I live better on Welfare then I ever did working!

originally posted by: Realtruth
Health care costs are breaking many people here in the USA, but since most of Europe has virtually free healthcare from socialized medicine most people in Europe don't understand how f'd up the system really is.

Er.. "TANSTAAFL"

Some European countries have a national system (NHS in the UK for example) but many European countries don't have it (anymore). The blasted capitalistic "free market economy" brought my nation a for-profit health care system - and so we now all have to pay a lot of money each month to get basic care. For a family of 5, nothing fancy, just plain and simple, no special therapies, basic, no dentist etc. - and with 500 euro own risk - one pays roughly 400 euro's (500 dollars) each month. Even worse, the assurers feel they should be allowed to dictate which doctors we might visit and which treatments we might have. So, don't make Europe into Utopia.

This thread is so obviously full of crap. I can't believe all the people swallowing this cock and bull story. Anyone who has ever dealt with any kind of assistance program can spot this lie for what it is.

a reply to: DrJunk

I gave You some "stars" for the fact that You can debate w/out any personal animosity.. kudos. With that being typed, wouldn't You agree that if less people were using/abusing this type system it would be 'better' for the majority?

I'm certain that any "issues" are Mine as I don't know this person and whether or not He is running a scam doesn't really matter but I guess I'm more concerned about the kids and what they are learning. When I was a beat cop in a multi-cultural; multi-ethnic community in Ca. I dealt with many families that HAD to utilize these programs to survive and I'm pretty sure some of those experiences are clouding My thoughts, but I also remember going to calls of domestic violence and the violence would take place in front of the children and through numerous interviews the batterer would tell Me that they grew up in a house with domestic violence, a learned behavior.. What will these kids learn?

How about this, how about moving out of the United States?? somewhere with a better exchange rate?? Uruguay is currently 22-1 and they could go next door in 2016 and get a job for the 2016 Olympics. A 990' apt. in the capital city of Montevideo is $68.00USD/month. With the intraweb aren't We all citizens of the world?

Who is going to foot the bill come retirement time?

I take ALL the blame for a crappy outlook but I'll retire this 'skin-suit' under the impression once You have a kid(s) then "play time or ME time" is out the window although I'd love to hear this guy at Career Day trying to explain this..

Will the kids go to college?? If so who will foot the bill for that? See where My head is now?
Not My circus, not My monkeys.

originally posted by: theMediator
a reply to: MagesticEsoteric

Oh I know your kind...

You're jealous about his way of life and can't admit it.
You can't admit it because it would be against your values to live this way of life, I understand this.
Yet, deep inside there a part of you that would wish that being so independent wasn't part of your values. That's where you emotional response of anger comes from.

I mean, what's wrong about wanting more bang for your bucks? The MAIN problem with society isn't people like him, he didn't make the rules, he only adjusted to the rules and "won", from his point of view. The problem comes from the people up there making bad decisions and robbing the middle class.

What goes around goes around, people on wealth-fare keep the economy rolling...and the OP is still working! He's still contributing to the system. Yeah it's considered entry level jobs, but that's the economy of today!

Investing more time in our personal and family life isn't something that's lost or something that's worth less than more money. Free time isn't worth less than working time to some people and we should consider that we are entering more and more in an information age where working long painful hours should be something of the past if we are looking towards "evolving" as a civilization.

A civilization where everyone would have to work 40 hours to individually survive and prosper seems pretty backwards to me. I'm not saying no one should do that, I'm saying no one should be forced or SOCIALLY pressure people to go work, EXACTLY what you are doing and the people that like your comments.

Only because yoooou think this way doesn't mean you are more right. It's just an opinion, it's your opinion about how life should be. He decided that his life wouldn't live by YOUR values, duh.

So leave people their free will, stop the social pressure and the holier than thou rhetoric.

Glad to know someone in this world knows me so well. (Sarcasm! Just in case you needed to know)

I do know that it's not right to expect others to take care of you when you are fully capable of doing so on your own. Charity is one thing, taking advantage of others is a whole other ball of wax.

I absolutely got too emotional in this thread....you are right on that point. I apologize to the OP for coming across so aggressive and, anyone else I offended.

I've never had so many posts removed for violations in any other thread. EVER.

It irritates me to no end though. I worked 3-4 jobs while going to college full time. I didn't have any parents or family to help me. I did it all on my own and it was the most exhausting 4 years of my life. I just sacrificed to make it happen.

