What Kind of Aid Does Your Country Offer for Disabilities?

Do you feel like where you're from takes care of disabled people in a good way or not? I am from the U.S and I fear the day where I am unable to work and have no support system in place because it seems like there is hardly any aid from the government. Especially with conditions like tinnitus and hyperacusis which are essentially invisible illnesses.

Do you feel like you have a back-up plan should things go terribly wrong and you're not able to work to support yourself? Interested to see how people from places outside of the US feel about this.

 

As shitty as my situation is I'm grateful to be born in a country with a support system. Right now (well not RIGHT NOW seeing as the coronavirus has sent me home from work) I work at an office about 12 hours a week, but it is an unpaid position and I am therefore paid by the government... not exactly a good "salary" but enough to get me by.

I am supposed to look for an ordinary paid job, but only part time, maximum 15 hours a week, because I've been granted a kind of part time disability, which means the government has deemed me unable to work above these 15 hours (I've been tested) and therefore the government will pay me for the remainder of hours from 15-37 hours = 22 hours, so I get a full time job-salary. It is hard to find a job with all my issues and restrictions though, VERY hard.

If I ever lose my work ability entirely (which is definitely possible for me), an early pension from the government is possible, although very hard to obtain as a younger person. Many times they'll keep you on something called 'cash benefits', which is an amount that is considerably less than full on pension.... still much better than nothing though.

Yeah, I'm lucky to be born where I was. I can't imagine what it would be like to be in the U.S with awful physical and/or mental disorders.

 

Recognized disabilities are taken care of quite well here in the Netherlands. As long as the intensity of disability is measurable: well, and that's pretty much the issue with T. Doesn't matter for me (anymore), but I do sympathize with those who have severe T and can't work because of it.

 

Unfortunately, very little support in the states. To qualify for disability is difficult... and would be in our case on the basis of mental health and since I had worked previously as a therapist I can tell you it's not easy to qualify. But since we live in the same city, I don't know if the finances would be sufficient enough to survive. There are county human health services, that give out SNAP cards (Food Stamps) and Medi-Cal, which is based on your income and easier to qualify. I've made some investments in my home country, that would make things easier for me financially, however emotionally it would be a huge hit. Relationship gone, friends gone, adapting to a new culture, a very isolated life, not being fluent in the language and etc. Unfortunately, I think that move will happen one day... sadly I feel it's inevitable.