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    Veteran Member pipermarau's Avatar
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    Default disability

    Is anyone in Texas on SSI or similar disability and also dancing? I am on SSI and am about to try and start dancing again but I do not know if the Right to Work program will tell me I cannot dance. Any experiences or knowledge about this subject is greatly appreciated.

    Thank you for reading.

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    Banned Melonie's Avatar
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    Default Re: disability

    are you talking above board or under the table ?

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    Veteran Member pipermarau's Avatar
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    Default Re: disability

    if i could go under the table at jaguar's gold club i'd prolly give the first guy i see a free lap dance. i don't want to lose my benefits but i'm not sure dancing is approved with the govt and also i've looked into requirements to report earnings and i understand how to do that without loosing everything. i'm interested in both so that i know all of my options.

    thank you for replying. if i can turn my health back around with this job i'm going to get off assistance, i just need to be sure i don't screw myself in the meantime.

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    Banned Melonie's Avatar
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    Default Re: disability

    well, obviously, if your particular disability is 'incompatible' with the physical requirements of dancing, you're heading for trouble. The gov't won't have any problem with you working as an exotic dancer ( it's legal after all ), but they may have a BIG problem with you working at a job that your particular disability would supposedly prevent you from being able to do !!!

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    Veteran Member pipermarau's Avatar
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    Default Re: disability

    my disability is only temporary (thank god) because it is due to recovering from endometriosis and then a wheat allergy diagnosis, i lost a ton of weight and also needed to address therapy for ptsd. i've got the mental part down, i am on the right medication, do not have a desire to drink alcohol, and have been on the meds long enough to know how my energy levels will be. the ptsd is much better and really all i am left with is poor weight. i find sitting at home waiting for it to come back so mundane and in a way depressing. i think i would make much better progress dancing. i do not want to scam the government but i also know that sometimes doing things by the book can leave you more financially strapped than doing some short term under the table.

    i never wanted to be on govt assistance but sometimes life just happens that way and i took the help because i really needed it at the time. i can handle the negative sides to dancing. i know the economy has changed since i last worked in 2007 but i was still able to make all my bills in a "dirty" club being clean.

    do you, or anyone reading this, know if jaguar's will keep a girl off the books even for a "probation" period so that i can get back in the groove of things before i shed my SSI? that club is my only close option, i don't really want to drive 45 minutes away to the other ones.

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    Banned Melonie's Avatar
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    Default Re: disability

    odds are that they're going to want to see your ID before they let you dance.

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    Default Re: disability

    My sisters on ssi since she was 21 and danced on and off the whole time. It's all under the table and she's not a big earner. Idk but isn't the point of ssi/ disability because you can't work?

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    Veteran Member pipermarau's Avatar
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    Default Re: disability

    Quote Originally Posted by michele11 View Post
    My sisters on ssi since she was 21 and danced on and off the whole time. It's all under the table and she's not a big earner. Idk but isn't the point of ssi/ disability because you can't work?
    yes, ssi is for people unable to work but it isn't a "get out of work free" card, at least in my situation. a couple of years ago i was near death in the middle of a deadbeat husband divorce. it was take the help or live in my car with two cats. the plan was to use the ssi down time to get my health back. the transition out is going to be hard without steady work. right now dancing is all i know and is a job i can get just by walking through the door. my living expenses are beyond what ssi pays me, and believe me i do not live a fancy life style. i'm still trying to budget in things like an electric mixer so i can bake again. on $710 a month with rent being $572 every month is more than just a little tight. i do not have any negative opinions for the govt health programs, i know a lot of people really need it but folks like me that can bounce back should do so and leave the assistance for families and folks with health that will not improve. i hope that does not come off as insensitive. i just feel my situation can and will be improved so that i can earn money on my own again.

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    Default Re: disability

    Well then get off it and go work. The people I know on it have severe mental conditions and can't. I also thought if the government finds out they will take it away. So go work a few months see how you feel and file papers or however it works to get off it!