After having my first son, I sacrificed yet again to stay at home with him and raise him the way he deserved.

I went without things to make it happen.

It's hard for me to wrap my head around educated folks with the opportunity for gainful employment taking away from people that really need help.

How many families are homeless, hungry and in need of medical care in this country? Personally, I could never do it unless I was in dire straights and my KIDS needed the help.

The best thing I can do is just leave this thread. It's not good for me. I don't like the side of me that came out in responding to the posts.

Best of luck to the OP. I hope things get better for you.

I have some suspicions about this thread or topic. My suspicions? This is some type of polysci experiment that's being used for a news article or perhaps a college thesis. The OP is taking note of the responses. Just a hunch that we may read about this in Newsweek or somewhere

I'm not calling the OP a liar, but he's yet to provide any proof this is a real scenario other than numbers he posted in the OP.

I have been reading these post for a few days and want to clear up any misunderstanding some might have about my families situation. I want to thank everyone for their feedback regardless if its negative or positive, everyone has a right to their opinion and I respect that. Let me try and clear up a few things:

1. Why have children if you can't afford them?

I think that is a valid point, however we only planned to have one child and see how it went, however we were blessed with twins and of course that doubled our cost on everything from daycare, diapers etc. We could of easily made it with one child however, double th cost of daycare and medical co pays for their first six months of life was a huge expense we couldn't cover given our bills at the time.

2. Who spends 800 a month on food?

I would agree that would be a bit much for food, however the 800 also included personal items like diapers, cleaning supplies, hygen products (anyone seen the cost of toliet paper?), my wife couldn't produce breast milk so we had to buy a lot of formula and that gets very expensive.

3. How did you get section 8 so quick?

In our area you get priority housing if you have children under the age of 5. Having two children under 5 allowed us to move to the front of the line. They give out vouchers and you can perrty much live where you want and that is how we were able to stay in the same house because the landlord agreed to the terms. Getting our rent reduced from $1,200 down to $10 was a huge relief.

4. How are you able to get your student loan payments down to zero?

All our loans are Federal Stafford Loans and have several programs to help those who can't afford payments. We used the IRB (Income Based Repayment) plan. If you fall under the poverty rate for a family of four you pay zero. That was a huge lions share when it came to subsidies. Going from 1600 a month in student loan payments to zero helped us huge.

5. What about the children? What will they learn from this? What about retirement who will take care of you when you are old? What about college, we going to pay that too?

All of these are valid statements. In my orginal post our plan was only to use these programs until the children get to school age at the latest which is 3 years. However, my wife and I are looking for work that would compensate us more then what we previously made with more favorable health insurance rates and hours. If we can find that then we will return to our professions with a sense of security. As for the children and what thye will learn, they are currently two years old and when they turn five we will be back in our professions and the majority of their childhood memories will be of mommy and daddy working hard at their careers paying their own way. You have to understand we cut anything and everything we could to make ends meet, we had nothing left to cut other then our hours and salary to qualify for relief.

6. Why did you do this? Do you have no shame? No respect?

I completely understand the negative statements, however let me attempt to give you some understanding as to why and how I could rationalize such an action. First let me say that experinces of parents today are much different then that of the previous generation. The parents of the pervious generation had access to affordable healthcare, affordable childcare and affordable higher education. I, in no way contributed to the corruption that resulted in healthcare, childcare and higher education to be so over inflated that any family attempting to bear these responsibilities especially all at the same time would be quite near impossible, espcially for the average middle class family. Thank about it, student loans $1,600, daycare $1,600 and health insurance $1,400 not to metion the $30 co-pays and $1,500 annual deductable and having two infant children we had to go in every few months for vacinations and routine checkups. Just those three combined is $4,600 a month alone. My parents generation and my grand parenets generation never had these kind of numbers to pay for childcare, healthcare and higher education. Look I understand that many of you were able to make it when you went through this processes and it was a real struggle, yet the numbers didn't add up we didn't have the money and had nothing left to cut. If we continued down this road we would of ended up in the same boat we are currently in, we just took a proactive approach. Our student loans will not be forgiven entirely for we are only using the IRB for three years max on our 25 year term loan so we will play plent plus interest which will be way more then we borrowed at a 6.8% annual percentage rate.

