I am disbaled, i have lived on SSDI since 2000 when for physical reasons amonth other I was no longer able to work
I do recieve SSDI paymeny month, but keep in mind I also worked full tiem and paid into the system since i was able to legaly work and have tax deductions taken out of my check
I am not in my mid 50's anmd what I have found is amazing

I have livedi n Section 8 housing for 6 years, but do to various reasond I ha to wait almost 7 years to get my voucher at the time i registrted i was told there was a 10 years waiting ist as of of 2006 ALL section 8 in my home state were stoped, no more names on a waiting list accepted, when they did statt back up issue voucher they had a 10 year wating list but only 45 vouchers you do the math
I had to prve i was low income my award letter from Social Security and an ORIGINAL COPY not a copy of it, a valid SS card ect
Do to my income i missed my states upper level for a LInk Card (Food Stamps( we switched to a plastic type card 5 years ago to keep people from selling their food stamps for various things i do not qualify for food stampsas my income is $15.00 a month over the state allowence where i live
I was just notified i also this year do NOT qualift for Low Incme Energy Asisstance, my month incoe is $25.00 over the state max for a single person

ALL my expensies come out of my month diability check, medication, gas, good, clothing ect ect it is incredably difficult in 2008 to make ends meet, i have found myself doing all my errands in 1 day, ifi go foodshoppingand forget something i have to wat til the following week as thecost of gas dos not justify my driving to the store to pick up 1 or 2 items
I used to pay with my Medicare D $1 for genenric and $3 for brand name, nw I have t Pay $8 for brandand $5 for generic altho ti may not seem like alot, if you are on maintence medication as i an, that $2-3 dollar per perscrition difference per month over $12 months is HUGE on a fixed buget
my cost of living increase last year from Social Security was 1.5% or in real month about $10-15 a month, it is no where near the inflation rate
I have learned to live onwhat I have if for no othereason I have no choice, ican't spend more the the governement send me monthly all my food is gneneric in brand to save a fw bucks ecept a fee speicifc item which will only buy brand name r not but at all
whe my car hets to 1/4 tak used i have to keep toppinmg it off to make surei always have a full tank at $4.25 a gallon i do this every other week
the nly thing that has made it easier for me is my intenist, my personal physician has dealt with me for 40 years (his father then him) he accepts meicare assignment but has told me anything he deos notget from edicare he writes off. Trust me he is the exception not therule on office vists and i consider myself extrodinary lucky to have him as my doctor
I ca not an willnot speak forthe allien issue be they illegal or not but i do know in most cases those i know do all work but they get paid cash only, they have :normal jobs) painters, landscaping ect i only know 1 that does lansscaping and he stays here inthewinter to plows driv ways inthe winter to get hruogh, i also know of 1 that does resurfacing of parking lots and rive ways in the sumerand plows snow in the winter

My point, is living on my income is very hard, getting no state assistancesu to my income makesi tharder, my state offered me a $10 a month in foodstamps, but i plassed realzingthat itwould buy me next to nothing as i had 3 months of paper work to fll out but still no promisei wuld get the card despite what they told me with my low income energy assistance gran gone i loose $350 a year in subsidizes to pay for my electricity, i swtic to all floursent light bulbs to save wherei could

6-12 months ago, 4 senator from Congres decide to see what it was like to live on foodstamps for 30 days 2 repbulicans 2 democrats 1 senator said he acutatwent into a foodstore, bought 1 loaf of bread, peatnutdbutter and jely then counted out how many slices of bread where in the loaf so he would know how many snadwhiches he could make, after 30 days all he said was "I truly now have NO idea how those who receive foods stamps can live for 30 days on what they recieive, i certainly can't"
Keep in mind these senator andreps makewell over $100 a year, the foodstamp experiment they tried was a touch of rea lreality forthem they sw for themselves 1st hand what you can buy in 2008 on $75-$100 a month
I am not complainig, just wanted to give some real insight from a person who lives on a fixed income, no foodstamps ect what it is like in 2008 to try and make ends meet
BTW in my state if you apply for Section 8 you MUST prove legal residency r you get no voucher, no an's if or but's on this issue
just wanted to through in my 2 cents worth ehre is it helps anyone, alsai hear that my cost of living increase enct year for 2009 MAY be droppedfrom 1.5% to 1.25 % nothing i can do excep tearn to live on it