I am disabled and on social security disability at the age of 42.  I first became ill at the age of 35 and at 37 was told by doctors that I would never be ableto work again. I suffer from remitting remissng MS, Parkinson's, and diabetes.  I have some memory problems which along with everything else, pretty much makes me unemployable.  My wife has taken care of me for 7 years,  this past Easter she had a stroke,  and is partially paralyzed on her right side.

I fought for social security for 6 years,  the only income we had was the money made at her job as a cook. I had a decent paying job, but years of no income and social security bullpoop along with doctors bills left me broke and in debt. 

An example of what  SS did to me was,

They set me up an appointment to see their doctor  ( this is where it gets so ridiculous and sad that its funny ), the day before my scheduled appointment,  I get a letter from the same lady that set up my appointment, telling me that my claim for benefits was denied because I failed to go to my scheduled appointment.  I went through years of this bullpoop.

When I finally was awarded SS disability,  they would only give 5 months back pay.  I was 5 years behind but I got 5 months of pay!!  I was told that I couldnt get medicare for 2 years from when THEY decided I was disabled.  Medicaid gave me insurance,  but they are charging me what is called a spenddown  of $320.00 per month.  I only receive $1040 per month.  I take 15 prescriptions per day.  The co-pay on these prescriptions comes to $64 per month.  So, for me to get my prescriptions, I have to pay $384 per month. Without insurance my prescriptions are over $3000 per month.  I know its not the governments fault I became ill, but they did take a large chunk of money from my paychecks every week for nearly 20 years.  The way I understood it, that money went towards military, roads, politicians etc...  However, some of that money was also supposed to go to programs to help people like me and also for me if I became disabled.

So anyway my wife got turned down for medicaid and she is appealing ( she had a stroke for crap's sake). She has prescription's she needs, and I cant afford mine.  My doctor gives me insulin when she has samples, but its not enough.  My sugar last month when I went to the doctor was 545!!! 

I saw a commercial with Montel Williams doing something with prescriptions,  helping people that cant afford them get them reduced or free, so I called.  I received a packet and filled out some forms. Apparently the big thing with these companies that offer these cheap/free drugs,  is first you have to apply for medicaid and be turned down.  Since I am approved for Medicaid ( at a cost of $320 per month) I am not eligible.

Since my wife's stroke, we are now 3 months behind on our electric bill.  Winter is coming up and the price to heat the house (trailer, small) is astronomical.  We received help from HEAP last year, but that amounted to about 5 weeks worth of oil,  and it gets cold up here  ( i have seen -40 dgree temps F not C ).

To make matters worse, now I have a septic problem, and cant afford to get that fixed!!!!

The struggles to pay for medication and food alone are weighing hard on my wife,  and I fear I am not able to give her the peace of mind that will allow her to fully recover.  She actually worries more about me than herself.

thank you for the chance to vent my problems and please say a prayer for my wife  ( Judi), She is a good person and deserves better than I have to currently offer.

Hello, (Updated no longer need help,please read!)

I am posting this today to see if we can get help with our electric bill. I recieved notice yesterday that if it's not paid by the 23rd of April they are going to shut it off. We have 3 children and my husband has been down with his hip not able to do much. I am on disablity and only draw $550 a month. Our electric bill is $498. I have gotten all of my other bills paid for and was hoping that our electric bill would drop thismonth but with this cold snap we have gotten and a faulty switch on the heater that stopped it from turning off, we got hit with a huge bill. Any help would be greatly appricated and I will return it as soon as I am able, promise. I will also send copies of the bill and where payment has been made to you so you'll know that is what it went for. I wouldn't lie about this, I don't know what we'll do with out electricity. I am trying to sell somethings around the house to help us come up with the money to help pay for it. I thought we would have more time to come up with the money.  We are in desparete need, so if you can help, I promise to pay you back  some how.  God Bless! 

The Lord works in mysterious ways!! A few hours after posting this I found out I won a contest I entered last year. The prize money is more than enough to cover my electric bill. My electric company is going to work with me until the prize money comes in. Thank you Lord! And thank you everyone for your prayers!

