Vic, the card companies are after YOUR money, plain and simple. They have found that if they increase the card limits on your cards you use that credit, so pay them more in interest. They haven't given you any money, they have given you the ability to increase the amount you owe them.
A little challenge for you -sit down one day with your last twelve month's credit card statements and add up all the interest you have paid in that time. Now compare that amount with your monthly food bill. If your twelve months credit card interest is greater than your monthly food bill you are in a very poor financial state, caused by the over -use of credit cards.

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Bob Smith
Member of Seti PIPPS (Pluto is a Planet Protest Society)
Somewhere in the (un)known Universe?

Vic, the card companies are after YOUR money, plain and simple. They have found that if they increase the card limits on your cards you use that credit, so pay them more in interest. They haven't given you any money, they have given you the ability to increase the amount you owe them.
A little challenge for you -sit down one day with your last twelve month's credit card statements and add up all the interest you have paid in that time. Now compare that amount with your monthly food bill. If your twelve months credit card interest is greater than your monthly food bill you are in a very poor financial state, caused by the over -use of credit cards.

Look I said I had a plan to pay them down, now I'm starting with the 2 largest, then the medium sized ones, then the smaller ones, I keep track of these, if you don't believe that, then there is little I can do to change your mind on this.

Sure they have their plans, but I have mine, I'm just using them to further My plans.

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The T1 Trust, PRR T1 Class 4-4-4-4 #5550, 1 of America's First HST's

Vic - You are falling into their trap. I've been there. And have escaped the trap by the skin of my teeth and I don't want to read that the card companies have decided, for their own ends, to suddenly cut off your cards and demand full payment within thirty days as happened to me (and I'd been paying off the minimum every month).

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Bob Smith
Member of Seti PIPPS (Pluto is a Planet Protest Society)
Somewhere in the (un)known Universe?

Vic - You are falling into their trap. I've been there. And have escaped the trap by the skin of my teeth and I don't want to read that the card companies have decided, for their own ends, to suddenly cut off your cards and demand full payment within thirty days as happened to me (and I'd been paying off the minimum every month).

No I'm not, not at 100 and 125 respectively, for those two, the others minimum or whatever they ask for starting on Nov 1st, Oct is done with..

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The T1 Trust, PRR T1 Class 4-4-4-4 #5550, 1 of America's First HST's

Problems got in the way, like with the house, the car, some new clothes, they've been dealt with, and that's why the delay, don't like that?

Well some things in life are just unavoidable, like death and taxes...

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The T1 Trust, PRR T1 Class 4-4-4-4 #5550, 1 of America's First HST's

Ok now I'm up to 7200 points in My quest, soon to be at least 7400 or maybe 7850-7700, bag and bottle entered together add an extra 50 points.

I also bought $8.00 of gasoline($2.719 a gallon) for the car and got 3 prescriptions filled at Vons Pharmacy in Barstow CA, they are the closest to My place.

And being I don't have much sugar in My diet, Diet Mountain Dew is tasting pretty good to Me, 2L bottle and all.

I've got to uncover My dot matrix printer on Wednesday and print out that Call tag, some jerk at the authorized FedEx store in Barstow CA(MailMax) sent Me on wild goose chase(He's the guy who can lock the place up at 5pm), making Me waste 1.5 gallons of gasoline(1/8 of a tank of 12 gallons), He first said is that an Amazon package? I said No and showed Him and told Him it was a FedEx package and that I had a barcode for Him to scan, the jerk ignored what I said and sent Me to UPS at 2790 E.Main St, which was closed, and was not a FedEx place, I should have looked it up in the store using My phone, and yes I chewed Him out, publicly, He needs to stop assuming and listen to people or get a hearing aid...

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The T1 Trust, PRR T1 Class 4-4-4-4 #5550, 1 of America's First HST's

Problems got in the way, like with the house, the car, some new clothes, they've been dealt with, and that's why the delay, don't like that?

Most people realise that unforeseen problems can arise, like mechanical breakdowns, accidental breakages, or simple wear and tear. That is why sensible people have an emergency or contingency fund to cover those expenditures. What they DON'T do is take it out of day to day living expenses like you do. As I've said you are living beyond your means.

Ok, now you'll say what do you expect me to do on $900 a month? I can't manage on that amount. Well the answer is that you could if you didn't buy any more s/h computer kit off Ebay, and made a proper effort to pay off off your debts. So lets ask a few questions here.

You said that you were in the army and had an honourable discharge, so isn't there an army pension somewhere? That would be based on length of service, so how many years did you serve in the army?

