Sacha's Story

The following was posted to the newsgroup alt.support.cerebral-palsy by Sacha Martin. I found it so Kafkaesque, and also indicative of the sorts of problems aging ( read > 21) people with Cerebral Palsy run into I asked her permission to post it here, which she granted.

hello everyone,

let me talk to you a bit about myself. I have cerebral palsy. Im a single mom, with two kids. I receive a disability pension from the québec government. my pension is unfortunatly managed by Welfare; 'nuff said. Big Brother move over! I am a self employed herbalist, and part time student. Neither of which pay the rent yet!

our laws here state that being handicapped I am allowed to have a roommate with no fiscal penalty. fine. so I didn't declare my roomate. you see him being a man, and me a woman the way most people think there has to be SOMETHING going on there. The law itself automatically declares you married by common law if you've been living with someone of the opposite sex for more than 365 days.

next step. someone denounced me to the authorities. Neighbours have nothing better to do I guess : >}

was called in for a hearing on the 12th march this year. after three and a half hours of ***Inquisition*** (i.e. 2 agents firing non-stop questions at me and having me write my responses - incidently my writing speed is about a third of the average), I was left to wait

on the 21st of may I received my first response:

myself and my roomate were considered to be common law spouses and as such held solidly and conjointly responsable for the repayment of $50,969 in otherwords the sum total of my disability benefits since we've been sharing.

the first of june my benefits were suspended entirely.

leaving me with two kids, rent, heat, hydro, and gas to pay; and not one red cent to pay it with.

So whaddaya want? I explained the situation to our landlady (yes, there are good people left on the face of the earth!!!) who told me to hang onto the rent and use it for food and to pay what I owed when the mess gets sorted out.

i've spent one hell of a month, running from lawyers, to foodbanks, to social services (at the intake - by phone - I was asked my age. when I replied "37" she said to me, "are you handicapped or what?")

I neglected to mention that Welfare never did say what their decision was based on. Yes we do share. but we each have our own room, separate bank accounts, cars, debts, social lives and friends.

yes, we do vacation together. WAKE UP! i'm handicapped!!! without his help (or that of someone paid by the state - fat chance, with the cutbacks to the healthcare system - I couldn't do half as much as I do.)

he also does sports with my kids (sorry folks! I just could'nt make the cut for the team. my protheses get in the way.)

yup. hey folks. you ready for the kicker. another hearing today. assumption of "marital life" was based upon:

1) common renoun - evidently. people assume we are married, otherwise mr. busybody wouldn't have stooled on me. I don't even talk to the neighbours (or, to be more precise - they don't talk to me) i'm supposed to wear a sign around my neck which says, HE'S NOT MY HUSBAND when in public?

2) co-habitation - roomates usually do live together, don't they?

3) mutual support - uh huh. I give him a bit of break on his rent considering that he does the heavy work around the house (sweeping, washing floors, taking the garbage out)

no mention whatsoever of emotional or sexual involvement.

kinda difficult, that one.

the bottom line: we're both gay!

Opinions expressed here are personal and do not reflect the views of Spatial Technology or Parkwood Clinic

Copyright © Pierre Malraison & Sacha Martin All rights reserved.