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    Default Re: disability

    Whether you are on ssi or ssdi you have a trial period to work. You can't make more than you do in ssi benefits. Google it there's a website that explains it all. If you are unable they give you 5 years for you to reinstate benefits.

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    Veteran Member pipermarau's Avatar
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    Default Re: disability

    Thank you, Melonie, I was worried the government might discriminate against the industry or limit recipients to the kind of work they can do. I know dancing is legal but I'd rather feel stupid asking now than mess up later.

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    Default Re: disability

    ^ Lol.

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    Featured Member Aurora14's Avatar
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    Default Re: disability

    As long as you aren't receiving the payments for a physical disability, you should be in the clear. You can earn an income and still get the SSI. They just deduct 50 cents for each dollar you earn. For example, if you are receiving a SSI payment of $580 per month you can earn up to $1,160 (before taxes) before you lose your benefits. If you are dancing and 1099's aren't issued, you just let your case worker know the average income so the appropriate deductions are made. If you don't file taxes, the case worker wouldn't know the difference. But I advise filing taxes and letting the case worker know.

    I was on SSI when I was 18. I was a ward of the state and had no idea about it until my social worker told me about it when I was signing out of state care. I had to go to the Social Security office to change all the info on the file and submit work info. I found out I had been on SSI for 3 years. Even though it wasn't my fault, I ended up owing the government thousands in back payments because my social worker never asked me for my pay stubs to submit. I'm 100% honest about my income on all aid forms because of that debacle.

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    Default Re: disability

    ^^^ however, if you ARE receiving SSI Disability checks, you need to be aware of the 'flip side'. Using the same example of $580 per month in disability payments, if you wind up earning say $250 per week ~ $ 1,000 per month from dancing, your monthly disability payment will be reduced from $580 to just $80 ( a 50 cent reduction for every dollar earned ). And, of course, you will wind up owing at least $153 per month in social security taxes on your $1000 in dancing income.

    So earning an additional 'gross' $1000 per month from dancing will in fact 'net' you $80 in reduced SSI disability check plus $847 in after-tax dancing income, or $927 per month. Put another way, dancing enough to earn you $1000 per month will in fact only increase your present income by $927 - $580 = $347 per month. Actually, things might be a little better than this, since SSI 'ignores' the first $65 in monthly earnings, but not much. Obviously, if dancing also involves additional expenses that would not have to be incurred if sitting at home ( transportation, fast food, etc. ) those expenses will subtract from the $347 in additional 'net' monthly earnings ... to the point where it may not be 'worth it' to dance vs collecting full SSI disability benefits !!!

    Obviously, if you start talking about $1000 per WEEK in dancing earnings versus $1000 per month, the 'total' loss of SSI disability payments becomes a relatively small factor in terms of 'net' earnings increase !!! And just as obviously, if there a dancer 'forgets' to report her dancing income, and her club does not issue a 1099 reflecting her dancing earnings to the IRS, then she will continue to receive the 'full' $580 monthly disability checks as well as the $1000 in 'tax free' unreported cash dancing earnings ... well, up to the point where 'something' happens that reveals her previously unreported dancing income to the IRS and SSI, who will in turn come looking for repayment of SSI checks plus taxes due on that income !!!
    Last edited by Melonie; 12-15-2013 at 09:40 AM.

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    Veteran Member pipermarau's Avatar
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    Default Re: disability

    i have seen a few girls in east tx go through the nightmare of getting their assistance taken because their earnings were too high and somehow the govt found out. they had kids, though, and usually a deadbeat non working dad taking up space on the couch while she worked all night.

    i am mainly looking to treat my first month or two of work as physical therapy, just make tip out and don't kill myself dancing too hard. then i can focus on what my regular income will be like. my ssi book said the fist $85 is not counted, then they deduct so much per dollar earned and gave the example of a person getting $710 a month and reporting an income of around $500 a month. it ended up looking like only $300 is "lost" from ssi. it sounds about right compared to both scenarios posted above. i know they give me three months to try a job out with relatively few penalties, i also know that if i get sick again i can reopen my case within a year of getting off ssi.

