I am feeling all these things because I have 2 friends who are getting more money in government checks for their alleged insanity than I am for working. I cannot even bring myself to feel as guilty as you might think I should because I don't think I'm wrong. If these young women were really handicapped or unable to function I would not feel this way, but other than a few quirky hangups- haven't we all got them, I know I do- they are otherwise normal. They sit around playing Wii and facebook games all week. One of them has phone and internet sex while her bf is at work and he knows it but he won't throw her out because he knows he can't pay the bills without her crazy check. The other one lives free in a rental of her slumlord dad so on top of getting all that money she doesn't even owe any rent and is free to spend her check on luxuries. Their checks amount to a couple hundred more a month than what my current pathetic job is paying. I see no reason why they can't do the same job I am doing, and I could whine about my puppy dying when I was 6 and being afraid to go out of the house too and get free money but I have too much pride I guess. So maybe it is my fault, but I still am so sick that they are getting free money for basically nothing while I toil away for less that I am having a hard time maintaining any relationship with them (I have known them both since grade school) In all honesty, they make me sick. Should I tell them how I feel, or just drop them and not say why?
What country are you in?
I know for the United States, absolutely do what KhandaRhodes suggests and alert the relevant government agency to the issue.
Granted, we don't know exactly how your friends/leeches went about getting that ever so critical screwed up label attached, but it wouldn't hurt to bring some more scrutiny onto it. Maybe, if the situation is as you say and they really are bullshitting, that will come out under review. I mean, "insane" is a very high threshold to meet in the US, and I highly doubt the free loading luxury wielding friends of yours meet it.
Employment law in the US, to put it cruel and blunt(which I am not, btw) basically says, and gov't agencies take the same view, "because you have a learning disability/other minor or controllable mental issue, it doesn't mean you can't dig a hole."
Long short of it, you have to be legit physically/mentally disabled under a pretty strict standard.
Sadly, even under the tightest, most effective at getting aid to only those truly deserving system, people will slip through the cracks.
It's certainly worth a try alerting the authorities, but the sad reality is that not every problem has a legislative solution.
As for you, just take pride in the fact that you are working for what you have and know that as time goes on, good things will likely come out of that. You say you have a "pathetic" job, well, your friends are much more deserving of that description.
You will make A HELL OF A LOT more than the government checks they get by continuing to be responsible, it's just a matter of time. It's tough in 2011, but not too many times have been tougher........
It's a tough economy, but you sound like a hard working/intelligent person and as things improve, hopefully you have a better job in short order!
Good luck, and hang in there!
~ absolutely!
