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Benefits
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Today I had a woman to come to my office that really upset me. No she was not ugly or mean to me, but her story was disturbing! In fact I have not quit thinking about her since this afternoon. Her story made me so mad that I encouraged her to write her congressmen and the major television networks.
I’ll change her name to respect her privacy. We’ll call her Ms. Smith.
Ms.Smith had worked for the state of Georgia for 14 years as a counselor/case worker dealing with people on welfare/disability and disabilities dealing with drug addictions. I personally didn’t know there was such a thing. After working for them for 14 years, her office was closed down and she was out of a job. There was no relocating. She then found herself at the age of 56, out of work, can’t find any work, and a mere $290 in unemployment coming in weekly. She had a mortgage and Cobra insurance to pay for which was about $450 a month. She did keep that and good thing. She ended up getting very sick and having to be hospitalized. But in the meantime...that $290 a week was not making her mortgage payment, utility bills, groceries, or her Cobra insurance. She said, “thank God I didn’t have a car payment“. So because she didn’t have enough funds to cover everything, she had to withdraw from her IRA from the state that she had moved to another financial institution after leaving her job. Since she was 56 years old...and before the age of 59 1/2, she would pay a stiff penalty by the IRS for withdrawing those funds. She certainly didn’t want to withdraw it but what choice did she have after being unemployed after a year. She had quickly gone through her savings as well.
At the end of July she got very sick and had to be hospitalized. She was so grateful that she had taken the Cobra insurance even if it was expensive. While in the hospital, she started receiving letters from the IRS stating she shouldn’t have withdrawn those funds from her IRA and that she owed the IRS a huge penalty for taking that money.
She told them she had been out of work for a year and that she had to have money to live on. The amount of unemployment she was getting weekly was not covering those expenses. Ms. Smith stated to me that the IRS rep on the phone when she called them to make some arrangements talked to her like a piece of trash...like she was nothing. She tried to explain to him what had happened and he could care less. It wasn’t like she had owed taxes from previous years...she had always paid her taxes and on time. This IRS didn’t care...didn’t care that she had been sick...didn’t care that she lost her job due to the office closing...didn’t care that she might lose her house...he didn’t care!!! He made her feel about an inch tall and like she was a piece of trash! She got so upset that she told him thank you and hung up on him.
After the phone call and still while in the hospital, the IRS put a tax lien on her checking account and withdrew about $2300.00 putting her acct in the negative somewhat.
So here we have a woman....who is educated, a hard worker, worked for the same employer for 14 years, has always paid her taxes and on time, put two daughters through college on a single parent income....now out of work, sick, trying to hang on to her insurance, her house, and survive...being bullied by our government!!!!!!
I was so mad after her telling me this story that I wanted to call the IRS up and say “how dare you talk to her the way you did and how dare you take all of her money while she is sick and in the hospital and unemployed!!”
What was so remarkable was her attitude and her will to survive. She reduced her living expenses getting rid of her cable, internet, home telephone, watching her utilities like a hawk and any unnecessary spending. Thanks to good friends she was able to find another job recently and is working to get back on her feet. She paid the negative balance today and reopened her checking account.
After talking to her at great length, she talked about the young people she use to counsel as a caseworker when working for the state. She said about 90% of the people she saw had no intention of finding a job...they just wanted their check, sit at home and watch tv, get their nails done (how she didn’t know but they were done). She said the welfare system needed to be done away with and be there only for the senior citizens. She said these younger people would come and say they were entitled to their benefits and she would say, “but honey, you didn’t pay into the system...you are not entitled to anything.“. (GOOD FOR HER). She also said that these younger ones...needed to learn to work for a change and find a way to support yourself or your family. I agree!!! As she said...everyone is responsible for themselves...and we all will help the elderly.
Ms. Smith also stated that she felt our country needed to go to a “fair tax” system where EVERYBODY pays.
She can’t wait for Obama and all his buds to get out of office. They are ruining our country. And she wants someone to go into office that will work for the people and get the people back to working...not through government but through the private sector. Healthcare...you need to buy it yourself..like you do your car insurance..but with no pre-existing conditions..(I agree)...she doesn’t want to pay for everyone else...especially those living off the system but can work. Immigration: either go through the legal process or GET OUT!!
I encouraged her to write the networks and her congressmen about what had happened to her. I walked out of my office to make a copy of a document and when I walked back into my office she thanked me for “listening to her and giving her the encouragement to write those letters“. I told her people needed to hear her story.
All of this made me think about Charlie Rangel who owes out of the wazoo in taxes and the government isn’t taking his money out of his account now are they?
How fair is that? He’s such a crook...,
And if you thought this woman was a white 56 year old...you are so wrong. She is a educated, hard working 56 year old BLACK woman who knows exactly what BIG GOVERNMENT WILL DO TO YOU!! As she put it so well....“the problem with America is... AMERICA ITSELF!!”
I agree with the latter statement, I’m heart broken for her as well, I pray soemthing be done in her favor.
Our welfare system has been needing an overhaul from its inception. Thanks for sharing her story.
WOW! me too.. i will pray that something gets done for her! it makes me sick to see someone get treated liked this! 