    now, the part i'm much less educated on is the taxes thing. before, i know the club (legally or not) would sometimes claim the girls and we did not file taxes. other clubs were more straight and told us to file our own but only one club ever tracked my earnings. it was a small place and i think they were one of the clubs that claimed the girls. we had to turn all tip and dance money into a locked box with our name on it. at the end of the shift they would open your box, count it, deduct their percent, and gave you the rest. no one else, management or otherwise, in other clubs ever asked me how much i took in per night. if i am earning a grand a month i don't want or need ssi so getting off it would be a huge burden lifted. medical i've always figured out and now that the cancer is behind me i don't have to pay more than the standard visit fee and blood tests for my annuals. i would honestly like to file taxes again and pay into social security for retirement. i guess the question is how do i know if my earnings are being tracked? it may sound dumb but if it is totally up to me then i can see where a lot of fraud can happen. costumes, gas, and special food for my allergies would be my main deductible expenses. i do my own nails, make up, hair, and am most likely to blow extra money on cat trees. my cats are rowdy. i really don't want the irs coming after me for unpaid taxes. i've been good with them all my life and i intend to stay that way.

    also...i'm not sure if this is on topic but healthcare is an issue with obamacare. after medicaid runs out (i think i keep it for a year?) i would be required to provide my own insurance. broad question, what's the deal? anything i should know coming off medicaid next year if obamacare is still active?

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    Default Re: disability

    Quote Originally Posted by Melonie View Post
    ^^^ however, if you ARE receiving SSI Disability checks, you need to be aware of the 'flip side'. Using the same example of $580 per month in disability payments, if you wind up earning say $250 per week ~ $ 1,000 per month from dancing, your monthly disability payment will be reduced from $580 to just $80 ( a 50 cent reduction for every dollar earned ). And, of course, you will wind up owing at least $153 per month in social security taxes on your $1000 in dancing income.

    So earning an additional 'gross' $1000 per month from dancing will in fact 'net' you $80 in reduced SSI disability check plus $847 in after-tax dancing income, or $927 per month. Put another way, dancing enough to earn you $1000 per month will in fact only increase your present income by $927 - $580 = $347 per month. Actually, things might be a little better than this, since SSI 'ignores' the first $65 in monthly earnings, but not much. Obviously, if dancing also involves additional expenses that would not have to be incurred if sitting at home ( transportation, fast food, etc. ) those expenses will subtract from the $347 in additional 'net' monthly earnings ... to the point where it may not be 'worth it' to dance vs collecting full SSI disability benefits !!!

    Obviously, if you start talking about $1000 per WEEK in dancing earnings versus $1000 per month, the 'total' loss of SSI disability payments becomes a relatively small factor in terms of 'net' earnings increase !!! And just as obviously, if there a dancer 'forgets' to report her dancing income, and her club does not issue a 1099 reflecting her dancing earnings to the IRS, then she will continue to receive the 'full' $580 monthly disability checks as well as the $1000 in 'tax free' unreported cash dancing earnings ... well, up to the point where 'something' happens that reveals her previously unreported dancing income to the IRS and SSI, who will in turn come looking for repayment of SSI checks plus taxes due on that income !!!
    Thanks Melonie. I always make some kind of mistake writing things down, my thoughts just don't translate well into writing. I love that you can help finish my virtual thoughts!
    I did forget about the taxes portion because I was doing vanilla work at the time so I didn't have to worry about the tax money since it was deducted from my paycheck. The 50 cents per dollar deduction is made BEFORE any deductions from your pay. Also, as I stated before, I fully recommend disclosing your income for tax purposes and to the case worker. If a person happens to be found out after claiming 0 income, you will owe taxes and penalties to the IRS and have to pay back any money for the SSI.


