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Social Services Department

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haydnsmom1

Junior Member
:confused:What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? VA
I experienced an event today at social services when I went for crisis assistance/fuel. I checked in at the first desk, was told to sit and wait for my name to be called. This did not take long. I was seen and did get help with one bill which was the primary one for heat. I also needed help with the water and electric. I was told to go back to the front desk and ask to see another worker. I did this and was given a number and told to sit and wait. It was a lengthy period of time then my number was called and I went to the designated area and took a seat. A worker asked why I was there and then walked off, chatted with other employees about lunch and left me. Eventually she came back and told me to go to sit in the area next to this one. I did. After a few minutes she came back a third time and told me to go to the next area to sit. After this a worker came and asked me if I had any children. When I told her no she informed me that I would need to leave, drive across the city to the southside and go to another office to get assistance. I did this and after another lengthy wait did not get any help.
My concern is that I would like to know if discrimination was practiced here due to my being told to go elsewhere because I had no children. I am handicapped and I feel that preferential treatment was given to women with children. Why would women with children be given services at the place where I had been for hours and I not be given the same services? I have experience in my past with fair housing and discrimination and this just did not sit well with me at all. I would like feedback.What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)?What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)?
 


lovemygirl26

Junior Member
Have you researched or asked about their guidelines for assistance? It could be that a household with children will be allowed more help then a household with no children. I would call the office and follow up on that.
 

ecmst12

Senior Member
It is not illegal for the state/city to have different guidelines for families with and without children, for public assistence. In fact, it would be LESS fair if they had the same guidelines for all households regardless of how many people were living there.
 

Antigone*

Senior Member
:confused:What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? VA
I experienced an event today at social services when I went for crisis assistance/fuel. I checked in at the first desk, was told to sit and wait for my name to be called. This did not take long. I was seen and did get help with one bill which was the primary one for heat. I also needed help with the water and electric. I was told to go back to the front desk and ask to see another worker. I did this and was given a number and told to sit and wait. It was a lengthy period of time then my number was called and I went to the designated area and took a seat. A worker asked why I was there and then walked off, chatted with other employees about lunch and left me. Eventually she came back and told me to go to sit in the area next to this one. I did. After a few minutes she came back a third time and told me to go to the next area to sit. After this a worker came and asked me if I had any children. When I told her no she informed me that I would need to leave, drive across the city to the southside and go to another office to get assistance. I did this and after another lengthy wait did not get any help.
My concern is that I would like to know if discrimination was practiced here due to my being told to go elsewhere because I had no children. I am handicapped and I feel that preferential treatment was given to women with children. Why would women with children be given services at the place where I had been for hours and I not be given the same services? I have experience in my past with fair housing and discrimination and this just did not sit well with me at all. I would like feedback.What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)?What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)?

My feedback: You got some help, remember, they paid your heat:rolleyes: Who is hayden, and are you his/her mom?
 

Hot Topic

Senior Member
Welcome to life. You aren't the only one who dislikes being kept waiting for hours or moved from department to department.

What you "feel" isn't important. That's an emotional response in a situation where nothing illegal happened.
 
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commentator

Senior Member
Unfortunately, with needs based public assistance, there is no other place you can go and get the services you need. Therefore, you are pretty much at the mercy of the system. If you meet the income guidelines, they are obligated to give you the assistance, but they are not obligated to make applying for it a happy, efficient or positive experience. Sometimes it definitely is not. But as I heard one client waiting in a long line say to another, "If you don't like the service here, you can always just take your business elsewhere,Ha ha!" There is no elsewhere.

As for discrimination against those who do not have children, there has never been a protected category for the childless. In fact, many states only offer certain income supports to those with dependent children.

Social services has some definite divisions of expertise, different caseworkers, even different office locations for different programs. The reason you were swapped from worker to worker was because you needed to see one particular worker who dealt with your particular type of situation. The services you might have been eligible for as a disabled person might have been quite different from those of a person (not necessarily a female) with dependent children needing income support or medical care insurance.

And even though you had been waiting, it was not out of reason for the workers to take a lunch break, or to tell you that you needed to wait and see another worker. They did not chose when you would decide to begin waiting or when you would get to the office. And they are entitled to lunch just like any employee. If they were not the person who could help you, there was nothing they could do for you.

It is sad that you felt you had such a bad experience or were discriminated against. If you have a lot of experience with social services you will find that the experience you describe sounds like a typical one. With or without children.Regardless of sex.
 

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