Is there any kind of funding for disabled people who cannot afford to do a bankruptcy? I am a 48 yr old woman, who became disabled halfway through 2006 due to back and knee pain. I could no longer walk without severe pain. I had major lower back surgery in 2007, and the surgeon does not want me to go back to work. I have not worked since then. In 2008, I had a total knee replacement, as I suffer from a form of degenerative arthritis. I receive approx. $852 a month in SSDI. I owe approx $150,000 in unpaid bills which includes student loans, and back taxes, (they were paid, but I made a mistake on one, and the IRS is trying to say I should have not claimed use of my vehicle as job related, when I had to travel all over the county,and kept my files in, and ate in.), and utility bills. I am behind in rent by $6000, as my income does not cover my total living expenses. My boyfriend/roommate, works a full time job as a sales man for a cell phone company, but the company just lowered their ability to make commission off sales, and their base pay is very low - $20,000 maybe. He is on a automated payroll deduction for back taxes. He helps support me, financially, physically, and emotionally as much as he can. The land lady has allowed us to stay because she see's we're good people. I cannot receive things like housing assistance, SSI, or anything else as I have a 403b account with TIAA/CREF that was started in 1994, and I stopped contributing to the account in $1995-6 due to reducing my full time job to part time while getting my masters. I have between $900 to $1000 in the account, and cannot get the extra help previously mentioned because in order to receive the extra aid I cannot have more than $2000 in assets. TIAA/CREF states that because it's a secure investment account that the only way to receive money from the account is either by $1000 a year for 10 years, or $40-some dollars a month. That would take years to get my 'assets' down to $2000 in order to get the extra help. I saw a lawyer, and due to the complication of my school loans and taxes that it would cost me $3000-5,000 to do a bankruptcy. The problem is, I am literally so broke that I can't do a bankruptcy, which is what I really need to do to be able to build better credit and have a place to live the rest of my life. I am absolutely at wits end about what to do. Can anyone help?

First no, shop around attorneys, it will not take that much to file. In fact many people even file their own, or have para legals do it.

Next student loans, they are almost never allowed to be discharged, you may try for a hardship on them, but that is not "hard" it is just a filing.
The bankruptcy attorneys have them saved in blank form on computers and it is merely fill in the blank for attorneys that do bankruptcy all the time.

But no, a chapter 13 can be financed without the plan, but not a 7 since if you borrowed the money to pay it, it would be discharged in the bankruptcy.

Hello Purple 1
What state are you in? In my state we have a number of bk attorneys who will let you do a payment plan ,but with the understanding that the actual paper work will not be filed until the final payment is made,it is something to think about, also our legalAid will work with people, I know of some attorney's who volunter and help people for free who are disabled or are having a hard time.

I am in Massachuetts