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Fall/Winter Parents Using Public Assistance-Support Only! - Page 5

post #81 of 311
11/26/08 at 1:19am
Quote:
Originally Posted by SuzyLee View Post
Also, there is rarely a reason to buy life insurance for a child unless you are worried about funeral costs- but it is so rare to have to bury a child that statistically that is not a very good reason to buy it.
What I'd like to know if if we do buy a life insurance policy (not term)will it effect eligibility? Both my children have conditions that can lead to death in childhood as scary as that thought it it does happen and they seem to like telling everyone when a child with the dx does die. I mean I know its to support the family but all it does is remind me my kids can die from there conditions. Anyway, I'd like to get something, plus they will not be able to get life insurance when older (they won't even be able to get regular health insurance ) so I'd like to get something now and get something they can keep there whole lives.

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post #82 of 311
11/26/08 at 1:40am
Suzylee, I was the one asking about life insurance. You're right, I did have the whole and term policies confused. We have yet to decide on a policy, so we'll do some more looking in Febuary and see if we find out anything about gov. assistance in the meantime.

I was thinking of the Gerber plan because I heard it was cheaper for her to take over the policy if she so chose to as an adult, and because it was a way to put a little away for college as well. Luckily I've read that it's the same rate for at least a year after birth, and it's pretty reasonable to start the plan all the way up until she's twelve so I have time to get off public aid.

Once hubby gets a good job (which he's in school for now!) we will have more options as well. I'm more trying to cover my back at least in some way as hubby is the sole provider and we obviously don't have much money in the bank, lol. This is why a life insurance policy would be a comfort.

And by all means, don't feel like you can't share advice just because you're not in the same situation. I feel like everyone can learn from each other. Thanks!
post #83 of 311
11/26/08 at 9:44am
With respect the qualifying for aid if you have a whole life policy, I really have no idea! My *guess* would be you wouldn't qualify if god forbid the person died and you got the check- but otherwise I doubt it would affect things.

In terms of you kids having health issues, I am sorry to bring it up, but are you sure they would qualify for life insurance even as children?

My aunt had a policy bought for her when she was a newborn and it was used when she died at age 4 monhths so I know it can be helpful if god forbids the worst happens. So morbid the think about, I am giving myself the shivers.
post #84 of 311
11/26/08 at 4:03pm
Thread Starter 
transformed, that sounds just insane! I'm in Missouri, which just allows for religious (and not philosophical) exemption, and I've never had to deal with that kind of hassle!

We've never been questioned about vaxes for food stamps or medicaid. With WIC, they ask if vaccines are up-to-date and I say, "We don't vaccinate," and that's it, we've always gotten the WIC no problem.

I feel quite sure you're going to win this, and they really should give you back-pay for all the time they've made you wait.
post #85 of 311
12/2/08 at 5:50pm
Ok, my application was dated 9/29 and my denial dated 11/25 - is that insane in itself?!?!

(For EVERYTHING medicaid, foodstamps, tanf, EVERYTHING)

The medicaid was denied because I dont have the money to buy birth cert's. (My worker told me she could approve tanf funds to help me pay for them)

My tanf and foodstamps were denied because I didn't give them proof of religion AND a financial statment (which I told her I was waiting to be mailed to me, and I actually had in my hand the day she told me she was denying my benefits-my car wasnt driveable that day)

The packet she gave me with a list of documents she needed to process my app had a due date on it that I didn't see, (10 days) and she didnt inform me their was a due date either.

I am trying to appeal but I have like 20 papers with the denial letter on it and I am confused about what I need to do.

It says I should contact my caseworker for help appealing. :

I am overwhelmed. We dont have enough to pay rent this month. (If we plan on eating.)
post #86 of 311
12/3/08 at 12:21am
Thread Starter 
Gosh, transformed, I hope you can see your worker right away and this all gets straightened out quickly!

Please let us know!
post #87 of 311
12/3/08 at 2:32pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by mammal_mama View Post
Gosh, transformed, I hope you can see your worker right away and this all gets straightened out quickly!

Please let us know!
thanks. I am calling a lawyer. this is ridiculous.
post #88 of 311
12/3/08 at 3:50pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by transformed View Post
Ok, my application was dated 9/29 and my denial dated 11/25 - is that insane in itself?!?!

(For EVERYTHING medicaid, foodstamps, tanf, EVERYTHING)

The medicaid was denied because I dont have the money to buy birth cert's. (My worker told me she could approve tanf funds to help me pay for them)

My tanf and foodstamps were denied because I didn't give them proof of religion AND a financial statment (which I told her I was waiting to be mailed to me, and I actually had in my hand the day she told me she was denying my benefits-my car wasnt driveable that day)

The packet she gave me with a list of documents she needed to process my app had a due date on it that I didn't see, (10 days) and she didnt inform me their was a due date either.