Next, you are 58, assuming that you left full time education at 18, that is 40 years ago. You also said that you paid into this SSI that you get, so you must have had jobs apart from your time in the army? Aren't there any occupational pensions owing from those jobs?

It just seems odd that all you have at age 58 after a lifetimes work is just a minimal SSI payment.

Most people have an income of over $1,600 a month, so give Me a break...

I'm not the only one that says SSI checks are too little, but as you have said, I'm a bit more lucky.

No pension, just cause one has an honorable discharge, does not mean one is eligible...

SSI is Supplemental Security Income, not Social Security retirement income, there is a difference, I get SSI now, when I'm 62 I can add SS to My bank account.

Skills from the military don't always translate to civilian life.

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The T1 Trust, PRR T1 Class 4-4-4-4 #5550, 1 of America's First HST's

You said that you were in the army and had an honourable discharge, so isn't there an army pension somewhere? That would be based on length of service, so how many years did you serve in the army?

I doubt that Vic did the 20 or so years needed to get a military pension - much the same as our "short service" people (3 or 5 years) get virtually nothing, but do more than the threshold service and the pension starts to become a very useful amount.

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Bob Smith
Member of Seti PIPPS (Pluto is a Planet Protest Society)
Somewhere in the (un)known Universe?

You said that you were in the army and had an honourable discharge, so isn't there an army pension somewhere? That would be based on length of service, so how many years did you serve in the army?

I doubt that Vic did the 20 or so years needed to get a military pension - much the same as our "short service" people (3 or 5 years) get virtually nothing, but do more than the threshold service and the pension starts to become a very useful amount.

My brother got a pension, but then He was in the US Navy for just over 20yrs, but like My dad, I did not, none in our family, even My uncle, were ever drafted. My brother retired with an E9 rating, He got 80% of His last salary.

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The T1 Trust, PRR T1 Class 4-4-4-4 #5550, 1 of America's First HST's

You said that you were in the army and had an honourable discharge, so isn't there an army pension somewhere? That would be based on length of service, so how many years did you serve in the army?

I doubt that Vic did the 20 or so years needed to get a military pension - much the same as our "short service" people (3 or 5 years) get virtually nothing, but do more than the threshold service and the pension starts to become a very useful amount.

My brother got a pension, but then He was in the US Navy for just over 20yrs, but like My dad, I did not, none in our family, even My uncle, were ever drafted. My brother retired with an E9 rating, He got 80% of His last salary.

I was discharged in 1980. If I had stayed in for 20, I would only have got 50% of my base pay. At the time it was prorated by years in service. A 30 year man got 75% of base pay. There were rumors of changes to the retirement plan. Like getting a small pension after 10 years. But I have no idea if that was even true.
If Vics brother did get 80% of his pay, It was after he was discharged and fighting the VA to get. It does happen for a service connected disability.

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[/quote]

Old James

SSI is Supplemental Security Income, not Social Security retirement income, there is a difference, I get SSI now, when I'm 62 I can add SS to My bank account.
NO you don't get both. You will be switched over to SS when you reach your full retirement age, Which I'm guessing is either 66 or 67.
SSI and SS are based on your work history and How much money you have made over the years.
I have the letter right in front of me saying If I was to become disabled right now Id get$1,981 a month. Next year when I retire I will get $1,987 a month.
And ive worked every year since 1970.
SSI will not be added to SS. As I told you before. When My wife turned 66 her full retirement age. She went from SSI to just SS with no increase.
Folks always think ,When I'm 65 I will get SS and make big bucks. Well no you don't. Work under the table you get squat. Hardly work at all ,You get what you worked for.
I think your dreams are founded on bad web based info.

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[/quote]

Old James

Vic was born in 1960 so would have joined the army at the earliest in 1980, that would put him on the High36 plan. But if he served less than 20 years then he wouldn't get anything.

A military pension is a reward from the people of the United States for more than 20 years of active duty service.

It also seems that he's never worked in his life either, so no occupational pension either. What a waste of 40 years.

BS, mostly low wage jobs, some local government, and some private industry, but then you think you know everything, Mr Know It all...

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The T1 Trust, PRR T1 Class 4-4-4-4 #5550, 1 of America's First HST's

SSI is Supplemental Security Income, not Social Security retirement income, there is a difference, I get SSI now, when I'm 62 I can add SS to My bank account.
NO you don't get both. You will be switched over to SS when you reach your full retirement age, Which I'm guessing is either 66 or 67.
SSI and SS are based on your work history and How much money you have made over the years.
I have the letter right in front of me saying If I was to become disabled right now Id get$1,981 a month. Next year when I retire I will get $1,987 a month.
And ive worked every year since 1970.
SSI will not be added to SS. As I told you before. When My wife turned 66 her full retirement age. She went from SSI to just SS with no increase.
Folks always think ,When I'm 65 I will get SS and make big bucks. Well no you don't. Work under the table you get squat. Hardly work at all ,You get what you worked for.
I think your dreams are founded on bad web based info.

