Yes, I'm on welfare and have a smart phone....

[s_stabeler]

it depends. As said, someone who is on welfare should be expected to be fairly frugal- but I would suggest that it depends on the situation. If you need help for a couple months while you find a new job, then selling the car sees a bit petty to FORCE it.

There's also the question of how petty you get- in 19th century england, there were two forms of assistance you could get. One, assistance in your home, where the "deserving poor" got help in their own homes- was $%&* difficult to get- they would check to see if there was any possible way you could support yourself, with one woman being denied for having two stools, begin told to sell one f them- the other being to go to the workhouse, where you would be given dangerous, harmful or just plain painful work and in exchange, get a small amount of gruel, and a bed for the night. If they were unsatisfied with how much work you did? you were slung out with nothing. Even in the workhouse, families were separated- to the extent that you'd probably never see them again.

in short, YES, if someone is on welfare long-term, they probably should sell stuff. But forcing someone to sell stuff smacks of wanting people on welfare to be as miserable as possible.

[HYHYBT]

With all the mentions of "as long as the car is paid off," it seems worth mentioning that auto loans are nearly always underwater. Not that you're likely to have the money for payments and still qualify for assistance anyway, but selling that car you bought shortly before losing your job isn't going to leave you with cash; you're going to have to come up with the difference between the selling price and what you still owe.

[protege]

I figure that if the vehicle was owned outright prior to the person going on Welfare then it's nobody's business but their own.

My parents know all about that. I mean, when my dad's ad agency imploded in the early-to-mid-1980s...we had multiple cars. They had two Volvos (wagon and sedan) and the MG. One of those Volvos, the wagon, was bought new in '81. At the time, my parents had 3 young children and wanted the safest car they could buy.

About the same time, my uncle was selling his MG, which my dad bought as a "company car." He could run all of the car's expenses through his business as a tax break. Then it started having problems, and he had to get something a bit bigger and reliable. He couldn't exactly pick up clients in a beat-up, 15-year-old MGB, so he bought a used Toyota Corolla. That car didn't last long--he lost his brakes coming down a steep hill and hit a tree

That's when Volvo #2 came. He bought that from Grandpa. By then, his agency was failing. Many of his clients were the steel mills and factories...all of which couldn't pay their bills because of the recession, and the local steel industry imploding.

When he applied for county and state aid, he was told that he "shouldn't have those expensive cars." Never mind, that all 3 of them were paid for, and the wagon was the only one actually in decent shape. Also never mind, that he wouldn't have actually *taken* aid.

The other thing that pissed off my parents, was the attitude that welfare and other assistance programs shouldn't be given to people that live out in the suburbs. Never mind that where I live...the fucking coal mines were closing too!

[Seshat]

in short, YES, if someone is on welfare long-term, they probably should sell stuff. But forcing someone to sell stuff smacks of wanting people on welfare to be as miserable as possible.

'to be as miserable as possible' is one of the things I see.

I'm on long-term welfare - disability. If I sold everything I own - right down to all but one set of clothing - it might give me a couple of months of survival money. Then I'd be without so much as a pot to cook in.

I think it's reasonable for people on welfare - even long term welfare - to accumulate some stuff. Books (or ebooks), an ebook reader, a second-hand smartphone, a second-hand car (gotta get to the doctor!). Pots to cook with, a table to eat off...

I'm not asking to live an IKEA life, much less a Harvey Norman (lower middle class furniture store) one. But I would like to be allowed a life of Salvos/Goodwill furniture, and low-priced but reliable whitegoods, and maybe pots and pans from Target.

[TheHuckster]

I just want to point out to those who are believe selling their cars for cheaper ones to "help" is likely not going to work at all because people in that situation are not going to qualify for a good loan, if any at all. Yes, you hear those commercials about "bad credit? no credit? we'll approve you" but they come with the catch that those loans come with very high interest rates and it's also possible you need to give them some extra collateral. When you're back on your feet, you still can't afford the better car because chances are your credit is still less than favorable for a time afterward.

The best thing to do, especially if your welfare needs are very temporary, is to keep the car you have, do everything you can to either keep the monthly payments current, and in the end, when you're back on your feet, you can keep the car you originally paid for.

