UPDATE: we ended up moving to that 667 apt with hydro hydro heat and hot water rental, we've managed to keep our hydro down by freezing thru winter, and by turning off the water heater during the day when "time of use billing" would make it skyrocket.
We also fought and managed to win back our deposit money thanks to me doing a bit of research and finding precedent for the way they did it. They did something that was not allowed :).
Are we out of the woods yet? not really....no. James is now working for a company that doesn't have an AMO (which is a fancy term for someone who can take him as an apprentice). He will not get any credit for hours spent (since manufacturing generally doesn't count towards avionics apprenticeships) and will likely end up finally getting an apprenticeship by the time he will have to take 4yrs to complete it instead of the 2 he earned by working so hard in school for. It frustrates me that people seem to think that a fully licenced AME-E is going to magically appear for their company without having had an apprentice TRAIN first then pass their exams. Makes me angry sometimes. He's a good, hard worker, and everyone demands a driver's licence, something he never learned and we couldn't afford a car even if he got.
Thursday 3 September 2015
Thursday 14 August 2014
What I've learned about trying to move when you are on assistance.
My family had to give notice at the place we currently rent because by the next rent increase, it would have been way over our new budget. The max shelter rate for our family of 4 is 702...our current rent 846 plus hydro. (shelter rates on OW include the hydro and insurance so if your rent takes the max, the rest is not covered). Our rent would have gone up in January, probably by 20 dollars "give or take" and we would have been unable to do much because our food costs would have been seriously impacted.
I am on a deferral, for those who don't know what that means, it means that since I am considered unable to look for work due to disability (disability that doesn't seem to qualify for ODSP) I am forced to stay at home. No bus fare is given for doctor appointments, nor for their regular "check in" meetings downtown. So we tried looking for apartments in our city core and the surrounding area. Imagine our surprise when we discovered that we can't afford even a 2 bedroom because most run at 800-850 plus hydro. Oh and even better, since we are on Ontario Works, no one wants to trust we can pay the rent. For the last 4 years of Ontario Works and then NO assistance while my husband attended school, we managed to make sure our rent at this place was always paid first. Our bills also always got paid on time. I feel insulted that people think we can't actually pay our rent. One said "are you sure you can afford this place" another went so far as to demand that it be automatically paid by Ontario Works.
Another problem is trying to get someone with a 2 bedroom to take my family as is, 4 of us. We got rid of 90% of our things, my husband and I were using the living room as a bedroom here when my three kids were with us, but suddenly we can't do that. 3 bedrooms are way over priced, and the only other option we could consider is splitting our family into two groups of two and looking for a 1 bedroom for each, which is marginally affordable unless one of the two leaves and the other is left holding the "bag". Of course suggesting that two siblings share a 1 bed elicits the same responses of disbelief, even when we tried a small 1 bed or bachelor some would say "SINGLE PEOPLE ONLY" as if a married couple could not share such a small home.
A lot of the "marginally" affordable places either looked to be in poor repair when we went to see them, turned out to have hydro heat to pay as well as hydro (something that would push the rent from that wonderful 750 to over 850 even with us being frugal with hydro. One place even wanted us to pay hydro, hydro heat and rental for a hot water heater. It would have pushed the beautiful 667 rent up past our budget point by a considerable margin.
Then we found a place at 815 inclusive and applied. Of course with big property management firms you MUST put down a deposit just to apply and see if they would consider you, so we did. We didn't realize that they would KEEP our deposit should we refuse the apartment. I thought when we applied I'd be able to handle stairs, but I could barely handle one set and then we cancelled with the company back in July around the 25th, we figured it would give them a month and a half to rent the unit for Sept 1. They said too bad, even if I can't use the stairs they would KEEP the money. We have enough for one more try, and we are fighting to get our deposit back, but this supposedly legit practice of retaining a deposit because someone had to refuse the apartment is the most disgraceful thing of all. It can trap a person into a place they might not be able to handle. I was devastated at first when I heard that, I thought I'd have to trudge up THREE FLIGHTS of stairs in order to get in and to leave and go back. I pictured myself closer to the center of the city and yet still trapped in the "box" because of my disability. I was afraid I could also potentially fall down the stairs if I lost my balance or my knee suddenly gave out on me.
We might have to fight for our deposit in court, but that involves a 45 dollar fee that we only get back if we win. It is frustrating because their "counter offer to us" was a place WAY OUT on the outskirts of the city. My doctor is downtown, I have no bus fare unless I take the money from the food budget, so then what I just stay stuck in another box this time in the middle of nowhere??
