Welfare

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OK, Mr Hamilton, just have a seat.

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Mr Welles, would you mind removing your hat, please?

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Three A.

Alexander Tarswell.

Four C.

Indian people here don't like here, you know?

I'm...

I'm Apache from Oklahoma, you know.

Don't wanna give you nothing because I'm a Indian.

What's happened to the Indian people, you know?

What's happened? He no good? No good?

I'm a human being like anybody

like white or Black or something like that.

- Get outta here, outta here. - You understand?

They don't want to help you, you know.

They don't want me helping,

cos I'm an Indian people, you know?

I don't see too many Indian people in this country, you know

in New York.

I escaped from this reservation

you got in Washington, you know?

I'm taking off from there

because in there, it's like a... like a camp.

A concentration camp.

He's taken all my land

you know, and puts me on a reservation like a jail.

You know?

And now he don't dig it too much. He don't dig it.

The government, he don't like the Indian people.

You understand?

He preyed into Indian people, you know?

Every time I go he say, you Indian?

Get outta here!

I don't want you Indian...

That's not good.

You know, that is not good.

Because you know, if you suppose...

I'm a human being, you know?

Like you, like anyone, any people, you know.

Yes, ma'am.

I called 39 Broadway.

OK, ma'am.

So far as we know, they have made no provisions

to issue ID cards to their claimants.

Right, that's right, thank you.

But on the other hand, welfare cannot give you one either

because you're not on our rolls.

The best thing for you to do when you get your cheque

is go to a cheque cashing place

- or maybe a landlord will cash it. - Yes, ma'am.

Keep going to SSI until they come up with some ID

so that you'll be able to cash your cheque.

- But, young lady... - But, but...

- Sir, sir. - If you don't give me the picture...

We cannot give it to you

- because your cheques don't come from us. - Hold it, man.

Your cheque does not come from us, so we cannot give you an ID card.

You go in with an ID card from one department

and you get your cheque from another department

it's not gonna help you.

I know, but I need the picture for change my cheque.

No, I'm sorry, we won't give it to you.

You have to get it from them

- and in the meantime... - She told me yesterday...

Yeah, listen, man.

You know, I just go in yesterday in there

you know, walk in, because I ain't got no money.

I walk in all the way up from Broadway

thirty-nine, and I explain my situation.

He said he don't give you a Medicaid card in there

and he don't give you ID card there, you know?

Say going to 14th Street

maybe you can... solution your case.

- I need help. - Nevertheless, this is a problem

that you'll have to take up with them, Waverly's no longer responsible.

But what can I do now for change my cheque?

You've got your cheque, you have your cheque in your pocket?

You know, I just tried it, you know.

- To get the picture because... - I've explained to you several times

- that we cannot give it to you, I'm sorry. - Right, I know.

You know, so when my cheque come, and the cheque coming...

Take it to a cheque cashing place.

Yes, but if I ain't got no ID card, he don't give it to me, young lady.

Meantime, keep going to 39 Broadway

and tell them you're having difficulty cashing your cheque

and you need some kind of ID.

I just said I telling yesterday

telling I supposed to get a picture here, because, you know...

he don't give it to me.

He don't want to give it to me.

I'm sorry, Waverly can't either. Waverly's not responsible.

So I supposed... Oh, you lose one your rings...

Oh, thank you.

Yeah. So, you know, what I can do now?

Go back to 39 Broadway.

When you get your cheque, go to a cheque cashing...

Explain the situation again?

- Explain the situation, yes. - OK, thank you very much, young lady.

So you were out of the apartment in November?

- That's right. - November 28th.

November 28th, and then you went...

Over here it says you went to the halfway house

December 27th, that's a month later.

- Yeah. - OK...

- We were staying... - No, what's she's saying is what did you do

from November 28th to...

December 27th, where were you?

Well, I was in and out of jail.

It was like one day at a time, like, they would, you know...

It says you were only in jail for one day.

I know that, but previous to that too.

You know, like it was, they just...

We went into restaurants

and we were just eating and not paying our bill

because we didn't have any money.

So they picked us up, you know, like on that

and we'd spend the night in jail or something

and then they released us out into the street again.

And we were staying in...

We were staying with a friend of mine.

When you worked for the department

you know, you were making good money.

That's right.

Like I stayed in each position for about a year

or a year and half, I kept taking the civil service exams.

That's how I got promoted.

I started as a union clerk grade three

and then I went supervising clerk, then I became administrative assistant.

- See, we haven't... - It's approximately a year, two years

in each job there. I think, you know...

Yeah.

We haven't got your accounts, right?

We just got the letter from the bank saying

that your accounts are closed.

He lost the passbook.

No, no, wait a minute, wait.

And then you're telling me that you only have these amounts

in each account, but you were making relatively good money.

I can't understand how...

A hundred and ninety-eight dollars in rent was one item, OK?

I know, I know.

And what about for food?

We had to spend on food.

That's right, we spent money on entertainment.

What kinda entertainment?

- Movies. - Movies.

Drinking. You know what I mean?

How come you never worked?

I'm an epileptic and I can't work.

- OK. - We had to pay electric.

Yeah, and so on.

Have you got a medical...

I don't have any medical, because my doctor...

You have Medicaid, that's the only thing.

Medicaid is the only thing I have.

Are you under any medication?

No, I don't take any medication because the doctor told me I don't need it.

It's just that I gotta take it easy and relax

and I'm not allowed to work. I wish I could, I would work.

They gave us the Medicaid because we, you know...

we are in this situation.

That's right.

Well, the reason I'm asking you all these questions...

Yeah.

It's true you're an emergency

so we are giving you the emergency interview.

But every aspect

of your application has to be gotten into.

OK?

OK.

I'm surprised you asked that, being that you were a supervisor in social services.

- You should know. - Well, you know, sure, but...

at the moment, I'm thinking in terms of answering your questions

and of, you know...

Did you ever get social security under your father's...?

My father, I don't know, because my father is in the Army

and I haven't seen him since I'm six years old.

I see. Where's your mother?

My mother's on Pelham Parkway

she gave me a little money and then she told me

go hang myself or commit suicide

and every time I contact her, she hangs up the phone.

The counsellor at the rehabilitation centre tried

and she claimed she doesn't know me.

He tried, my sister tried.

I got money from my sister, a little bit