In terms of our children, I truely believe that most important development years of a childs life is their first 5 years. Our children spent so much time in daycare that we felt their development would suffer as a result. Since we cut our hours and spend more time with our children they have shattered many development milestones and are well on their way to solid foundation that will allow them to be successful when they enter school. We teach them proper manners, to respect elders, adults and teachers, as well as educational basics such as colors, letters, numbers and fine and gross motor skills and insure that they get the emotional support and love they need. Many adults today had a stay at home mother during their infant/toddler years. We are not bad people for doing the same for our children. A great book by Elizabeth Warren talks about this very issue called the "Two Income Trap" how two working parents have less then a single working parent of the last generation.www.today.com... If you are an avid reader like myself you will see many stories in the news articles about people refusing a dollar an hour increase in pay because it would take away various subsidies that is worth more then that dollar extra an hour. Its a shame that it has come down to this and there is no sliding scale when it comes to support for working families, its all or nothing and this had lead families to take drastic measures that to many wouldn't seem logical until they looked at the numbers and know the programs.

There is so much misinformation out there in regards to reality that many only know their own little world and their own experince and then what they percieve as a reality outside their own personal world is minipulated by the media and television. Yes, I am a true story and under the right circumstance you can live a middle class life on welfare, those who are single, vertans and diabled get the shaft under current policy and guidelines of welfare, however if you have children you will get anything and everything that welfare programs have to offer. That is why you see so many in poverty pump out kids because it improves their standard of living. Trust me we are not using welfare as a retirement plan, we are using it to overcome the inflated cost of healthcare, daycare and higher education for a temporary time in our life until we are able to afford it, which won't be long for when our children hit school age that alone would save us a current cost 1600 a month. I will be happy to answer others questions and provide references and links to more detailed information on to how this kind of thing happens and why. To those who are really upset with me, please don't take it personal...its just business....just kidding, just kidding LOL. I thank you for your feedback

Edit: To those who are curious as to what my major was in college and why I don't make 160k a year and why my spelling and grammar suck. My undergrad is in Biology my masters is in Kinesiology. I worked for a firm that designed exercise equipment, we basically ran experiments trying to find movements that would produce the maximum amount of muscle motor recruitment while minimizing stress on joints on various parts of the body depending the exercise (aerobic and anarobic). The reason my spelling and grammar sucks so much with someone with a masters degree is because most of my classes were science based and I spent little time mastering my writing skills. I was the microsoft word generation and professors no longer read papers and basically have grad assistants (I was one once) that had no better ability in grammar and spelling then myself and I'm a product of public education that did a poor job perparing me in areas such as writing. I'm not afraid to admit it and I'm taking steps to improve it. Everything I have written thus far hasn't been run through word and trying to type fast I have made a mistake here and there, please forgive me

a reply to: nOraKat

Yep. It is a sad state of affairs but we individually have to choose our best options and these are the options that our system provides for us.

I don't know what profession these so-called professionals were in, but those salaries sound like entry level, unless they live in the sticks. Also the rent is about what you'd pay for a 1BR where I am, so if they're renting a house for that, it must be a very undesirable part of the country.

Personally I would first try to get a higher paying job before I quit — to work at Wal-Mart!? Just the idea of having my friends and former co-workers ask me where the hemorrhoid cream is makes me cringe. And being on your feet all day on hard floors, opening boxes, folding shirts, sweeping. I know it's honest work and it's fine if it's all you can get, but I would probably rather open a home day care or something like that, out of the public eye.

Right now I'm finishing a master's degree, living on savings and not working, but when I was, I had a friend on full disability who had a nice 2BR apt to himself, filled with every video game console and sleeping on a $2000 bed, spending his days watching premium cable or getting tattooed, while I was working full time and suffering from a severe case of Grave's disease that meant I could barely walk up a curb without help, barely able to afford a studio apt and "limited basic" cable (just maybe 20 channels). He suffered from depression!?!

I felt like such a sucker for continuing to work. I had asked my doctor to recommend my taking a few weeks off to recuperate because I was so drained, and he scoffed as if I was some kind of freeloader, in between warning me that I was in danger of dying.

a reply to: ForteanOrg

$1200 is not steep for a house rental. I doubt you could even find one at that price where I live, maybe a dump in a gang-infested ghetto. For an apt, you could get a studio or 1BR. Rents are really out of control for anybody who doesn't have some second source of income (second job, roommate, spouse, parent footing the bill).

