Dani Oliver

If you're like me (i.e. disabled and subsisting off a disability pension and/or supplements from the provincial government) then you've probably already received tons of well-meaning links/texts, etc. from friends about FREE money/benefits/services you can get from the government (or other seemingly legit organizations) just for being disabled.

I don't blame people for wanting to help, and I'm even okay with their enthusiasm, as misguided and uninformed as it is, thinking that they have come across a solution that is sure to make our problems go away... too bad it never occurred to us, huh? -- but to them a gentle reminder: "If it's too good to be true, then it probably is"

Normally I'd encourage people to check these things out before forwarding them on to others, but let's face it, these scam artists thrive on not only the disabled (in particular, those who have become vulnerable due to living in a state of desparation for far too long) but they also know how to target well-meaning friends and relatives.

In short: Don't click on those links. Don't forward them to your friends. They're scams.

If you really think they might be legit (because bless your cotton socks you WANT them to be legit), copy down the name of the company and pass that on instead. This gives the disabled person the chance to dismiss it (because they're already familiar with the scam) or look into it in a more secure manner. Because you're someone they trust, the scam scum count on people like you to forward these things onto your disabled friends and family.

Do you really want to play a part in your friend or family member being scammed? Sure you might think they should be more accountable for their actions as a responsible adult, but until you've had to live with chronic pain, depression, confusion, and/or a constant state of being overwhelmed with paperwork, dead-end leads, and hostile over-worked social workers, you really can't compare your ability to look into these things with theirs. Do yourself and the person you care about a favour, and make sure it's legit before you forward it on.

Don't assume the site must be on the up-and-up because they've already had over 200k visits. The amount of visits is generally more a sign of naivete and gullibility than anything else. If this scam is posted on Facebook (and a lot of them are) and you see that friends have clicked on and/or liked it, ask them about it. If they say "Yeah it looks legit and I know someone who's disabled so I just shared it with them," then move on. They're part of the problem (sorry, don't mean to offend, but it's true). If they've actually gone as far as to look into it, then perhaps they can share what they found with you.

Some folks will ask a lot of questions because they think that they're helping; but they only help up to a certain point. When you point out to them why this and that won't work and that you've already tried the plethora of other suggestions they bombard you with, they eventually pull away for a variety of reason, a few of which include:

1. Realizing just how difficult/next-to-impossible the system really is and not wanting to waste their time;
2. they think you're just being difficult and/or not trying hard enough;
3. their own busy lives understandably get in the way.

In case I'm not getting my point across, let me put it more bluntly: Your friend or family member doesn't need any more false hope or someone making them feel that they're just not smart enough to find this free money for themselves. We're going blind from reading one false article to the next, not to mention lack of nourishment.

If you really want to help, be an advocate. Speak up, while you can. The government needs to hear that you want your tax money going to help people. Because this could be you one day, and what you'll discover if you're ever unfortunate to get to that point, is that you will lose your voice. You are now a burden to society and no one will listen to you. What they *will* do is send you links about free money you can get for being disabled. And then you will understand. But it'll be too late.

Lastly, don't assume that disabled folks are only struggling financially because they just don't have your know-how. We're not disabled because we're stupid. And even those of us who are somewhat cognitively challenged, if reliable, relevant and easily-accessible information is out there, we'll find it. But it's a rare commodity. Most folks I meet who are struggling in this same regard, have already been through the mill and are well-versed on the runarounds and distractions put out there to slow us down or just outright deter us. Please don't unwittingly play a part in that.