I just wish that potential landlords would see us as PEOPLE not as a welfare income. I wish that the rental rates were not SO HIGH that it squeezed us out of anything or forced our family apart.
We are still looking, our deadline is Aug 31st, our current landlord wants us out so they can do a 24hr turnaround on the apartment. (new carpet etc) before the Sept 1 move in date. If we don't find a place soon, (which may be a dive at this rate) we won't have a home at all. I've never been homeless before and the thought of it scares me beyond all reason. I'm slightly agoraphobic thanks to my constant confinement in the current place and the thought of having to share my space with strangers stresses me completely.
It seems like there is nothing for us, and I may be forced to push my two kids out on their own when they aren't really ready, just so we can get enough money to afford a place. Oh and if one of my kids leaves for school (like he is planning) then my other child will be stuck in a place that will suddenly become unaffordable. We tried hunting for room mates for the future but with NO real success. Why does a family have to divide in order to live?
I am on a deferral, for those who don't know what that means, it means that since I am considered unable to look for work due to disability (disability that doesn't seem to qualify for ODSP) I am forced to stay at home. No bus fare is given for doctor appointments, nor for their regular "check in" meetings downtown. So we tried looking for apartments in our city core and the surrounding area. Imagine our surprise when we discovered that we can't afford even a 2 bedroom because most run at 800-850 plus hydro. Oh and even better, since we are on Ontario Works, no one wants to trust we can pay the rent. For the last 4 years of Ontario Works and then NO assistance while my husband attended school, we managed to make sure our rent at this place was always paid first. Our bills also always got paid on time. I feel insulted that people think we can't actually pay our rent. One said "are you sure you can afford this place" another went so far as to demand that it be automatically paid by Ontario Works.
Another problem is trying to get someone with a 2 bedroom to take my family as is, 4 of us. We got rid of 90% of our things, my husband and I were using the living room as a bedroom here when my three kids were with us, but suddenly we can't do that. 3 bedrooms are way over priced, and the only other option we could consider is splitting our family into two groups of two and looking for a 1 bedroom for each, which is marginally affordable unless one of the two leaves and the other is left holding the "bag". Of course suggesting that two siblings share a 1 bed elicits the same responses of disbelief, even when we tried a small 1 bed or bachelor some would say "SINGLE PEOPLE ONLY" as if a married couple could not share such a small home.
A lot of the "marginally" affordable places either looked to be in poor repair when we went to see them, turned out to have hydro heat to pay as well as hydro (something that would push the rent from that wonderful 750 to over 850 even with us being frugal with hydro. One place even wanted us to pay hydro, hydro heat and rental for a hot water heater. It would have pushed the beautiful 667 rent up past our budget point by a considerable margin.
Then we found a place at 815 inclusive and applied. Of course with big property management firms you MUST put down a deposit just to apply and see if they would consider you, so we did. We didn't realize that they would KEEP our deposit should we refuse the apartment. I thought when we applied I'd be able to handle stairs, but I could barely handle one set and then we cancelled with the company back in July around the 25th, we figured it would give them a month and a half to rent the unit for Sept 1. They said too bad, even if I can't use the stairs they would KEEP the money. We have enough for one more try, and we are fighting to get our deposit back, but this supposedly legit practice of retaining a deposit because someone had to refuse the apartment is the most disgraceful thing of all. It can trap a person into a place they might not be able to handle. I was devastated at first when I heard that, I thought I'd have to trudge up THREE FLIGHTS of stairs in order to get in and to leave and go back. I pictured myself closer to the center of the city and yet still trapped in the "box" because of my disability. I was afraid I could also potentially fall down the stairs if I lost my balance or my knee suddenly gave out on me.
We might have to fight for our deposit in court, but that involves a 45 dollar fee that we only get back if we win. It is frustrating because their "counter offer to us" was a place WAY OUT on the outskirts of the city. My doctor is downtown, I have no bus fare unless I take the money from the food budget, so then what I just stay stuck in another box this time in the middle of nowhere??
I just wish that potential landlords would see us as PEOPLE not as a welfare income. I wish that the rental rates were not SO HIGH that it squeezed us out of anything or forced our family apart.
We are still looking, our deadline is Aug 31st, our current landlord wants us out so they can do a 24hr turnaround on the apartment. (new carpet etc) before the Sept 1 move in date. If we don't find a place soon, (which may be a dive at this rate) we won't have a home at all. I've never been homeless before and the thought of it scares me beyond all reason. I'm slightly agoraphobic thanks to my constant confinement in the current place and the thought of having to share my space with strangers stresses me completely.
