1. United States
2. Wash.
3. Letter

The proposal to mandate work requirements for elderly and disabled individuals to access critical benefits is profoundly misguided and harmful. Such a policy would cruelly strip away the essential support systems that allow some of our most vulnerable citizens to live with dignity and meet their basic needs. Many elderly and disabled people face immense physical and financial challenges that make conventional employment impossible or unsafe. Forcing them to seek work under threat of losing healthcare, food assistance, and other vital services is not only unethical but economically counterproductive. We should be expanding our social safety net, not dismantling it through punitive and ill-conceived measures that will only exacerbate poverty, despair, and human suffering. I urge you to reject this unconscionable proposition and instead pursue policies rooted in compassion, equity, and an authentic commitment to protecting the wellbeing of all.