Welfare Woes

Elaine had applied for Social Security Disability. But it takes at least five months to get onto Social Security. So she needed to apply at the welfare office for five months of emergency assistance.

"No big deal," Ron, her social worker said. He promised to go with her and help her with the process.

But, on the morning of Elaine's welfare appointment, Ron backed out. Elaine had to deal with the system alone.

Mrs. Raines, the intake caseworker, was very good at her job. She was trained to disqualify as many welfare applicants as she could. 

The law made her job easy. It said that, if you could get money from anywhere else at all, you were not allowed to get anything from welfare.

So all Mrs. Raines had to do to disqualify an applicant was to get them to say that they were not completely destitute. This, she had learned, was most easily done by hitting the applicant where it hurt the most -- in his or her pride.

Mrs. Raines did not care that Elaine was only applying for a few months of emergency assistance. She did not care that the Social Security Administration pays the Welfare Administration back in full as soon as the client is put on the Social Security rolls. And she did not care that Elaine had been diagnosed with bipolar disorder; that is, she was certifiably unable to deal with high levels of stress. Mrs. Raines was just doing her job.

And so she treated Elaine no differently from any other welfare applicant:

R How many people are in your family?

E Five, besides me.

R Are your parents alive?

E Yes. And I have two brothers and a sister.

R Do you live with them?

E No. I live alone.

R How much money do you have in your savings account?

E I don't have a savings account.

R Why not?

E Because I have no money to put in it.

R How much is in your checking account?

E $62, right now.

R That isn't enough for a savings account?

E That isn't enough to buy food.

R (Glaring at Elaine) Being sarcastic will get you nowhere.

E (Lowers her gaze)

R Who lives with you?

E I told -- uh, I live alone.

R Do you own your home or rent an apartment?

E I rent an apartment.

R What is your rent?

E $475 a month.

R For a studio?

E No. It's a one-bedroom.

R Move into a studio and use the money you save for food.

E No! I need the living room to start a business. I'm not going to give up my dream just to have food for a few months. When my Social Security starts, I'll be fi --

R (Speeding up the pace of her questioning) But you don't need a one-bedroom apartment to live!

E I'm trying to tell you --

R You're trying to tell me that you're all out of money and need emergency support when you have plenty of money. Move into a rooming house!

E I still couldn't pay the rent --

R (Her voice becoming louder) Then go live with your parents!

E I'm a grown woman!

R Can't you get along with your parents?

E What's that got -- But they live in Arizona.

R So?

E I'm setting up my business here -- my apartment, my contacts, my friends, every --

R You're letting casual acquaintances keep you from saving money?

E They're not casual acquaintances. They're my good friends, who care about me.

R Enough to help you out?

E Sometimes.

R But I'll bet they're too stingy to lend you money.

E My friends are good people!

R So how much money have they lent you?

E (Gasping at the attempt to trick her) None!

R (Her voice getting softer and sweeter) Do you accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior?

E (Becoming more cautious) Yes.

R (After talking for a moment about her deep faith and fervent desire to do the Lord's will) You try to do Lord's will too, don't you?

E Yes.

R What would Jesus do in your place? Would he ask the government for money, or would he go out and earn his own?

E Wait a minute! This isn't a lifestyle choice! I just need welfare for a few mon --

R There you go evading my questions again! I think the reason you won't go live with your parents is you don't get along with them. You have bipolar disorder, it says here. Manic depressives often have trouble getting along with others. Then they lose their jobs and come whining to me for support. Isn't that right?

Elaine realized by now that Mrs. Raines was not going listen to anything she said. So she remained silent.

R Isn't it?

Elaine still did not answer. She was not going to get emergency assistance anyway.

R Go down that hall to the last room on the left.

Elaine did as she was told. As her picture was being taken for an ID card, she realized that, after all that, Mrs. Raines had put her on emergency assistance.