It seems like there is nothing for us, and I may be forced to push my two kids out on their own when they aren't really ready, just so we can get enough money to afford a place. Oh and if one of my kids leaves for school (like he is planning) then my other child will be stuck in a place that will suddenly become unaffordable. We tried hunting for room mates for the future but with NO real success. Why does a family have to divide in order to live?
Thursday 3 July 2014
We have to move
One of my children is moving and we ended up having to return to Ontario Works because my husband has not found an apprenticeship as of yet. The rent is too expensive for a family of 4. We now get 1304 a month. 702 for groceries, 602 for basic needs. Our rent is 846 plus hydro 40-50 a month depending on how hot it is to raise the usage on our fan.
They also are recovering an overpayment which takes 5% of our income or 65.20 before we even get started.
Today I asked for some more bus tickets for 3 doctor's appointments that I need to go to. My husband decided to hand the phone to me and she told me that she didn't really need/want to speak to me ( I can't remember for sure which word she used) but okay. She then said she would give me the tickets but that I shouldn't make a habit of it. That I should budget better. I told her that I budget as best I can considering I have to deduct rent from part of our basic needs budget which is meant to be for food and hydro. She said just like when I go grocery shopping I have to budget, I need to budget for my bus fare. This mass number of doctor's appointments wasn't expected. I thought I'd be seeing my doctor last month after I finished the intake but it was another appointment after that.
I was so angry and embarrassed that I said then I guess I just won't go anywhere and I hung up on her. When we got home hubby called again and she said that we could have continued to talk if I hadn't hung up on her. She wasn't talking to me, she was talking AT me. I am a parent I know what a lecture is.
When you are on a disability deferral, it's like you don't exist. Your name is there, you get a drug benefit and emergency dental as well as vision care, but you get nothing else. No buspass, no haircut nothing. I have been inside my house because we can't afford bus fare for me for 4 yrs, I've gone out a few times, but it's always created a hard spot because of transportation costs for tickets. Having spent this much time away from other people I now find I don't like to talk to people I don't know, I don't want to go out much but make myself because I know it would just be worse if I didn't, and I grow weary of the four walls.
I could get a buspass if doctor needs to see me frequently but not if I get prescribed exercise or getting out to keep from getting full blown anxiety issues. I guess I'll never understand how the system works. Or perhaps I should say I understand too well how the system DOESN'T work.
They also are recovering an overpayment which takes 5% of our income or 65.20 before we even get started.
Today I asked for some more bus tickets for 3 doctor's appointments that I need to go to. My husband decided to hand the phone to me and she told me that she didn't really need/want to speak to me ( I can't remember for sure which word she used) but okay. She then said she would give me the tickets but that I shouldn't make a habit of it. That I should budget better. I told her that I budget as best I can considering I have to deduct rent from part of our basic needs budget which is meant to be for food and hydro. She said just like when I go grocery shopping I have to budget, I need to budget for my bus fare. This mass number of doctor's appointments wasn't expected. I thought I'd be seeing my doctor last month after I finished the intake but it was another appointment after that.
I was so angry and embarrassed that I said then I guess I just won't go anywhere and I hung up on her. When we got home hubby called again and she said that we could have continued to talk if I hadn't hung up on her. She wasn't talking to me, she was talking AT me. I am a parent I know what a lecture is.
When you are on a disability deferral, it's like you don't exist. Your name is there, you get a drug benefit and emergency dental as well as vision care, but you get nothing else. No buspass, no haircut nothing. I have been inside my house because we can't afford bus fare for me for 4 yrs, I've gone out a few times, but it's always created a hard spot because of transportation costs for tickets. Having spent this much time away from other people I now find I don't like to talk to people I don't know, I don't want to go out much but make myself because I know it would just be worse if I didn't, and I grow weary of the four walls.
I could get a buspass if doctor needs to see me frequently but not if I get prescribed exercise or getting out to keep from getting full blown anxiety issues. I guess I'll never understand how the system works. Or perhaps I should say I understand too well how the system DOESN'T work.
Wednesday 23 April 2014
What next?
Lets see what IS on my mind...oh the HYDRO is going up yet again.
Another rate climb to match the date when they switch "time of day
usage". It will be so much fun to have no fan, no classes, no nothing
because the hydro will be:
Consumers will pay the steepest price for electricity, 13.5 cents kW/h, weekdays between 11 a.m. and 5 p.m.
