More Parental-Unit Angst: How Social Security Ruined Their (& My) Summer Vacation

[cimorene]

You may remember how 2 years ago I found out that Social Security had fucked up and given my parents ≈$20K USD of extra benefits in spite of my dad's repeated attempts to get them to take it back, and they discovered their error 2 years too late and suddenly demanded it back when it was too late. So my parents consulted various people and went through the whole "What Can I Do About Bureaucratic Fuck-Up Ruining My Life?" process and finally came to the answer, "Nothing."¹

My parents had just gotten out of debt from my dad's extremely expensive spinal injury² on top of my 1½ years of extremely expensive college right when they finished paying off the debt from my mom's graduate school. Now my little sister is 17, so, you know, more of that to look forward to. The upshot of all this is that I've now been living in Finland almost 5 years and they haven't visited me here yet. The closest was 3 years ago when we met them in Paris for the Vacation from Hell and Daddy fell into a coma (literally).

My mom was having a pain in her soul from only having seen me 3 times in 5 years (2 times, if you don't count COMA-INCLUDING TRIPS), so they were going to come this summer for 2 weeks. But NOW they can't afford it again, so we'll be making do with 5 days in Oct when my cousin kitten_head gets married - and my parents and I will be staying in different houses, because there's only one sufficiently wheelchair-accessible house in the family.

I have one major thing to say about all this: D:

1. I hear the same thing happened in smaller scale here in Finland to my mother outlaw; that's why the knowledgeable apparently hire accountants to double-and-triple-check everything the government tells them and, IDK, never trust an authority figure trying to give them money and like, save it in a special account against the day when they have to give it back?



2. In spite of having almost the best possible insurance, government-employee Worker's Comp - because they had to renovate their 100-year-old wooden farmhouse all at once instead of gradually as planned, replacing the roof, adding comprehensive wheelchair accessibility and a new giant bathroom, etc.

Comments

[noracharles]

That's terrible. They should at the very least ask for the money back in small installments over several years rather than mess with your parents' budget like that.

[cimorene]

It is supposed to be paid in installments, but the bureaucratic idea of "small" is not commensurate with my parents' monthly living expenses.

[princessofgeeks]

so very sorry.

that's awful

[ilyena_sylph]

I'm so sorry.

[everysecondtuesday]

That's awful. D:

Why do governments everywhere have to be so full of fail?

[cimorene]

Why do governments everywhere have to be so full of fail?

I know this is rhetorical, but there actually is an answer!

Pournelle's Iron Law of Bureaucracy states that in any bureaucratic organization there will be two kinds of people: those who work to further the actual goals of the organization, and those who work for the organization itself. ... The Iron Law states that in all cases, the second type of person will always gain control of the organization, and will always write the rules under which the organization functions.

Or, in a less sf-writing-asshole and more sociological manner, there's Crozier.

[jeeps]

that's criminal. governments should just be forced to eat it when it comes to their mistakes. HEY MAYBE THEN THEY'D MAKE LESS OF 'EM.

[cimorene]

Agreed, obviously - and I think it seems self-evident that just because it's the government shouldn't reverse the fact that the party in error should bear the consequences! But, sadly, all the advice sought has indicated that it is perfectly legal.

[anglepoiselamp]

Sometimes I kind of want to HULKSMASH the entire world for all the things that are legal but damned well shouldn't be (and vice versa). >:[

[lazydwarf]

My parents had the same thing happen to them when I was small. I really have big issues with the idiots at the social security administration. I'm so sorry they can't come over to see you. :(

[cimorene]

The thing that really pisses me off about the SSA in this chain of events was that after they mistakenly gave them the benefits, my dad made multiple attempts to point out their error. He had proof, too, and he went out of his way. Not only did they tell him he was wrong, they were really brusque with the brushoff - if they're supposed to stop they WILL stop! Do not question the omniscience of the mighty SSA! They TOLD him to drop it! To then suddenly demand it back a few years later in contradiction of that is ridiculous, and to penalize the taxpayer in question for following their orders...

[lazydwarf]

Our situation was much the same, way back in the early 70's, they were sending my dad checks and he'd call them, return the checks, tried everything to get them to stop with no luck. Ugh, that's just so frustrating.

[alafaye]

*hug*