggest you hide your surplus savings in a sock under your bed. There's no way they can check up on that. That's the best one can do with the current state of the financial sector anyway.

Sure? Because you're not allowed to save up no more than $1,000 in a bank, under SSI.

@ Naxos - Exactly.. the system had been abused to the point where people who really need it, have to suffer the consequences.

What happened to solidarity? Or those Enlightenment ideals many of our states' constitutions are founded upon...
I can imagine these are really severe limits in a country where they don't even have our European kind of social security. Having access to transport doesn't equal being able to live like a king.
Not to mention what this means for bank privacy which was pretty much a holy concept until recently...

Edit: I dont want to be a part of this conversation because it angers me!

Greg

I don't know what the most of this meant, but again, they're (the goverment) are only paying to keep these people alive, not to pay their luxuries whether that be a car repair/TV etc. If they are meant to pay for the luxuries then hell stuff work I'm gonna go permantly damage a few limbs to get that money
Having access to personal transport to me means you are very disabled, and the fact you are able to save this money up shows you must actually be getting too much.

What about giving some savings to someone VERY(!) trusted by you - maybe a family member? - to put into a separate savings account for you?

What is stopping you from taking some money and putting it in a drawer or something?