this post was submitted on 12 Aug 2026
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Similar position here, I'm 52. My best case scenario is SSI, which only pays $900 per month plus back pay from November of 2025. If it goes through, great, I'll be getting a used vehicle and going campsite-to-campsite with it. If not, I'll hitchhike down to Houston and set up at my old camp and see how long it takes the police to sweep again. Those are my only two options, and one of them I have zero control over. The frustrating part is you spend a majority of your life paying into all these "safety nets" that seem to evaporate when you need them most. At this point, I'd rather Uncle Sam just refunded every dime I've paid in taxes and call it even. I'd likely be better off!
yeah basically until all my retirement savings is down to the few thousand you can have max with ssi we can't get it for my wife who should more than qualify. heck I should with the depression.
Yeah I think my limit is $2k for all assets minus a vehicle. So I'll never be able to have more than $1,100 in savings because the monthly $924 deposit would put me over the limit and they'd kick me off. First, last and deposit to rent a place cost way more than they'll allow me to save.
yeah I noticed that. that is going to be the tricky part if it gets that far. can't go for it till you have something that won't even last a month.
Yup. You have to have less than 2k in assets to apply. Then the application process can draw out into years. My case literally sat on a desk for 9 months until I finally got an attorney. If you have to go the SSI route, make sure you have plenty of medical documentation and get a lawyer first.
yeah medical documentation sux to because its all over the place and we don't have a central thing as a society. So she has all sorts of scans showing her back things but nothing recent and she has ones for her brain tumor stuff. and then stuff for her hip and such. honestly I can't even keep track of her stuff and I think she likely does not. its comical all the stuff. I mean dark comical. Its sad because if we were smart we would get divorced and not give her anything and then go and do it but its hard to be a dispaionate vulcan in that way but that is how society wants us to act apparently.
Yeah it's totally hosed. I had a friend (electrician) whose wife had MS. He had to turn down any amount of overtime even though they really needed it, because anything over his 40 hours would cancel her benefits and really put them in a bind. And that's without counting the monthly asset cap. I finally got all my documents in one spot (Google Drive) -- stenosis stuff, CES stuff, PTSD stuff... Makes it a lot easier. I submitted it all to SSA just to find out they have you sign a document giving them access to all of your doctors anyways. But at least it's all there for any other entities that might be able to help but need the records.