    Quote Originally Posted by pipermarau View Post

    now, the part i'm much less educated on is the taxes thing. before, i know the club (legally or not) would sometimes claim the girls and we did not file taxes. other clubs were more straight and told us to file our own but only one club ever tracked my earnings. it was a small place and i think they were one of the clubs that claimed the girls. we had to turn all tip and dance money into a locked box with our name on it. at the end of the shift they would open your box, count it, deduct their percent, and gave you the rest. no one else, management or otherwise, in other clubs ever asked me how much i took in per night. if i am earning a grand a month i don't want or need ssi so getting off it would be a huge burden lifted. medical i've always figured out and now that the cancer is behind me i don't have to pay more than the standard visit fee and blood tests for my annuals. i would honestly like to file taxes again and pay into social security for retirement. i guess the question is how do i know if my earnings are being tracked?
    This totally depends on the club. You can ask a manager if you will be getting a 1099. I haven't worked in a club that does them (though my last club offered to issue one if I wanted it). I would assume a club that issues 1099s records everything that has to do with them taking their cut. From there, they can tell how much you earned (at a minimum) from anything they recorded. VIPs, CRs, LDs, commission drinks. It would be up to you to add the amount you earn in tips when you do your taxes.
    For those that don't get 1099s, we have to keep track of our income on our own.

    Quote Originally Posted by pipermarau View Post
    also...i'm not sure if this is on topic but healthcare is an issue with obamacare. after medicaid runs out (i think i keep it for a year?) i would be required to provide my own insurance. broad question, what's the deal? anything i should know coming off medicaid next year if obamacare is still active?
    With the insurance, it will depend on your income. There is a chance that you would still qualify for Medicaid if you earn below a certain amount (in IL its around $15,100 a year for a single person). If you make more than that you would have to shop on the exchange. Depending on income, you can qualify for subsidies to help pay for the plan. I would think your case worker would be able to help you with this when the time comes up. In my experience, a case worker will try to do what they can to help those who are trying to help themselves become independent. If they can't help you, there are helplines set up for this purpose.



    OP, I would also like to commend you for wanting to get independent. Keep in mind, the process may take some trial and error, and will take some time to accomplish. Don't think it's the end of the world if you have a set back. If you do start dancing, do go in with the mind set that just making tip out is enough. Start with a small but attainable goal (that is withing physical/mental limitations) and work your way up to bigger goals. Otherwise it will be hard once the time comes that you depend on the income. Also, check Camming Connection. If camming is something you would be interested in there are benefits to that to. https://www.stripperweb.com/forum/sh...ipping+camming

    If you go through the Dollar Den, there are several threads about taxes and healthcare. They have a lot more detail in them and are very helpful. The advice given in these threads are form the experiences we have had, so if in doubt, seek advice from an expert that specializes in the topic!

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    Default Re: disability

    Quote Originally Posted by Aurora14 View Post
    OP, I would also like to commend you for wanting to get independent. Keep in mind, the process may take some trial and error, and will take some time to accomplish. Don't think it's the end of the world if you have a set back. If you do start dancing, do go in with the mind set that just making tip out is enough. Start with a small but attainable goal (that is withing physical/mental limitations) and work your way up to bigger goals. Otherwise it will be hard once the time comes that you depend on the income. Also, check Camming Connection. If camming is something you would be interested in there are benefits to that to. https://www.stripperweb.com/forum/sh...ipping+camming
    i hope i got the "reply with quote" thing right. i definitely know i am not going to walk in there making the same $$$ i was back in 2006. economics and the fact that i have been out of the business for so long make things different this time. i am going to enjoy just being back. i remember the nights i only made tip out and gas and i was just as happy as the ones where i "banked". with ssi having my back and reporting honestly the transition will be an adventure. just like it was when i first started dancing in '04 i will have to gradually increase my income by creating a customer following and learning how the clubs work down here. also the physical transformation. i think working just a couple days a week to start off will be good and i won't be in the situation to "earn too much".

    thank you for the tax info. that will really help get me started because i've been worried about self employment and ssi.

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