CW: Poverty & Fraud
Whenever discussions about disability benefits occur, I frequently hear the same comments: “It must be nice not having to work,” or “People just want handouts.” These criticisms rarely single out individual people; instead, they reflect a deep-seated cultural reflex that emerges whenever SSI, SSDI, Medicaid, or the idea that disabled people deserve full lives—not merely survival—is mentioned.
Sometimes, the message is even harsher. In a viral video, Congressman Pat Fallon from Texas said, “Get off the couch. Stop eating the Cheetos. Stop buying the medical marijuana and watching television.” Though he wasn’t addressing anyone specifically, the implication was clear: benefit recipients are lazy. Needing assistance is seen as a moral failing rather than a reality.
I moved out on my own at twenty, and having my own apartment was a powerful symbol of independence. But independence at home is just the beginning—I want so much more. I want to have a career, as a writer or in marketing. Despite living with cerebral palsy, I know I am a hard worker and want the opportunity to contribute to the workforce.
Sadly, achieving that goal is far more complicated than it should be. It’s not that I don’t want to work. It’s not about what I can do; rather, it is about a system where every step toward building a future comes with the looming fear of losing the services that make that future possible.
Many disabled Americans rely on Medicaid’s home- and community-based services. I depend on Personal Care Attendant (PCA) support for everyday tasks like bathing, dressing, and using the bathroom. Without these services, leaving my home or maintaining a job would be impossible.
However, Medicaid enforces strict income and asset limits. Typically, a person cannot have more than $2,000 in assets. While there are workarounds such as ABLE accounts, Medicaid buy-in programs, and special needs trusts, each comes with a tangled set of rules and restrictions.
These programs are vital lifelines but also force disabled individuals to face tough choices. To retain essential healthcare services, we are often compelled to live in poverty—circumstances no nondisabled person would willingly accept.
This is not just an attitude in America. In July of last year, a Telegraph front page declared: “Benefits Pay More Than Being In Work,” outraged that the most sick or disabled Brits might receive more support than minimum-wage earners. The anger wasn’t about fraud or abuse; it was about the idea that disabled people should receive enough to live with dignity rather than just survival.
Headlines like these shape society’s views on disability. When a disabled person stays home quietly struggling, sympathy often follows. People support the idea of mere survival—food, shelter, the bare minimum. But once someone with a disability aims to build a life beyond survival, nondisabled people frequently grow resentful. They wonder how anyone dependent on help can live a full life, or why anyone disabled would want such an opportunity at all.
This attitude implies disability is only acceptable when it appears tragic enough to meet the expectations of others. It suggests that progress or stability somehow erases the disability itself. A disabled person may work out at the gym, attend college, hold a job, volunteer, or enjoy movies—and still require help with daily activities.
Society often assumes disabled people must remain poor, isolated, and visibly struggling to be recognized as disabled. If we’re able to go out, we must not “have it that bad.” Yet volunteering, working, or enjoying life doesn’t erase disability.
Disabled people deserve to grow, learn, and contribute to society. We deserve to live full lives. Needing support doesn’t negate that.
Sources:
Kurtz, Judy. “Jon Stewart: GOP Megabill ‘Encapsulates a Ton of General Washington Bulls—tery.’” The Hill, 8 July 2025, https://thehill.com/blogs/in-the-know/5389610-jon-stewart-gop-megabill-trump-budget-big-beautiful/amp/.
Martin, Daniel. “Proof That Benefits Pay More Than a Full-Time Job.” The Telegraph, 9 July 2025, https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2025/07/09/proof-that-benefits-pay-more-than-a-full-time-job-uc/.
Romig, Kathleen, et al. “The Case for Updating SSI Asset Limits.” Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, 25 July 2023, http://www.cbpp.org/research/social-security/the-case-for-updating-ssi-asset-limits.
Shapiro, Joseph. “This Disabled Woman Built a Career. A Federal Program That Helped Now Penalizes Her.” NPR, 2 Oct. 2024, http://www.npr.org/2024/10/01/g-s1-25453/social-security-ssi-disabilities-work-outdated.