A list of places where I have had success in the past getting help for myself and others in the North Florida Area.  I hope it helps. 

help paying my bills

My husband became ill a few months back. Forgetting where he was, falling asleep everywhere, then he has violent and mean. We finally had him diagnosed w/ Bipolar brought on by medication. I am so scared, all my time has been preoccupied getting him well. In the meantime all the bills have piled up and I can't seem to get away from this feeling of dispair. I have a part time job that was just increased to full time, I am looking for a second job now. The meds they are trying on my husband have horrible side effects, they keep adjusting the dose but we haven't found the combo yet. As soon as we do he can go back to work. I have NO money to pick up his next prescription, buy food, rent anything. I need help, this illness is killing us both. Thank you for listening.

Hello,

            I'm a recently divorced mother of 4 children. Trying to get my life together foir my children and myself..I find myself in a difficult situation right now and this is very hard for me.I am having financial trouble right now and my electric bill is pass due.It's actually about to be disconnected by monday 09/11/2009. Here is the problem i do have a full time job i just recently started working for Bishop T.D Jakes ministried in their call center. The job was supposed to launch on 8/01/2006 but the other call center that was handling the calls before did not want to give up the project. So a court battle ensued until the problem was resolved.I just started working on 08/25/2006. I tried to get another job else where even light industrial temp work. I called agencies here in GA to get assistance alot of them don't have anything until November.what i owe is 244.35 for my electric bill. I tried to come up with the money but i was unable to.I will give back the money to whom ever assists me. I am working i just need to get caiught up in this bill.

I live in Biloxi, Mississippi. I am sick, on 14 medications, have no insurance and unable to work. I go to college and am trying, but thing are really bad this month. I need help with my electric bill and telephone bill. It comes to about $125, but that is alot to me. If I could have anything I wanted or Christmas, it would be help paying these 2 bills. You don'tknow how much that would help.

hi, got a ten day shut off for electric bill.bill is all but 1,000. between rent, car , phone cant make it work. Heap wont help . if anyone would like to help, would be awesome. michaelntammy@comcast.net  ty

Hello, my name is Tiffany. I am a single parent of 3 beautiful children. I also recently found out I am having another child. The father of my children left me a few months ago. He left me in a really bad situation. I have no way to pay my electric bill. It will be shut off on Monday May 5, 2008. I tried going to HEAP but, their rules have changed so much. That they now require people to pay some of their bill first if it exceeds the amount they got pledged for. Which I can't do. So they turned me away. Now I am asking for someone's anybody's  help. Thank you for your time.... 

Hello, my name is Karen. To make a long story short I need help with paying our electrical bill. Due to some circumstances beyond our control I was 2 weeks late getting paid. Normally this would not be a big issue but it happened at a time when we had just recently moved and we used all of our saved money for the move. I have since been paid and we have managed to get our bank account back in a small positive but because of all the return item fees and late fees for various other bills we are short on the electric bill.

I have tried to get small loans with banks..even payday loans...with no luck. Actually I am kind of glad that the payday loans places denied me as that would just make matters worse instead of better int he long run.

Any help you could give towards this would be greatly appreciated! And I thank you in advance.

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We urgently need assistance with my electric bill. We have until 5pm today to pay it. We owe $450, of which I have $100 to pay on it today. I may have another $50 later today, but I'm not sure. As of right now, I need $350.  I am unable to work outside the home, and my husband just got a job in Sept after 3 years of being out of work.  We are slowly getting back out from under, and we just need a hand up, not a handout.

Hi! I am a single mom to one child who has special needs. I have a job that I am able to do at home. I work for a call center taking customer service jobs. My rent increased by an extra $450 a month startig June 1. With the cost of gas and food I am afraid I will not be able to pay my rent this month. If I pay my rent late it is $10 a day on top of what I owe.

I have some of the rent money but I am short. I will be starting a second job in 2 weeks so next month should be ok but I need help with this month. I have a shut off notice on my electric bill also. I am also low on groceries and as always I have about 1/4 tank of gas. If anyone can help me I would be so thankful!

My husband and I work making modular homes we have both been out of work most of the winter we have 5 children and are trying our best to get by.  We live in a town where your only source of electric is through them you have no other choices and if you fall behind on your bill there is no help.  We have gone through different agencies and none seem to be able to help because they supply there own electric. With a $656.00 mortgage and the price of oil it has been a tough winter.  We recieved a notice that they will be shutting off our electric if we dont come up with $1300.00 by the 2nd of April they want it paid in full and i dont know if there is anywhere i can call to get help I know they will shut it off and my water too if i dont come up with it but i dont have anyone I can borrow it from so if there is anyone who knows where you can get help if you could please let me know I would really appreciate.  My husband and I are not deadbeats we have worked hard for what we have and we are just trying to get by. 