I am trying to appeal but I have like 20 papers with the denial letter on it and I am confused about what I need to do.

It says I should contact my caseworker for help appealing. :

I am overwhelmed. We dont have enough to pay rent this month. (If we plan on eating.)
Yowza! That is so wrong in so many ways. I am so sorry mama, that you are going through all of this. I wish I could come pick you up in my car and drive you over to your DCF office and sit with you while you wait for an emergency appointment. That is just insane.

Do you have any food pantries that you can go to? Are there any churches in your area that have food pantries? I am not sure how your local food pantries work, but here you just have to give a statement about income and that is it. They also would like a social security card on file, but don't require it. I just went yesterday and they had leftover turkeys from Thanksgiving that were still frozen. They had a million and were trying to get rid of them. I got two actually, as a friend who was with me didn't want hers. If you lived closer, I could give you a huge honkin' turkey!

Oh mama. I am thinking of you and hoping your luck turns around soon.
post #89 of 311
12/3/08 at 4:47pm
yes I am slowly finding my way around the resources here - I yelled at the lady at HHS for like 10 min for not giving me a list of food pantrys/resources

This county, or state, or whatever, is just crazy.

I wrote a letter to the ACLU today.

I am looking into whether I have a legal case here.

http://www.mothering.com/discussions....php?t=1007517
post #90 of 311
12/3/08 at 10:20pm
Yeesh! Things are so crazy, aren't they? I hate all the red tape people hand you sometimes.

If I don't have my dd by the eighteenth I'm going to be induced. I'm not a huge advocate for induction but in this case I'm comfortable with it. I've been told by many that when she comes on out my hubby should go directly to the public aid office and inform them. Our food stamps will be raised and we should qualify for TANF as well. As much as I don't want to go from hospital to the public aid office if that's what I have to do, I know the extra benefits will be a godsend. I also want to clear up what I need to do and show right away so that I'm for sure dd has her insurance taken care of. I've heard different things about whether they'll want another reassessment, what paperwork I'll need to bring in, etc. so that's why I'll be sending hubby for all the info while I recoup with little one.

I'm very excited for her to be here!
post #91 of 311
12/4/08 at 1:04am
Quote:
Originally Posted by happyhats View Post
Yeesh! Things are so crazy, aren't they? I hate all the red tape people hand you sometimes.

If I don't have my dd by the eighteenth I'm going to be induced. I'm not a huge advocate for induction but in this case I'm comfortable with it. I've been told by many that when she comes on out my hubby should go directly to the public aid office and inform them. Our food stamps will be raised and we should qualify for TANF as well. As much as I don't want to go from hospital to the public aid office if that's what I have to do, I know the extra benefits will be a godsend. I also want to clear up what I need to do and show right away so that I'm for sure dd has her insurance taken care of. I've heard different things about whether they'll want another reassessment, what paperwork I'll need to bring in, etc. so that's why I'll be sending hubby for all the info while I recoup with little one.

I'm very excited for her to be here!
Happyhats, congrats on the upcoming birth of your little one! : I am sorry that you have to be induced, but I will be wishing you easy labor vibes and hope that you have a beautiful birth experience.

Just wanted to grumble here a teeny bit. I do childcare out of my home, and in early November, I lost one of my families that I provide care for. I only had two, so it was a pretty big impact on my income. I provided a letter to the aid office a day or two after his final day with me, (around November 7) and they did not get back to me until around November 28. : Apparently the letter that I provided did not give them the exact information that they required to increase my food stamp benefit. I went the following day to hand deliver a letter with the info that they had requested to increase my benefits, and was assured that it would go into effect for December. Guess what my benefits were for December? Yep, same old same old.... I went to the grocery store yesterday and checked my card balance and there was no increase. I am so frustrated. I am really not sure how we are going to eat this month. Luckily I can go to the food shelf, but it is going to be tight. *sigh*

One bright spot. I was given two turkeys this week from folks who didn't want them! Yippee! I cooked one today and froze 3/4 of the meat and am currently thawing another in the fridge and am going to freeze that one as well. Between that, WIC and the veggies that I get from my winter CSA, we should be ok. Just going to have to get creative with menu planning.
post #92 of 311
12/4/08 at 2:30am
I was just wondering when you give birth, how much does your food stamps go up?
post #93 of 311
12/4/08 at 3:23am
Hey everyone, hope every one is doing pretty well as we start the month. This is been a really mixed time for us, I still have no idea whats going on for school next semester and even if I will have fin aid, 8 yr old has been a disaster health wise due to an asthma flare from a sinus infection dripping into her lungs. That turned out to be a good news bad news thing of thing but for now today was a pretty good day and I wanted to share it

