Six months after I applied for disability I was approved for the program. It wasn't a lot of money but by budgeting I always got by. It helped that my Dad was always glad to help out. I remember that when I went to get a phone installed I was appalled at the cost and did my manic dance until I got a low-cost program. Plus while I was in hospital for 6 months my disability checks went right in the bank. It was 1979 and my rent was $75 and everything worked out.

If your disability makes you unable to work then you need to
sit down and figure out what you can do.

Employers have some latitude about determining who to hire and it's not necessarily discrimination. Have you tried a sheltered workshop like Goodwill?

I've been fortunate since being on disability I rent an adorable basement apt from and close friend so my rent is about half price and I do some chores to make it up

I thrift shop and actually my landlord and I split a lot of groceries as well

You can be creative when you want to.... Stuff isn't nearly as important to me as it used to be and I really don't feel like I do without.. .As a matter of fact I've come to believe there is a lot of waste in the world

One thing that will affect you, Voltaire, is your age and the fact that you have Not yet spent years 'putting into' SS funds that often come Back to people when they are older and get disability status, because they get a set amount of SSDI based on their previous income.

SSI will provide something but you will still find it hard to make ends meet (heck, I find it hard to make ends meet with just SSDI, but Any fixed income is complicated in today's inflated world).


Tommy's right about Goodwill being a great place to work when you Do have problems that keep you from functioning in otherwise normal work; goodness knows, it would be hard to work in Any field with multiple illnesses but at least the Point of employees at Goodwill is that they are disabled or work-needy in some way. (I can't work at my local Goodwill, of course, because my niece Runs the place and they can't hire multiple family members - urgh).

"Not hiring someone" based solely on disabled status may be discriminatory in many fields but realistically, you have to consider what you believe you Can do. ....which I know is also hard because you're still young and haven't been Out there working.


I don't really know where you live, Voltaire, but in some areas the vocational rehab programs are Great resources for even unconventional ideas. Because you have an Incredible mind, and I feel it would be beneficial to both you and a work-field, in the long run, if you could Use your mind in a job somewhere.

Work via the internet, I mean, there's really no Limit to what "kind" of work can be found, just unconventionally. Like the people that make money writing for Wikipedia, for example. (they Pay you to create informative, correct and yet easily-understood descriptions and definitions for Everything) Places "like" wikipedia.

Or an online think-tank for types of video games? Or....or....Anything, really. (old person here; Still, I Know there is amazing potential for Work out there)

HUGS

Thank you all. I will consider the Goodwill, definitely.

I've considered being an internet writer. The thing is though you have to "click-bait" and I feel like click-bating cheapens my work, or anyone's work, and that's only the beginning of my complaints on that subject.

I could very easily word things as pretentiously as possible to garner page-views for some website, but as a die-hard feminist and pro-black ally trying really hard to be of help in the midst of all the civil rights issues going on right now, I feel like it'd be anathema for me to have a writing career that might compromise the integrity of my more serious works.

Honestly I want to write a book, but I know I'm not good enough. I'm too wordy. I'm not (usually, except in private hours) saucy enough. I refuse to be gimmick-y.

So basically if you look at my most honest writings, what you have is a stripped-down compilation of ramblings that sound honestly kind of manic and psychotic, and honestly, they kind of are.

Basically it'd probably end up being a low-budget type deal. The most well-published, well-advertised books tend to be the most generic and crappy.

Mine would be like "You ever wondered what it'd be like to be one person in your head, a very neurotic and inconsistent person, but in reality, to be stuck in one room 23 hours out of the day, for years?"

Could that work? Financially? Would anyone publish that mess?

You never know it could happen...good luck with the book.

Some people do odd jobs under the table to supplement, like occasional baby/pet sitting, running errands for the elderly, yardwork, etc.

I think you are a great writer! Don't give up on your dream!

If you can work from home, there are Employment Networks through Ticket to Work program. Just call the Social Security office and ask about that. It doesn't mean you are enrolling, you just want to get some information.

If you can work outside of home, they can also help you.

It's worth a shot. Good luck.