I'm kind of surprised to hear you say that because I've watched many an episode of House Hunters International, where they look for rentals all over the world, and I assumed there would be cheap places to live but even third world countries seem to charge at least $1000 for anything livable, and often much higher.

originally posted by: JimNasium
a reply to: DrJunk
Who is going to foot the bill come retirement time?

You're going to love this (/sarcasm): I had a friend who worked in the funeral business in a Southwestern state. Said state has a policy on the books that if you are a senior citizen (not sure what age) and have assets under $3000, you are basically a ward of the state and they are responsible for taking care of you.

She would work with the families of older people (I'm not sure how this ties in with the funeral business; I think people were buying plots or maybe making arrangements after a spouse died) to move their assets to other family or do whatever they have to do to, to meet the threshold and then get room and board in what I've heard are very nice senior facilities.

I've heard from other people who specifically moved their parents there to take advantage of this. Wealthy people.

originally posted by: GiulXainx
a reply to: learnatic

I completely disagree. The problem is public awareness. Anyone who lives with a 'hand-out' of any type and aren't homeless should be. They should have to live exactly like a homeless person does.

Which is why I don't want to live on this planet anymore.

My apologies but I dont understand your post. In case it helps, my point is:

# corporate welfare is not talked about therefore the people dont know about it and therefore dont think about it
# Because the people dont know or think about corproate welfare they therefore only conentrate their attention on individual welfare just like the TPTB want them to.
# Corproate welfare in all of its forms is still welfare
# Corproate welfare payments are not tallied and publicised as governemnt do with individual welfare. Why s this?

hope this helps

a reply to: PaladinRoden

Are you worried at all about your ability to find a job after a prolonged gap in your resume? Women often have this problem after raising a family; do you think it will be even worse for a man?

Can you reveal anything about what city, state, or region of the country you live in?

I'm also wondering what your sets of parents think of this. You mentioned that they made a comfortable living and pension, so I imagine they could probably contribute to, say, buying a house. Is there much of an inheritance to anticipate?

Finally, I mentioned I would be embarrassed to run into friends if I worked at Wal-Mart. Why there? Weren't there office jobs you could get that would pay better and offer a little more status? I don't want to sound elitist but ... working at Wallyworld is one step up from McD's.

a reply to: rockpaperhammock

What country did you move to? If you posted about how you like it, please link. Thanks.

I can not believe so many of you have fallen for this hoax. I am very familiar with every program the OP is talking about. The way he is describing the situation can not happen in reality. Just go do some basic research and you will see this for yourself.



I know a lot of people who use all of those programs. Both friends and family. Both with kids and without kids. Both people who really need it and people who abuse it. During outreach work, I have even helped people who really needed it, sign up and get on these programs. I know the system inside and out. I guarantee this story is either an exaggeration or an out right lie. The most glaring exaggeration is the way the OP says the Obama phone works. What people call Obama phones, is actually called the Lifeline Assistance Program. You do not get to keep your own phone, plan, provider and pay ten dollars a month. It is completely free and they give you a basic phone. Plus you can only have one phone per household, not per person.

Also another obvious one if you know the programs is that baby formula would be covered under WIC not the SNAP benefits were your 800 comes from. You would have WIC coupons for a certain amount of containers of formula a month. So in your most recent post saying 800 a month in food costs include the oh so expensive baby formula is not justifiable.



Too anyone attacking the people questioning the OP. Saying people have no empathy or hearts. Know this. People either really abusing the system like the OP is saying, or using an exaggerated story for a political purpose like I suspect the OP is doing. Are actually hurting the real people who need these programs to survive.

a reply to: karmicecstasy

I'm sorry you feel that way, however you are misreading my post and are not knowledgable of the programs you say you are. First the statement about 800 a month on food and personal items was before we got on welfare. WIC is not given to anyone who has a baby, you have to meet income requirements so yes formula is expensive when paying for it yourself. As for Obama Phone we were able to keep our phone number from Sprint and the $10 we pay is for 4G access on the phones we already owned and yes the actual phone service is free. You claim to know the system inside and out, then you must know that WIC is income based an not anyone with a baby gets free formula. We use SNAP for food items and WIC for baby formula and milk. Lets look at the following and see why its hard to believe.

1. Free Daycare....why is it hard to believe those who have low income get free daycare? Many use it and its quite common for those who meet the income requirements.

2. Foodstamps/SNAP/WIC....probably the easiest of all benefits to sign up for. Why is it hard to believe a family of four gets a combined 900 a month benefit in SNAP and WIC benefits?