1) My lease is up and I really don't want to move but they were raising the rent $42 a month (back to the regular rate, I had been on a move in special) which I couldn't afford. Called them up this morning on a hunch and while talking to the rental agency I discovered there lowering rents all over town becasue nothing is renting. I got them to not raise my rent and keep the special rate if I signed a 6 mo lease again so I'm

2) Met with dd's virtual school teacher for the first time today and they did further testing in math since she scored 99% percentile nationally and there bumping her up to 3rd grade math and she already knows a lot of that too Plus the teacher didn't freak out about her reading level and was really fantastic in helping dd read the test rather then just failing her becasue she couldn't read all the directions herself (the local public school was failing her in half her classes because she had to read the work and she couldn't so she'd just guess)

3) Got my FS and went shopping and had some major scores, the one I'm really happy about is Rice Chex is one of the few cereals my dd can eat with her celiac/allergy issues and its usually about $3.98 box here. It was on sale at Winco for $2.38 a box and every box had peelie coupons for $3/3 so I got each box for $1.38 and to make the deal sweeter, I have rain checks from a local store for like 30 boxes worth about 10 at a time for $1.50 each so I will get them for .50 cents a box with the extra peelies. I am in cereal heaven! I know a lot of people hate cereal but its great for when dd wakes up really early and wants food or were in a hurry and I don't have time to cook a hot meal.

4) Gas prices are way down here
post #94 of 311
12/6/08 at 6:24pm
Hi evrybody.

We're not doing so well in the bills department right now. But we have food money, because I cashed out our last retirement fund. I started that @*#$^$ thing when I was 18, and I have to cash it out b/c my DH is a UA violation. I am thankful the boys and I have medicaid, and WIC, and also that with gas being so much lower, it'll be a couple hundred dollars less each time our fuel oil tank gets filled.

We're getting calls from creditors. . .

When will it end?
post #95 of 311
12/6/08 at 10:00pm
Hugs, everyone. Luckily we're doing okay right now. Not great, but okay. I'm really hoping to hear about heating assistance soon, but they said it could take until FEBRUARY, ugh. We have the money for things, barely, but that money could be much better put to use elsewhere and I know we qualify. I'm trying not to be scroogy or ungrateful, but it gets frustrating when things are so slow.

Other than that we've gotten very serious about watching our spending and being as thrifty as absolutely possible.

I have to say that overall I do feel blessed though. I have food in the cabinet, a roof over my head, and my loved ones. I know I will get through this rough patch and that I'm not going to get my electricity turned off or get evicted, or go hungry. That's what really matters.
post #96 of 311
12/8/08 at 2:48pm
Hi! I hope no one minds me jumping in here, but I thought this may be the best place to ask I am currently applying for medicaid for pregnant women. I'm pretty certain we'll qualify. However, I am unsure of a couple of things needed in addition to the app and the 800 number says to call back later....so here goes. It asks for proof of pregnancy including the number of babies expected and due date. What do I send? I have the form my OBs office filled out for my WIC plus my first u/s that shows one child. Would those be sufficient? Also it requires proof of state residency....what would that be? My drivers license will be sent and it's for the state I currently (and have always) lived in, isn't that proof? Or do I need to send some sort of bill or something?

Thanks for helping!
post #97 of 311
12/8/08 at 5:44pm
Thread Starter 
Hi, BJewels79! That sounds like plenty of proof to me -- for proof of residency, I'd probably send a utility bill rather than copy of driver's license -- but I'm not really sure which they'd prefer. We've always used a bill for that.
post #98 of 311
12/8/08 at 5:56pm
Thanks! They require the drivers license no matter what. Actually, it says to send copies of my birth certificate, drivers license, proof of pregnancy (including how many babies and official due date), SSN (it's on the app), proof of state residency, and proof of our last 4 weeks income,oh and info about other health coverage.

So maybe I'll add in a copy of our latest water bill? Our electric is in DHs name, but maybe our phone bill would work, in both of our names. And now I'm wondering about health insurance. We do have coverage through DHs insurance, but I'm applying for this to help with deductibles and prescriptions primarily (I had diabetes with both of my prior pregnancies, both were insulin dependent also, that got very expensive!) We are WELL below the income limitations for me as a pregnant woman, so I hope our private insurance won't make a huge difference
post #99 of 311
12/8/08 at 8:30pm
Satori, what virtual school are yoiu using? We VS too.

Chandi
post #100 of 311
12/8/08 at 8:36pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Nursingnaturalmom View Post
Satori, what virtual school are yoiu using? We VS too.

Chandi
We use CAVA/K12 virtual public school option. So far its working out really well for us
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