Rant Alert: Another Round of SSI Benefits Fun In The Making: NOT

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As many of my friends know, I've had my share of "fun" with SSA due to my getting SSI disability benefits which I've been getting since 1996. To give a thumbnail sketch, back in May of 2007 my benefits were completely cut off and I had only $5.71 to my name as I was expecting my next benefit check. I then only had gotten and received a notification letter of their intent to cut my benefits off on Saturday, April 28, 2007...gee they gave me a lot of notice, didn't they? It stemmed back to my having gotten "extra" money from a Now Account of my mother's that I was entitled to after she died. IT WAS ON RECORD my mother had died, and even though the total amount was more than the allowable monetary assets one can have while on benefits...still, what did they think I was going to do with the money? Take a Bahama cruise..NO...I used that money to pay off her funeral costs and other bills--when all was said and done I didn't have money leftover--it all went for those expenses. Then just last year at this time once again I was going through hell since once again I was being questioned about my eligibility for benefits--actually it started in November of 2009 when I got the letter. I began calling the local office on a regular basis, but all I succeeded in doing was leaving messages on the caseworkers machine...she never ONCE got back to me. I also mailed in proof of my eligiblity via Priority Mail/Certified/Return receipt request--still nothing--this kept going on with my calling them..nothing. Then in February of last year (2010) I received a duplicate letter to please contact them as soon as possible...WHAT? What happened with my messages, the material I sent in? Then in March got a letter saying since they hadn't heard from me, my benefits were to be discontinued....WHAT????? With both cases, I had the inspiration to contact a representative of my Congressman's office to help me out, and fortunately there is a special representative that must have a lot of clout as she handles SSA benefits issues and things move fast and she gets the ball rolling. Well folks, looks like I'm going to have to contact her again. I didn't go out yesterday, not even to get the mail, but since I did go out today got my mail...sure enough a letter from SSA needing to review my case as to whether I'm still eligible...are these people freaking nuts? My status hasn't changed to whether I need benefits or not and have been getting them since 1996..I'm NOT eating fillet Mignon and sipping champagne every night, have a jaguar car (don't even drive) go on cruises...heck, by the time I pay my bills there's not much left just for essentials--I haven't even had extra money to buy a badly needed pair of shoes for crying out loud and I was ever so grateful, more than they know, when my cat Pyewacket died last year, many of my on-line friends chipped in and sent me money so I could cremate him. oh yeah, living in a lap of luxury--NOT Anyway, I feel like screaming to SSA to leave me alone already. YES I'm aware that there are a lot of cheaters who get benefits that don't deserve them...I'm NOT one of them, my benefits are my only source of income..why don't they go after the cheaters...they don't seem to, yet love bothering the hell out of people like me who need them. To have a head start I just emailed the one woman at my Congressman's office to find out if that representative still is there, so she should see my email first thing tomorrow morning--I want to get cracking on this as soon as possible before I get another letter by SSA that my benefits are ended. Calling my local SSA office doesn't do diddle squat since all I was doing was leaving messages, and neither does mailing in things since in the past both were ignored, and no I'm not able to travel to the office either. Okay your turn...would love to hear your rants about the Social Security Administration and if you've been hassled by them in having and keeping your benefits. And why is it we who DO need benefits and are honest get harassed like this? Seems we have to fight for everything.