3. Section 8 Housing...I explained in an earlier post how the sytem works in our area and if you meet the income requirements along with having children you qualify..why is that hard to believe?

4. Federal Student Loans reduced to zero a month payments...IBR is a program for Federal Student Loans. Why is that hard to believe people actually use it? You can use it at any income bracket not just low income. Here is a link to how it works. studentaid.ed.gov...

5. Reduced Electric bill...Light Up Texas is a program that is income based and anyone in Texas can apply for it and use it if they qualify...why is that so hard to believe? Here is a link to the program...www.puc.texas.gov...

6. Gym Membership free from the YMCA based on income...its there for anyone to use it if they qualify....here is a link. www.ymcatriangle.org...

Each of these programs are not hard to get if you meet the requirements. Why is it hard to believe people actually use it?

I don't believe your post O.P.

This is because there are factual errors in your supposed "new situation." For a big example, food stamps cannot be used in restaurants. You mention twice that you get to go out to eat at restaurants on the government's dollar, something that isn't true. In addition, there is no way you would get $900 in food stamps per month. I do get food stamps, and I only get $150. I used to only get $10. I have a friend with twins, and he is married, and they only get around $250.

You can get free health care, but even that is not guaranteed. There is no Obama Phone. Both Sprint and Verizon have no subsidies that I have heard of (and I have asked) to help low-income people pay ridiculously low rates. You would have to buy a cell phone that pays by the minute at this point, and it would not be a smart phone, and it would not be a prime network.

You could get cheap electricity, cheap transit card, and your student loans might be forgiven - these are true statements.

I find it hard to believe that you got subsidized housing, you would have to move to a certain specific location (not your current home) and be on a waiting list before getting section 8 housing and you wouldn't get a house, you would be renting an apartment. Even then, they base it on your income. My income is $800 a month and I still have to pay $200 in rent on an apartment.

-----

Basically, you made up the second part of your story.

On a side note, I live on less money than your family spends on food and other expenses each month. I also have a college education, but that doesn't help me find any work that pays much.

I'm getting some help from the government just until I can get back on my feet because I do believe in supporting myself. There are a lot of strings attached to living on government money, for example, my housing has to be inspected a few times a year by government inspectors and there is a lot of paperwork and oversight involved to keep fraud from happening.

originally posted by: karmicecstasy
I can not believe so many of you have fallen for this hoax. I am very familiar with every program the OP is talking about. The way he is describing the situation can not happen in reality. Just go do some basic research and you will see this for yourself.

Yes, the O.P. is not telling the truth and he knows nothing about the programs he is mentioning. Well, maybe enough to make up a halfway convincing story.

originally posted by: lindalinda
a reply to: PaladinRoden

Are you worried at all about your ability to find a job after a prolonged gap in your resume? Women often have this problem after raising a family; do you think it will be even worse for a man?

Can you reveal anything about what city, state, or region of the country you live in?

I'm also wondering what your sets of parents think of this. You mentioned that they made a comfortable living and pension, so I imagine they could probably contribute to, say, buying a house. Is there much of an inheritance to anticipate?

Finally, I mentioned I would be embarrassed to run into friends if I worked at Wal-Mart. Why there? Weren't there office jobs you could get that would pay better and offer a little more status? I don't want to sound elitist but ... working at Wallyworld is one step up from McD's.

1. Am I worried about finding a job with a gap in my resume?

Good question, I'm currently doing freelance research within my field and hopes to have some work published in some journals. Hopefully with this and some volunteer work I can keep my resume more active for when I apply for that salary job again Same with my wife she is doing volunteer work within her field to stay sharp and active.

2. Can you reveal what region or state you are in?

We live in Texas. Not the best state for welfare but it has enough programs to allow us to do what we do. There are many states around the US that give out way more benefits then Texas does. Here is a good reference to start. www.thecommonsenseshow.com...

downtrend.com...

3. What do our parents think....

Not suprisingly they feel like many on the posters here on ATS when we first told them about it. However, after going over all the numbers they better understood that we where headed this way because with our bills something would have to give either our rent, daycare or health insurance. If we can't pay for daycae myself or my wife would have to be a stay at home parent. Yet, with our one working with decent income we wouldn't be able to meet our student loan payments and my wife would lose her license as a result. One thing many people are not aware of is that you can lose your state license or certifications if you defualt on your student loans. Here is a reference. bankruptcy.findlaw.com...