The on-peak power price is up 0.6 cents kW/h.
Consumers will pay the steepest price for electricity, 13.5 cents kW/h, weekdays between 11 a.m. and 5 p.m.
The on-peak power price is up 0.6 cents kW/h.
I wonder how uncomfortable it will be for seniors and disabled people this summer?
The rest of the rates are: — 7.5 cents kW/h, up 0.3 cents — in the overnight weekday hours of 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. and on all weekends and holidays.
The cost to use electricity on weekdays between 7-11 a.m. and 5-7 p.m. will be 11.2 cents kW/h, also an increase of 0.3 cents.
I get they want us to be energy conscious and efficient. WE in this family are. It just feels like they want more profits because people are being "energy conscious" and so they hike again...and again and again. Our family spends about 50-65 a month on hydro, and we find it too much. We restrict usage so much it feels more like a prison than a home. But still the rates climb and we are left holding the bag, restricting further etc.
I am not sure how much more we can restrict, so I'm going to do my part. Come May 1 I will try to be off the hydro during the daytime, using battery only at 1pm to talk to spouse. Then back off till night time. No fan either.
No courses, I wouldn't have the time to devote to them. Busfare in this city is not all that cheap so I won't be going anywhere. I'd just like to know what else Ontario Hydro would love us poor, seniors and disabled to do next.
The rest of the rates are: — 7.5 cents kW/h, up 0.3 cents — in the overnight weekday hours of 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. and on all weekends and holidays.
The cost to use electricity on weekdays between 7-11 a.m. and 5-7 p.m. will be 11.2 cents kW/h, also an increase of 0.3 cents.
I get they want us to be energy conscious and efficient. WE in this family are. It just feels like they want more profits because people are being "energy conscious" and so they hike again...and again and again. Our family spends about 50-65 a month on hydro, and we find it too much. We restrict usage so much it feels more like a prison than a home. But still the rates climb and we are left holding the bag, restricting further etc.
I am not sure how much more we can restrict, so I'm going to do my part. Come May 1 I will try to be off the hydro during the daytime, using battery only at 1pm to talk to spouse. Then back off till night time. No fan either.
No courses, I wouldn't have the time to devote to them. Busfare in this city is not all that cheap so I won't be going anywhere. I'd just like to know what else Ontario Hydro would love us poor, seniors and disabled to do next.
Wednesday 2 April 2014
Workhouses then and now
Watched an interesting movie lately about workhouses/poorhouses. These institutions existed once to shelter those with absolutely no money and no place to go. They were run by government and they made it their mission in life to make these poor folks feel like garbage for having to use the service.
Once you entered such a place your dignity was stripped, your family separated and they treated you to the meanest food and hardest labor, they wanted you to be "incentivized" to find "real work". Many who lived and worked in these places, died in these places.
I couldn't help but notice a few parallels as I watched. The idea that when a family goes to sign up for workfare, they give you the meanest amount of money they can, nothing to survive on, just enough to make you aware that you should be working a "real job". Not that the humiliation of going there isn't really an incentive on it's own, but they want to make sure you understand you are basically getting a handout, and since you are such a loser, they will treat you like one.
The only difference I can see is the shelter is not supplied today.
Lets check this off:
humiliate the poor and keep them so destitute they will take the meanest job (check)
make it impossible to get access to good nutritious food (check)
limit the poor to overcrowded conditions or poor housing (check)
I hear all the time that we can't trust those who are poor, they will just fritter those hard earned tax dollars away. How is this for fair?
I would gladly let them pay my rent for me directly and give me food stamps if it was enough to feed, and shelter my family while I am looking for work. Amazing how much dignity one can be willing to give up in order to make life better for their family. Happily I would accept whatever voucher system was required to make things happen. It would definitely be better than having to choose between rent, hydro and food.
Now lets take a peek into something else: those in government, those people who say we are bums and good for nothings, they themselves receive over 100,000 a year in salary. Some of these people will actually get a pension/salary for the REST OF THEIR LIVES for having served as a politician. They would never have to work again since these pensions/salaries are so high but hey, they aren't leeches, they aren't getting government welfare after they lose their jobs are they? I think if some people think about it, they will see that the money they pay out to "retired" and politicians who have lost in their riding is a whole lot more than someone on assistance. The only difference is that the politicians can afford a nicer suit.
