Income Maintenance

Flora

A single mom working three jobs, Flora spoke only Spanish and could not read or write. She had always wanted to own her own business and earn enough to send her sons to college. A national janitorial company representative told Flora, through an interpreter, about the opportunity to buy a franchise — she would receive …

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Grace

86-year-old Grace and her husband Clifford shared a happy marriage for many years. Grace worked part-time when Clifford retired, but throughout their lives he handled all of their finances. Clifford died suddenly of a heart attack, and when Grace and her daughter began to sort through everything, they were shocked to learn that her husband …

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Erin

Erin had a good job and a home. When insurance didn’t cover all of the cost of repairs following a massive leak in her home, Erin put a portion of the bill on her credit card as a temporary fix. Then, in 2008, she was suddenly laid off from her job of 9 years. While …

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George

George walked into legal aid with a stack of wrinkled papers, including one saying he had been denied benefits for long-term care assistance. He was confused and clearly unwell, having just become homeless and losing access to medical care despite multiple hospitalizations over the last year for diabetes, tremors, and cognitive limitations. It was clear …

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Stephanie

When Stephanie and her three children left an abusive home, the Department of Human Services provided childcare so Stephanie could work. Stephanie had just settled into a steady job, making a just over minimum wage, when DHS began garnishing her paycheck, saying her unemployed husband should have been providing childcare. In fact, he was under …

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Charlie

Charlie is 45 years old and disabled. He struggles to make ends meet, and finally found a job delivering newspapers. After he started work, the employer kept lowering the promised rate of pay, and within two weeks he could see the pay wouldn’t even cover his gas money. He quit and asked the employer for …

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John

John is an 85-year-old World War II veteran who served with distinction. Orphaned at birth in rural Wyoming, John was raised by foster families and joined the military at 16. After military service and a lifetime of work, John applied for Social Security retirement benefits in 1993. His application was denied because he could not …

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Jennifer

Jennifer is a cancer survivor with three grown children. She was was diagnosed at Stage IV, the most advanced, and got coverage through the Oregon Health Plan (OHP). Today, she has been in remission for four years and has been able to return to work part time, but she must see her doctors every six …

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Lawrence

Seven years ago Lawrence had a heart attack. At the time he was working nearly full time as a clerk in a grocery store, but he was not offered enough hours to qualify for his employer’s health insurance plan. The heart attack caught Lawrence off guard. He had been having some health issues for a …

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Ellen

Ellen was fired after reporting discrimination in the workplace. As a single mother of two, she was concerned about making ends meet. When she was denied unemployment benefits, she turned to legal aid for help. After a long hearing and testimony from a number of witnesses, Ellen won her appeal. With her unemployment benefits she …

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