starkid wrote:
The comments in this thread are more about "life for people who have poor mental health and no interests" than "life on SSI."
I also have Section 8, and I live on less than what SSI provides: $200 food stamps per month, a $22 monthly utility allowance with my Section 8, and $142 monthly disability compensation from the VA. I'm not depressed, I exercise regularly (multiple times per day, usually), I have hobbies I enjoy and do everyday, I don't feel at all bad for accepting public benefits (even if my SSI case is approved, I won't feel bad), I'm not stressed about not working because I can't work (that's the whole point of the SSI application), and I don't have self-destructive ideas about being "worse" than other people.
I don't have a car either, and I'm fine with that because having such an expensive item is more trouble than it's worth and because I don't like the pollution of gas-powered vehicles. I get tons of good exercise from walking and carrying stuff. People who really miss having a car or anything else they can no longer afford or do on SSI can find healthy and satisfying alternatives rather than sinking down into misery like some people have described.
SSI doesn't give people mental health problems; our personalities determine how we react to our situations.
That’s good on your part. It’s just that when you get pressured by life to find a job, the pressure can help a lot in finding a job.