Perhaps one should think about who is saying things about the poor, and about what happened to the sense of charity that used to be so commonplace.
Once you entered such a place your dignity was stripped, your family separated and they treated you to the meanest food and hardest labor, they wanted you to be "incentivized" to find "real work". Many who lived and worked in these places, died in these places.
I couldn't help but notice a few parallels as I watched. The idea that when a family goes to sign up for workfare, they give you the meanest amount of money they can, nothing to survive on, just enough to make you aware that you should be working a "real job". Not that the humiliation of going there isn't really an incentive on it's own, but they want to make sure you understand you are basically getting a handout, and since you are such a loser, they will treat you like one.
The only difference I can see is the shelter is not supplied today.
Lets check this off:
humiliate the poor and keep them so destitute they will take the meanest job (check)
make it impossible to get access to good nutritious food (check)
limit the poor to overcrowded conditions or poor housing (check)
I hear all the time that we can't trust those who are poor, they will just fritter those hard earned tax dollars away. How is this for fair?
I would gladly let them pay my rent for me directly and give me food stamps if it was enough to feed, and shelter my family while I am looking for work. Amazing how much dignity one can be willing to give up in order to make life better for their family. Happily I would accept whatever voucher system was required to make things happen. It would definitely be better than having to choose between rent, hydro and food.
Now lets take a peek into something else: those in government, those people who say we are bums and good for nothings, they themselves receive over 100,000 a year in salary. Some of these people will actually get a pension/salary for the REST OF THEIR LIVES for having served as a politician. They would never have to work again since these pensions/salaries are so high but hey, they aren't leeches, they aren't getting government welfare after they lose their jobs are they? I think if some people think about it, they will see that the money they pay out to "retired" and politicians who have lost in their riding is a whole lot more than someone on assistance. The only difference is that the politicians can afford a nicer suit.
Perhaps one should think about who is saying things about the poor, and about what happened to the sense of charity that used to be so commonplace.
Friday 6 December 2013
Update
Well I guess 2nd Career isn't really all that interested in my son and daughter's money....just mine should I make any. It seems silly that they want you to get educated and get a job but make it so darned difficult to live while you do that you want to scream at them "hey why don't you trade places and give it a go....see how long you last for". Not that it would do much good, they'd simply stay calm and ma'am me to death LOL.
Meeghan still has heard nothing about an interview for a potential part time job at the cafe she just finished doing her training at. It is very stressful for her, she hasn't enough money to pay for medication for the next month, so she will likely have to miss a month. We are still trying to see if the ODB will now cover her since she is now without work...but since our file with OW would have been closed after 2 months off....it doesn't seem like there is much hope there. We can't afford to pay into the Trillium premiums up front so it's leaving things hanging quite a bit.
Then I listened to a radio broadcast yesterday where they were talking about all the people who went to St. Mary's seeking employment. About a 1000 applicants for 300 some odd jobs. Of course the radio host (why did I put on the radio when there was no power yesterday...I must be nuts LOL) he was wondering why it wasn't more. Well let me think...when you have a family you have to look at the big picture.
The way EI is set up and now OW (no more help with moving expenses) taking a job "anywhere" doesn't seem like an option if you have NOTHING you can use to pay for the trip. Family is great if you have one, or if they have money and no struggles either. For the St. Mary's one, a working car and gas money is likely a requirement. I know we have problems trying to do the job bit in the city where we need to use a bus to get to places. A lot of work is "not on a bus route" and it is frustrating beyond all reason.
On another topic, my weaving has been steadily improving...I'm hoping to someday, maybe...turn it into a way to make money to help out with expenses around the house. Not sure about the sketching bit...I'm a bit rusty now from lack of use LOL.
Anyway that's about it from the stuggling to survive family of nuts here. Take care!
Meeghan still has heard nothing about an interview for a potential part time job at the cafe she just finished doing her training at. It is very stressful for her, she hasn't enough money to pay for medication for the next month, so she will likely have to miss a month. We are still trying to see if the ODB will now cover her since she is now without work...but since our file with OW would have been closed after 2 months off....it doesn't seem like there is much hope there. We can't afford to pay into the Trillium premiums up front so it's leaving things hanging quite a bit.
Then I listened to a radio broadcast yesterday where they were talking about all the people who went to St. Mary's seeking employment. About a 1000 applicants for 300 some odd jobs. Of course the radio host (why did I put on the radio when there was no power yesterday...I must be nuts LOL) he was wondering why it wasn't more. Well let me think...when you have a family you have to look at the big picture.