In terms of them helping us, they have a decent pension but its decent in that it allows them to live comfortable in their retirement, not to bailout grown children. So buying us a house or helping us out with bills was not an option they were willing to provide.

4. Being embarrased if friends saw us working at Wal*Mart on any other low end job...

Being adults with children my best friend is my wife and my wifes best friend is me. We have other friends, however they completely understand and know its only temporary.

originally posted by: PaladinRoden
My mother was able to go to college with zero student loan debt and work part time at McDonalds with it she was able to have an apartment, pay her tution and buy books all with a part time job. www.usatoday.com...

Isn't that the truth of it all right there? I always here from my parents and my in-laws how 'back in their day' only the father worked or maybe someone only had a mediocre job like being a milk man but could still afford a house and car and afford to take his family to disneyland once a year. Inflation has killed the american dream. I am 31, my parents were renting a house when I was born (my mom was 24 when I was born) and bought a house just 4 years later...today only a few people of everyone I know has a house, and that is usually by chance, or by luck that their family helped them buy it or a grandparent died and left it to them. So many people my age just feel so hopeless...My wife got her masters and I am working on mine, and we just feel like what is or was the point? There aren't even any good jobs unless one is a Dr, lawyer, or engineer! We'll be in debt forever

a reply to: AnonymousMoose

I agree with this, but the economic crash was caused by greedy corporations and bankers, and the bail-out money went to them, as well - after the economy crashed in 2008, most of the people I know, including myself, are in the same situation you are describing. But the wealthy are the ones to blame, not the poor.

I know hundreds of people, and only a handful of them can afford a house. Most can't even afford rent without room-mates or living with relatives. My best friends live with their grandmothers in exchange for helping to take care of them. This doesn't have to do with them being lazy. The economy really took a turn for the worse.

I graduated from college in 2010, and have not been able to get any substantial work since then. I am living on a small amount of income and family support and some government programs. One of those includes a program to help me find a better job. I am definitely planning on moving forward, but it is not easy.

a reply to: PaladinRoden

I know how WIC works. Of course its not given to anyone with a baby. Only those of low income. Where did I say it was given to anyone. I did not. You are just trying to distract everyone reading this. However you are correct in that I misread the 800 for food is before the welfare. You get 900 after. It was you that said a couple posts up while defending the amount of money you need for food, that it includes the cost of formula. I do find it hard to believe you get 900 though. I know a married couple. The wife works part time. The husband does not work. They have two kids. Both under five. One a newborn. They get under 500 and that is only for food. Since the wife works part time. They do not get cash benefits anymore. They did when she did not work. You say both you and your wife work part time. Interesting?

Again that is not how the Lifeline Assistance program works. You do not get to keep your phone. You get a brand new basic, no frills, phone with usually between 250 to 1000 minutes. Some of the new plans will give you unlimited minutes but they are not common yet. It does not include an option to pay 10 dollars a month for a 4G plan.

Most families with a Section 8 voucher pay 30 percent of their monthly adjusted income as the tenant portion of the rent. Section 8 pays the difference between this amount and the payment standard set by the housing agency. The payment standard is the maximum monthly rent assistance that the government will pay to a landlord who rents to a family with a Section 8 voucher. The payment standard depends on the apartment size and the area where the apartment is located.If you have a Section 8 voucher, you must try to find an apartment where the rent, including utilities, is not higher than the payment standard. If the rent is higher than the payment standard, you must pay the extra.

Your adjusted net income is your household’s gross total income minus 480 per dependent and the cost of child care. Your gross annual income is 14,750. You have 2 dependents that is 960. Your child care costs are 1600. So the total deduction is 2560. 14,750 minus your deductions of 2560 equals 12,190. Divide that by 12 and you have 1015. 30 percent of 1015 is 304.5. So your rent under section 8 would be 304 dollars and 50 cents. That is if the rent of the house you were already in plus utility's met the payment standard of the area you live in.

That is not ten dollars. That is nowhere near ten dollars. The only way it can be cheaper than that is if both you and your wife have disability's and are not working. Then you may, may, qualify for the minimum monthly payment which is below 30 percent total income. Still that would not be as low as 10 dollars a month. I know people in my area who are in the worst low income neighborhoods, where the payment standard is below 500 dollars( yours has to be equal or higher than the 1200 you were paying rent before),with no jobs and more dependents than you have and their rent is not as low as 10 dollars a month.