Hello, I am so very, very sorry to be posting like this but we are desperate. I have been to many agencies and churches and have not heard anything back. We lost our home due to my health issues and not being able to work, I have been applied for disability and I am waiting an answer. I have colon cancer (was in remission after surgery a year ago but has came back) and a mediastinal mass that was diagnosed as a thymoma and is going to be removed next month, this is a major surgery where they have to break my chest open to remove it. After which I will be undergoing chemo for the colon cancer, they are waiting till after my surgery for this. This past week I found out I have high blood pressure and diabetes. I am able to provide a letter from one of my doctors verifying this. My husband works but we are barely making our rent until the disability comes in. I have three children, we do get food stamps but social services cannot help, they only help once per year and they paid our deposit on the house or we were in the streets. I am asking for help of $300 for our electric, help with food and gas so I can get back and forth to the doctor. We have till Friday the 25th of January to pay this. Please someone help me, any amount helps, I am willing to give you the number to the company, Rappahannock Electric or Embarq and our account number if you can help.

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MY NAME IS KAYLA MINTER I LIVE IN SILVER CREEK GA I AM 47 YEAR OLD FEMALE THAT IS RAISING 2 CHILDREN AND ALL THIS ON SSI AND LIFE SUPPORT MACHINE. GA POWER IS SHUTTING OFF MY POWER ON APRIL 2ND AND THERE IS NOTHING I CAN DO ABOUT IT I HAVE WENT TO ALL THE CHURCHES AND HELP PROGRAMS HERE AND NOTHING THEY ALL SAY THEY ARE OUT OF FUNDS. CAN ANYONE HELP ME PLEASE I OWE 1203.00 I AM TOTAL ELECTRIC AND NEED MY PHONE AND HEAT AND AIR. I WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO COOK EAT OR TAKE BATHS OR EVEN CALL FOR HELP IF I NEEDED IT. LIKE I SAID I AM ON LIFE SUPPORT . IF ANYONE CAN HELP MY E-MAIL IS KMINTERS@AOL.COM.

Feel free to participate in this public group space.

Two easy ways to do this:

1. Add a comment or a question here - on this page... or on any other page in this space.
   
2. Or, if you want to start a separate thread - make a new page.

Either way is good - the important thing is your participation. On Aidpage, people support each other by speaking out and by paying attention to each other - as simple as that.

I worked through my last financial hurdle, and was able to pay my rent.  While I am not unemployed, I am underemployed and am not making enough to fully take care of my financial obligations. August - December are dry months, and if I can just make it to January, I'll be ok. I don't know if I'll make it though.  I'm having a really hard time finding a stable job.  I seem to be in that "time warp" off too old and too experienced.  I've even been turned down at Starbucks!  I read an inspiring story about a downsized executive who couldn't find a job similar to what he had before, and ended up applying and getting a job at Starbucks that he now has found so gratifying.  So I toodled down to my local Starbucks to inquire and apply.  They had openings, but I wasn't chosen.  So, now I'm $500 short for my November financial obligations.  If you can help with all or part, I would be so appreciative.

Thanks.. 

I do not want to post this but I do not know where else to turn. I have called and applied for assistance with every agency and church I could find. We have a cut off notice for our electric and do not know how we are going to pay it. My husband works everyday but has been given a pay cut, he is currently looking and applying for other companies. I myself have bilateral upper lobe pulmonary nodules that are indicative for metastatic tumor(undergoing testing for this), Aden carcinoma (colorectal cancer)(should be in remission, waiting for oncology report), Severe hypothyroidism, Hypertension, Spondylosis (spinal osteoarthritis) and Diabetes, all can be proven by my doctor. Please if anyone can help I can provide any needed information. We need up to $400 for the electric. The bill has gone down due to some repairs and replacements but this is from last month. We had found out that our thermostat was broke and that has been replaced, this was the cause of or high bill. I am trying to be brutally honest here. We can pay $100 to the bill but that is leaving us without food for next week, we will not be having Easter in our home either but that is the least of our worries. Is there an angel or hero that can help. I know we are all struggling with the way prices are so I understand if no help can come to us. I have tried selling things but it has not worked out, I am currently trying to sell my garden tiller for this bill, this means no garden this year. Thank you for reading this. Happy Easter.