The way EI is set up and now OW (no more help with moving expenses) taking a job "anywhere" doesn't seem like an option if you have NOTHING you can use to pay for the trip. Family is great if you have one, or if they have money and no struggles either. For the St. Mary's one, a working car and gas money is likely a requirement. I know we have problems trying to do the job bit in the city where we need to use a bus to get to places. A lot of work is "not on a bus route" and it is frustrating beyond all reason.
On another topic, my weaving has been steadily improving...I'm hoping to someday, maybe...turn it into a way to make money to help out with expenses around the house. Not sure about the sketching bit...I'm a bit rusty now from lack of use LOL.
Anyway that's about it from the stuggling to survive family of nuts here. Take care!
Monday 25 November 2013
update: otherwise known as where the heck have you been?
Okay I know I've been away too long and I'm sure that for the most part no one has noticed LOL. I'm good with that I suppose since I'm not generally lucky enough to get noticed anyway.
Well life has been quite a rollercoaster since the last post. My two oldest had found temporary employment training opportunities which of course meant that our income in the house went up enough to ditch us off the system. That means the ODB otherwise known as the Ontario Drug Benefit card was ditched as well. Now I know the Trillium Drug Program exists, but there is a "co pay" you have to finish before you can get medication at a reduced price. As someone on a very small income (yes their income plus my husband's Second Career is very small when you consider the family size here), I wonder where the chunk of money to purchase our deductible will come from first.
My daughter has medications that run into the $300 dollars a month range and that is a huge chunk of money to contemplate. Now to understand why this happened you have to understand how the system works.
When the kids got their jobs they were both evaluated as if they were a single person living on OW. If their income was above the single person line, they were booted off. BUT when it comes to trying to extend our Drug Benefit....my daughter is considered a "dependent adult" go figure huh? It works to the advantage of the system from both directions. It also means she can't get help for her meds. IF she lived on her own, which there is no way she could afford to do, OW would allow her to continue to receive a Drug Benefit card for herself.
Also we are now waiting to see what happens with 2nd career. They also need to know when family members earn money "to avoid overpayments". I'm almost afraid they will take money from my husband's amount. Yet my spouse does not "qualify" for ANY bursaries or work programs through his college. He's left adrift and on his own, applying here and there hoping sometime soon, someone will give him a call.
The system we have in place is crazy, they give you nothing to support your family with while you go to 2nd career, yet could potentially deduct money if my family makes too much. I really don't want to be asking my kids to give me all their money and there is no way they could afford that and manage to keep on getting clothes etc for work.
So I'm going to keep the fingers crossed that it works out for us and in the meantime try to get better, because well....if you don't have your health it can be a problem for getting anywhere in life.
Well life has been quite a rollercoaster since the last post. My two oldest had found temporary employment training opportunities which of course meant that our income in the house went up enough to ditch us off the system. That means the ODB otherwise known as the Ontario Drug Benefit card was ditched as well. Now I know the Trillium Drug Program exists, but there is a "co pay" you have to finish before you can get medication at a reduced price. As someone on a very small income (yes their income plus my husband's Second Career is very small when you consider the family size here), I wonder where the chunk of money to purchase our deductible will come from first.
My daughter has medications that run into the $300 dollars a month range and that is a huge chunk of money to contemplate. Now to understand why this happened you have to understand how the system works.
When the kids got their jobs they were both evaluated as if they were a single person living on OW. If their income was above the single person line, they were booted off. BUT when it comes to trying to extend our Drug Benefit....my daughter is considered a "dependent adult" go figure huh? It works to the advantage of the system from both directions. It also means she can't get help for her meds. IF she lived on her own, which there is no way she could afford to do, OW would allow her to continue to receive a Drug Benefit card for herself.
Also we are now waiting to see what happens with 2nd career. They also need to know when family members earn money "to avoid overpayments". I'm almost afraid they will take money from my husband's amount. Yet my spouse does not "qualify" for ANY bursaries or work programs through his college. He's left adrift and on his own, applying here and there hoping sometime soon, someone will give him a call.
The system we have in place is crazy, they give you nothing to support your family with while you go to 2nd career, yet could potentially deduct money if my family makes too much. I really don't want to be asking my kids to give me all their money and there is no way they could afford that and manage to keep on getting clothes etc for work.
So I'm going to keep the fingers crossed that it works out for us and in the meantime try to get better, because well....if you don't have your health it can be a problem for getting anywhere in life.
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