Thanks Neicy!! I would appreciate it if you would add her to your prayer list. I admired her attitude, her work ethic, and her courage!! This woman is smart! Her story just really hit me hard and I hope and pray she writes those letters. She is now an executive director for a community center (non-profit) that helps senior citizens. They take in donations for food and other resources.. etc...and she said of course she doesn’t make as much as she use to but she loves her senior citizens. All of this has prompted me to see about journey team taking on this community center as a journey team project. We can bring food each week we meet and we’ll donate it to them.
Great story and unfortuantly one of many. Welfare is breaking our states and our country.look at california for WHAT not to do. Help all that arent suppose to be here even let them openbank accounts b of a and the ones that truely need a helping hand to get bc on their feet are sol. Why as americans would we allow this? And government taxing our taxes. What could be better for our coumtry is a government for the people by the people? This would help even big business...happy safe people are better employees and better spenders helping american citizens is helping america. Once the realization of we the people is sadly forgotten then we the people will act. Hopefully not to late by then we lose alittle more everyday because the powers that be are to busy with every other nations rights but our rights.
I hope and pray ms. Smith writes her letters
Thank you for sharing her story. It irks me that the IRS was so disrespectful, so uncaring, and automatically withdrew money from her account. Despite this, I admire her positive attitude and strength to get back on track.
The welfare system doesn’t make sense, too many people using it instead of trying to be responsible working citizens. It’s unfortunate that the immigrants think that they deserve and so much free assistance is handed to them, yet they reach out for more. Absolutely unfair for the working class.
I hope she writes to the networks and the congressmen. Her story needs to be broadcasted. I’ll be praying for her.
I don’t understand how she could have taken anything out of her IRA without being penalized first! My dealings with IRA accounts have many many and varied. And in all instances (including using funds to buy a house) IRS always had a chance to take a bite before I was paid anything from my IRA (except for the house).
I agree the welfare, healthcare and immigration all need work. But these things have all needed work for a very long time.
I think she has set a great example of not giving up and how perservering always wins.
I know it may still be a struggle for her and I will say prayers for her,
Thx MC for sharing that story!
Shoot! I forgot to add that the taxes also need to be reformed. And again that goes back to way before President Obama.
Vicki....what she did was when she was laid off from the state...she transferred her 401K (her retirement with the state) to a traditional IRA that was set up at a financial institution. This is called an IRA Rollover. If you do this and take no money, you are not penalized, nor do you pay any taxes. It went from one retirement acct. to another. Well...after not finding any work..and having to survive paying her mortgage, utilities, something to eat, and her cobra insurance ..the $290 a week unemployment was not going to handle that. She went through her savings and then after it was gone she had no other choice. She had to live. So she made withdrawals from that IRA. Well you can do that but it’s a big penalty if you are not 59 1/2. Well...I guess when it came to filing at the end of the year...she owed big time for those penalties and because she was unemployed and had no money to pay it...she couldn’t pay. She called them and tried to arrange a payment plan that she could afford but they said based on her last year salary (when she was working..duh....) she could afford a $250 payment NOW...when she is NOT EMPLOYED. Now crazy is that???? I call that STUPID!! She told them while she is not working she could give them $50 a month...and they would not accept it. She then got very sick and had to be hospitalized..and while in the hospital they put a tax lien on her checking account...and withdrew $2300.00...which was all the money she had left to pay bills, mortgage her insurance which was $450 a month...etc.
Yeah...they got there precious taxes alright....and took every dime she had left to live on. When she told them about not working..needing money to survive...all they would say was I“m sorry...you owe this. Now you tell me that is right!!!!!!!
I think with the way the economy is and people are NOT WORKING...just yesterday...the reports came out that more people lost jobs just last week. Nothing is going to get better until people are back working for the private sector. Not government jobs because they do not “make anything to sell“. With the conditions with the health care that has been forced upon us...small businesses are scared of what is to come...therefore...they are not going to hire anyone. I have talked to a lot of small business owners...and I hear the same story over and over again. “We‘re scared of what is about to happen with the government forced regulations and because of that we are not going to hire anyone.” Ms. Smith even said she was very lucky to have gotten the job she got. It’s not what she really wants to do but she is just grateful to have the job.
The IRS has too much power!! We the people need to take some of that power away. And we can...if we just stand up and fight!!! Come NOvember...there is going to be a rude awakening among all Americans...people are sick of BIG GOVERNMENT!!
Yeah they do take their chunk when you withdraw and again when you file. That does stink but has been the standard way of doing biz for a long time.
I agree that it all needs to change. It’s not a party thing tho it IS what we have allowed to happen thru the years. We all just need to stand up and push back. Not at each other but at the govt. Its not political its about people!
You‘re right Vikki...it is the way it has been but now our unemployment rate has never been this high since the Great Depression if my memory serves me correctly. We’ve never had such a mortgage crisis as we do now. So many things that are wrong...and for our very own government to do this to the people at THIS TIME...is so wrong!! They’ve done all these other temporary things...but they won’t give the people who are unemployed or have lost their home... A BREAK!! They just dig the knife deeper!
It’s got to stop..and I truly believe that if something doesn’t give very soon, there will be a revolution. I truly believe that. When people are hungry or desperate...they will do anything!!
Thank you, Mary, for sharing this with us. It’s important to know that these things are going on. I’m just so ... sad.
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