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If you had to choose between the following, which would you choose: The same access to current services aimed at reducing poverty (food stamps, HEAP, WIC, furniture vouchers, short term housing subsidies, etc.) OR $1,000/month from age 18 and up, no strings attached.
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Initials/unique IDUBIWelfareComments
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110I get no help from a lot of these places.
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210DSS makes me want to blow my head off. They make me feel like a shitty person. They're taking half my money for shelter fees.
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301
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410
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510
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610It would be way easier. You wouldn't have to jump through hoops. It would pay your rent and a couple of bills right off the rip. It would work if you fell short at work or if you lost your job, you'd still be financially stable.
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710
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810They act like it's coming out of their pocket.
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910
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1010I hate going down there [DSS]. I hate sitting there. I hate having to put up with them. They're grimy. They're mean as hell. They think I'm going to be sitting there for years and years. I'm not doing that. If I had to work three jobs, I'll do it.
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1110I'll be rich! I would open up some kind of business with it. I would do something-- I would work for myself. I would get a truck and open up a whatnot shop. I'd pick up trash and sell it. I'd make that money work for ME!
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1210
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1310I believe it'd be a beautiful help toward society. No food stamps, hell yeah!
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1410That would help out so much. When does it start?
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1510It would help me be a little bit more financially stable. I wouldn't even touch that because I work. I would just save.
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1610
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1710
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1810
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1901I can earn it myself.
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2010
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2110
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2210I hate going to DSS. They're disrespectful. They act like their appointment is more important than your other appointments.
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2310You'd be able to budget yourself and balance yourself out better.
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2410It's definitely more than what they're giving me with the food stamps and cash. And I think it would work out a lot better also. People wouldn't be selling food stamps, etc. It would definitely help out your income. You could actually live. The mininmum wage--you can barely make it!
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2510It would help me restore my license, get furniture, personal hygeine, gas and electric, bus pass, transportation.
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2610
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2710People sell their food stamps anyway.
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2810
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2910DSS .. they turn you off when you don't know about it. They don't give you your money when they're supposed to give it to you. You have to go to the office. And then, if you miss a date, you get sanctioned, or something happens, you know, things happen, and you get sanctioned or you get put out or whatever. And landlords don't take social service. A lot of them don't because...when they cut you off, you don't even know if you're gonna get your rent paid. And if they sanction you for thrity days, the landlord's gonna be like...they want their money. They're not trying ot hear that. So that's why it's so hard to find housing. KM: what would you be able to do with a thousand dollars a month? IC: I would pay my bills, I would pay my rent, and working would be for food and shopping and any other bills I have to pay. That would basically be for rent. Cause I always gotta make sure I got a roof over my head. Me and my son, we've never been through this. I've never been through this before. It feels like I can't control what's going on and that somebody else is controlling my life. It's very scary.
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3010
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3110I would get off SSI. That's an extra $300/month.
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3210You could use it for anything- food, clothing, toiletries. You can't do that with SNAP and other benefits.
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3310It would help me take care of my needs. I'm trying to get my son back so that would help a lot actually.
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3410
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3510It would probably be easier. From there I could create my own budget from what I need. Where I need to allocate. The way it is now you have to go around and grab from here, grab from there. It's a lot more confusing. As well as you don't always know what your options are, what's available, what you qualify for.
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3610It would actually help out more, just in case something like this happens. I would have a little safety net to fall back on.
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3710I think it would definitely help people. I could just use that for chilcare (instead of DSS system).
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3810It would be more consistent. I've never had so many problems with TA (Temporary Assistance). I haven't been on TA that many times, but in the past I didn't have problems with it. I don't know why I'm having problems with it now. I didn't get it at all when I was pregnant with him (son). I've been on a sanction since I was pregnant with him. KM: What was it for? Client: It was because I had to go to these career classes and I missed one day. KM: Why'd you miss one day? Client: I can't remember. I think I was sick or something. I was eight months pregnant. They had me going around to all these jobs, trying to get a job at eight months pregnant. I was just tired. KM: So which do you think you might choose? Client: The $1,000. KM: Why's that? Client: Because after bills I don't have any..I still have to go get free diapers, clothes.
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3910I've only gotten those benefits a few times, but it doesn't last very long. They make you go here, go there, jump through hoops.
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4010I would always be able to pay my rent no matter what.
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4110I would literally do anything to get myself off of DSS. They're like government funded loan sharks. Yeah they give you a little but you always owe them way more. When the thousand starts, I want to be the first to sign up!
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4210I get $509 in food stamps now with my two kids so I would get almost $500 more. I would buy all the other stuff I need- kids clothes, etc. I recently missed two months of food stamps for literally no reason. They just cut it off. And I missed six hours of work going down to that office three separate times. I had to lose my shit, because that's what you have to do, to get them to do anything for you. I finally got them back, but now I'm working this weekend to make up the hours.
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4310Its honestly way too much working dealing with all the different agencies. Plus, if I did all that, I wouldn't be able to work. K:Like you wouldn't have time to work? Or they would kick you off the programs? J: They would kick me out of it most likely
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