People do get SS and SSI at the same time, you are thinking about SSDI

If you are already receiving SSDI disability benefits and approaching retirement age:

If you are already receiving Social Security disability insurance (SSDI) benefits, you are already receiving your full benefit amount. When you reach full retirement age, the disability benefits will be converted into retirement benefits, in the same amount. This happens automatically, when you reach your full retirement age. You do not have to do anything to continue receiving your benefits. Nothing happens at age 62, because early retirement benefits do not apply, since you are already receiving your full benefit. (Note that this applies to SSDI, not SSI. For SSI, see below.)

From the law offices of Brenden Conley

Can you receive Social Security retirement benefits and SSI at the same time?

People are able to receive Social Security retirement benefits and Supplementary Security Income at the same time as long as their overall income and resources are limited enough to qualify for the SSI program. Social Security retirement benefits and SSI have different but not exclusive criteria for eligibility.

And I have been told this when I talked to the Social Security Administration...

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The T1 Trust, PRR T1 Class 4-4-4-4 #5550, 1 of America's First HST's

Vic...............
I have a simple and well intended kind suggestion for you.
Stop using your credit cards. PERIOD.
Unless it's for a true 'emergency'. And that does not include getting your television fixed.
Stop spending money you don't have and will have difficulty paying off along with the interest it accrues.
If you 'need' something, wait until you actually have set aside and earmarked CASH for it.

You are paying money to spend money, Vic. And on your budget, you cannot afford that.

Like I said, just a kind suggestion. But if you ignore it and continue on the path you are on, you are gonna find yourself in a hole that you shall be unable to dig your way out of.

Best wishes, Vic.

Meow.

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"Freedom is just Chaos, with better lighting." Alan Dean Foster

https://www.disabilitybenefitscenter.org/blog/social-security-disability-vs-retirement

The amount of Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) benefits you are entitled to if you are found to be completely disabled by the Social Security Administration (SSA) is based on the full amount of retirement benefits you are eligible for. You can not receive both disability benefits and retirement benefits at the same time. If you qualify for disability benefits, your benefits will automatically be changed to retirement benefits when you are old enough for full retirement.

@ Kittyman: Please stay out of this, ok?

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The T1 Trust, PRR T1 Class 4-4-4-4 #5550, 1 of America's First HST's

@ Kittyman: Please stay out of this, ok?

OK, Vic.
Last you shall hear from me on the subject.
Your move.

Meow.

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"Freedom is just Chaos, with better lighting." Alan Dean Foster

https://pocketsense.com/can-ssi-benefits-same-time-7483005.html

The Social Security Administration administers benefit programs for retirees, low-income individuals and the disabled. Social Security, funded by FICA taxes, provides retirement income to workers and their qualifying dependents and survivors. Supplemental Security Income, or SSI, gives financial assistance to blind or disabled individuals, and those at least 65 years old with limited resources and earnings. If you qualify for both programs, you can receive monthly benefits under both.

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The T1 Trust, PRR T1 Class 4-4-4-4 #5550, 1 of America's First HST's

You have had difficulties with facts before, Mr S.

BS, mostly low wage jobs, some local government, and some private industry, but then you think you know everything, Mr Know It all...

In the absence of any information to the contrary one can only surmise and make educated guesses.

You would have left school in about 1978, then broke your leg in 2002 and have been presumably disabled ever since. Within those 24 years you spent some unspecified time in the army and in the work you have now mentioned. It would certainly be unusual not to get a pension from a local government job at least. This why I find it odd that at 57 you only have SSI to live on.

Local governments do not have pensions, at least not in this state, the State of California does, but I've never worked for the state, My dad did. And the US has 50 different states, all with their own laws, no two are alike.

As to when I worked, having military skills do not translate into civilian jobs, unless one becomes a deputy or a police officer, and I had no interest in becoming either one, just like My brother didn't.

If you think skills at killing are usable outside of the military or law enforcement, please tell us...

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The T1 Trust, PRR T1 Class 4-4-4-4 #5550, 1 of America's First HST's

@ Kittyman: Please stay out of this, ok?

Mark has given you the best piece of advice anyone can ever give you. Your reply speaks volumes Vic.