Should I apply for assistance/welfare?

[missmich]

My work has not been giving me very many hours these days and I have a feeling that very soon they will give me even less hours. My pay checks have been quite small and I'm about 3 bills behind now. I think I am allowed to collect welfare even though I'm working,as long as I'm not earning above a certain amount and if I am then the welfare checks are just smaller.

I did just apply for another job,but they haven't called me back yet. I was offered a new job just last week,but I chose not to start b/c I felt it wasn't a legit call center and was afraid they would get raided and I wouldn't be paid and would possibly get into some trouble with that. I just didn't want to risk it. My resume is sitting on a few desks now and hopefully someone will call me for an interview.

I do have a "babysitting" interview this week and they do need me to babysit on Sunday for 5 hours,so that's something extra. This job,if they like me would be occasional and not income that I'd actually count on getting for bills etc...

I'm not to far over my head with overdue bills but soon will be.

[phathui5]

I don't think that I would be comfortable doing it if I didn't have children.

[sanguine_speed]

Originally Posted by phathui5

I don't think that I would be comfortable doing it if I didn't have children.

What?
Welfare is not just for people who have children.

If you need the financial support and are eligible for it, by all means use it!

[leavemealone]

I say if you legitimately qualify and you need the assistance, then you should apply. If you feel you need it, then at least look into it.

[missmich]

Originally Posted by phathui5

I don't think that I would be comfortable doing it if I didn't have children.

Seriously? I don't have children to feed and keep a roof over their heads so I don't deserve (is that word you would use) to have the money that welfare could give me? The money I am entitled to? Seriously?

Man,I think I better I'd better go take my shower now and cool off for a bit.

[phathui5]

I wouldn't be comfortable with it because without children to take care of, there's no reason that I couldn't work multiple jobs if I had to. I would rather do that than make other people pay my bills.

And maybe welfare works differently in Canada than it does here in the US, but the amount of money that a single, able-bodied adult would get would probably be too small to be worth applying for anyway.

Are there not more jobs available in your area? You said that your work is cutting your hours. Have you applied for other jobs?

Do you have family that could help you out?

See, here you can only get money from the government if you are disabled or are supporting minor children:
http://www.dhr.state.md.us/how/cashfood/cash.htm

[missmich]

The way welfare works here is if I show them that I haven't worked for lets say,2 months then they will take my application and give me money for that month and for the month I wasn't working as well. It's kind of good in that way b/c it helps you get back on top in some cases anyway. I do probably qualify,but not for a full check b/c I am working,but even a $100 a month from them would help a lot! If I get to far behind with the bills I'll have to start choosing between the food and the bills and will have to go back to rationing my food,which is not good the way I've done it

[missmich]

I do have a job that started out giving me 25-35 hours a week and now they give me (and most others there) between 10-14 a hours a week! NO notice or anything about that,but I started to look for something else right away. Even if I do start a new job tomorrow I wouldn't be paid for another 2 weeks and would get even more behind on bills and groceries. If I did get hired to start this week,then I'd hold off on the welfare knowing it wouldn't be much longer til I got a bigger pay check and would be fine. Right now,I just don't know when that will happen.

[missmich]

Originally Posted by phathui5

Do you have family that could help you out?

See, here you can only get money from the government if you are disabled or are supporting minor children:
http://www.dhr.state.md.us/how/cashfood/cash.htm

I'm actually estranged from my family and have been for years,they live on the other side of the country from me.

Here in this province anyone can apply. I even applied once 3 days before I started a new job and really needed to pay rent before that first paycheck. They gave me welfare for that month and for the month before,b/c I hadn't been working the month before and they even gave me money after I started to work! I sent the check back and they sent me another one saying I hadn't earned enough on my check so I could to keep getting welfare.

The full welfare check isn't much at all,maybe just over $500 a month,I can't remember. Not enough to live off of for me,but since I'm working and trying to find something else (soon I hope) getting part of that would really help me.

[baileyandmikey]

I think it all depends... how badly do you need it? And you aren't planning on using it long term right? So, I say temporarily I would go for it.

[sanguine_speed]

Please don't even start to justify your case to anyone. If you qualify and need it, that's what it's for!
I'm saddened at the stigma attached to receiving government financial assistance, and the judgment that exists about who is deserving and who is not (in general, not specifically on MDC).

[missmich]

If I do apply my hope would be to need it for less then 3 months. I was "stuck" on welfare for such a long time when I was first living on my own and I really hate having to go back to it,I get scared of getting sucked into living that lifestyle again. I hope that isn't offensive to anyone on assistance,but for me when I was on it years ago it was a really negative thing and I did feel stuck. So now I try hard not to go back on it and if I do I give myself a personal goal (I guess that's the right word) of getting back on my feet in 3 months or less.

[Scribe]

It's a program your taxes support, just like any other. If you need it, and you qualify for it, use it.

I have a really big problem with the attitude that only those who have kids deserve help. That attitude is pandemic in the states, and it sickens me. Everybody has periods where they need help, and social programs are not just for parents.

[Ola_]

I don't really know the specifics of either, but since this is due to your hours being cut, would EI be an option?

[lalaland42]

If you need it and you qualify, apply. Government assistance is supposed to be a social support system for those who need it, parents and not-parents. I'd do that instead of choosing between bills and food, that is just not right.

GL I hope things get better.

[lalaland42]

Originally Posted by avengingophelia

It's a program your taxes support, just like any other. If you need it, and you qualify for it, use it.

I have a really big problem with the attitude that only those who have kids deserve help. That attitude is pandemic in the states, and it sickens me. Everybody has periods where they need help, and social programs are not just for parents.

AO said it better than I did, so :

[Emmeline II]

Originally Posted by sanguine_speed

Please don't even start to justify your case to anyone. If you qualify and need it, that's what it's for!
I'm saddened at the stigma attached to receiving government financial assistance, and the judgment that exists about who is deserving and who is not (in general, not specifically on MDC).

If you meet the requirements then that is all the justification you need.

[the_lissa]

Originally Posted by avengingophelia

It's a program your taxes support, just like any other. If you need it, and you qualify for it, use it.

I have a really big problem with the attitude that only those who have kids deserve help. That attitude is pandemic in the states, and it sickens me. Everybody has periods where they need help, and social programs are not just for parents.

ITA.

Definitely apply. good luck!

[sanguine_speed]

Originally Posted by Ola_

I don't really know the specifics of either, but since this is due to your hours being cut, would EI be an option?

In order to qualify for EI, one must work 600 hours in the preceding 12 months. And, then your benefit is 55% of whatever you made as an average. So someone making little with few hours would get a pretty low benefit (if she qualified at all). There is also a 2-week waiting period for EI benefits where you get nothing (it's not that it takes that long to process and then you get it retroactively...you actually just don't get it ever). That means that for the first month, you are lucky to get 25% of what you were earning, which in the case of the OP wasn't very much. Then you get 55% for a short period of time.

[Mama2Xander]

I don't know a lot about welfare, but have you looked into using the food bank? It sounds like it is relatively easy to access here in BC, not sure about Ontario. Maybe that would at least help with the grocery situation. However, I agree with others here that if you need more help (eg. in the form of welfare), then definitely look into it.

ETA: Oops, I have no idea where I got the Ontario thing from. I thought your location said Ontario but now I see it just says Canada. So just ignore that part if it's not the case!