[sophie]

I have a luxury second hand car and my husband has an economy car both the same year, mine was slightly more expensive and with more mileage but Mine is significantly more reliable and cheaper to run even though it take premium gas. If we sold it we would end using all that money to keep his running in acceptable condition. And mine has 4-matic so it drives much better in icy and snow conditions, safety first

[BlaqueKatt]

I guess I better go out and buy a Porsche! It's worth more than my Mustang so it must be more reliable.

well with the size of that strawman you won't have to worry about heat or bedding

[blas87]

Considering what I've seen on Facebook lately, I would say most people do go on selling sprees first, instead of just keeping.

Although, it tends to be real retarded shit. Like think stuff that my dad would be rummaging through at a garage sale, spending a few dollars on. People are posting this crap on Facebook every day. Obviously desperate for money. No one wants your computer chair that your dog chewed the seat off, nor your couch that your cat clawed to death and god knows how many guys impregnated that couch.

FFS, my gold digging cousin is getting so desperate, she's trying to sell unused baby food on Facebook. Like those sweet potato bite sized baby/toddler kibbles. They are less than a few bucks at the store.

Sorry if it makes me sound like a privileged conservative white person....but wow. Just LOL. Really?

[protege]

Although, it tends to be real retarded shit. Like think stuff that my dad would be rummaging through at a garage sale, spending a few dollars on. People are posting this crap on Facebook every day. Obviously desperate for money. No one wants your computer chair that your dog chewed the seat off, nor your couch that your cat clawed to death and god knows how many guys impregnated that couch.

Yep, I've seen a bit of that lately too. I do know some people who have run into some money issues lately, and are attempting to sell off things they no longer need. Some of the stuff is OK--the entertainment center that you don't need because your new TV won't fit into it, or the dishes that were given to you that are in good shape. That sort of thing nobody has a problem with.

But, there's one guy I'd like to smack the shit out of. He'll post things like the 1970s stove he had rusting in his basement, and then can't understand why nobody will take it off his hands for $100. Are you fucking serious? It's at most 45 years old, covered in grease, may or may not work...and you won't come down on price? Not even the scrap man would give you $100 for that!

[bex1218]

Why would someone sell a car that they know the history of and it was already paid off and chance getting a cheaper car that could end up costing more than the first one? That would be stupid.

[cindybubbles]

Apparently, according to those agencies, if you don't live in a tent city without running water, let alone a car, you shouldn't qualify.

Just because you look financially comfortable doesn't mean that you are.

[Dreamstalker]

Exactly. Yes, I have a few nice things (purchased when my mom was making nearly six figures and we both actually had money). That doesn't mean we don't need help with rent and food.

I'm going through the hell that is recertifying for foodstamps. DTA seems to think that applicants are available at any time for an interview. I had put down on my paperwork that I work overnight on Thursday/Friday and so the earliest they should call is 2PM on Friday.

When do I get a call? 8:30AM (I was asleep then and only got the message after I woke up at noon). Immediately called caseworker back, left a message. My schedule is very chaotic, I don't know why they didn't call my cell.

[Rageaholic]

Apparently, according to those agencies, if you don't live in a tent city without running water, let alone a car, you shouldn't qualify.

Just because you look financially comfortable doesn't mean that you are.

And there are people who say it's easy to get welfare.

[Lace Neil Singer]

Just joined the phone set... I now have a pricy looking Samsung. However, it was free as my mum gave me her old phone after buying herself a new one.

[EricKei]

If I pulled out that phone for any reason I would get the stink eye, even after I explained HOW I ended up with it or the fact that I was not on a plan. Assholes, all of them.

They weren't looking for a reasonable explanation; they were just looking for a reason to bitch about someone, and to make themselves feel "better" than they perceived you to be (somehow). So, yeah, as you said, they were assholes.

With some benefits- unemployment being an obvious one- people seem to think you should be spending 100% of your day looking for work. As in, do nothing but search for work, eat and sleep. It can be really annoying.

I've had this experience -- mostly from a certain aunt who has always had plenty of cash...She and another relative in the same sitch are both of the belief that 'jobs are easy to find' / 'If you don't get one, you're just not trying hard enough'...Yeah, cuz putting out a dozen resumes a week is "not trying at all," even when you're to the point of applying as a burger flipper and getting turned down because they assume (not ask -- assume) that you'll want some exorbitant amount of money like "fifty cents over minimum wage" >_< I don't like being on foodstamps (and hopefully disability soon - back injury), but you gotta do what you gotta do.