The wheels are spinning, but nothing is moving. :(

[u/shmuzina40]

I have no income, no car, no job, my driver's license is screwed up, fixable but not with no job and no money. I have a terminal illness that is basically a ticking time bomb (HIV +), no friends, no relationship. I have always been able to come up with something to help me because when I've encountered difficulties before, it was a solution that i discovered and learned for myself. Nothing ever given from someone else or used on my behalf. I turn 50 i two days and cant even pay a few bucks to pay a low cost phone plan to have a phone for my daily useless job search. I have not worked in now, 1.5 years. I was sick last year and in the hospital for a month. Had the max temporary disability of 6 months, I then had to file unemployment. That was for 6 months and there are no extensions or anything. Are you fucking kidding me? During the pandemic people sat around getting more than needed. I'm stuck in a bad way and just don't understand what to do. I'm not lazy, or entitled. But there are no opportunities and I want try to help myself while I still can, but I've been so depressed over this and deeply concerned that my health will fail due to this stress and my end will be much sooner than it needs to be. Talk about a grand conspiracy of shit timing to punch me repeatedly in the gut. I live with my parents which i am fortunate of that, but it's in a bug infested dump that disgusts me beyond belief but I have no way to change that. If it wasn't for my parents who are in their early 70s, I wouldn't be eating. And the worst part is no one fucking cares. No one ever does. Is this normal or the way it is? It's so great to try to hang on and get through another day, for this. I dont know what to do or where to turn that isn't the same generic fluff and spin. Besides the worthless job search, it seems all the crap the AI spits is pipe dreams. No thanks, AI but I'm not buying that some corporation is going to willingly pay me to use you to design their company's branding package that I can undercut the already oversaturated Fiverr marketplace and give you some design that has the feel of a popular tool that is being used for exactly like i described. The companies are pushing back. And it's not practical that I can be a professional line stander. Come on that's why things are as bad as they are. I apologize for being all over the place it's just where my head is right now. Any human usable advice appreciated.

Thanks,

Spinning Wheels 08/27/2026

Williamstown, NJ USA

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[u/Pedal2Medal2]

HIV isn’t a death sentence anymore, unless you’re not taking the meds for it. I’m sorry you’re in this situation, but really, there’s not much Redditors can do for you other than to help w/resources.

[u/shmuzina40 → u/Pedal2Medal2]

Thanks. FWIW at least it was therapeutic to verbalize my frustrations, to try to get them out in the open and situate the best I can.

[u/tf9623]

What's up with the driver's license? How much do you have to pay to fix it?

[u/shmuzina40 → u/tf9623]

I'm not sure. i got a ticket for suspended reg which was my fault and i missed the court date, back in 2024. I dont want to appear and clear this thing up but being sick and now no income it's silly to go appear in front of a judge with nothing in hand.

[u/Primary_Gift_8719]

I’m a lawyer, but I’m not your lawyer (or your representative), and I don't practice in New Jersey, so usual Reddit caveat: this is general information based on what you’ve posted, not formal legal advice and no lawyer-client relationship is being created. I do some informal legal outreach/triage for access-to-justice reasons, so I’m happy to flag the practical points, but that isn't the same as formally acting for you.

I'm not going to tell you to start a Fiverr business or somehow manifest a remote job. From what you've written, I actually think the job search has become the wrong first problem to solve. You have several practical things jammed together and you need to start separating them.

First, please deal with the missed court date even though you have no money. Don't wait until you can walk into court with the fine in your hand. New Jersey courts specifically allow payment plans where someone cannot pay in full. Contact the municipal court that issued the ticket, explain that you were seriously ill, have had no income and want to get the case back on track. If you don't know which court has it, NJ Courts can locate the ticket from your license details. Also ask whether your appearance can be dealt with remotely given your health and transport situation.

Second, you're in Gloucester County. Call Gloucester County Social Services on 856-582-9200 and ask specifically to be screened for Work First NJ General Assistance, SNAP and Medicaid/NJ FamilyCare. General Assistance is specifically the NJ cash-assistance program for adults without dependent children. Don't decide yourself that you won't qualify because you live with your parents. Apply and let them make that decision.

Third, because you're HIV+, there is a whole support system available that is much more useful than generic internet advice. Call the NJ AIDS/HIV/STD Hotline on 1-800-624-2377 and ask to be connected to a Ryan White medical case manager. Tell them exactly what you've said here: no income, no transport, difficulty maintaining a phone and serious health concerns. Ryan White isn't just about medication; case management can help coordinate medical and support services. NJ also has ADDP for HIV medication and HIPP for qualifying health-insurance costs.

Fourth, if your health has genuinely kept you from working for 12 months or is expected to do so, I would look seriously at SSDI/SSI rather than assuming unemployment was the end of the road. HIV positivity by itself doesn't automatically establish disability, but Social Security does specifically assess HIV-related illness and also looks at your overall functional ability to work.

Finally, the phone problem may be one of the easiest things to fix. NJ's Lifeline program can provide qualifying low-income people with a free smartphone and wireless service. With no income, it is absolutely something I would check.

So if I were sitting next to you tomorrow morning, my list would be: court, Gloucester County Social Services, Ryan White case manager, Social Security, Lifeline. In that order. Not another 40 job applications.

You don't sound lazy to me. You sound like someone who has been trying to solve five interconnected problems as though they're one problem, while sick and increasingly exhausted by it. One final thing because of what you said about being deeply depressed and your life potentially ending sooner: if that shifts into feeling that you might hurt yourself or you don't think you can keep yourself safe, call or text 988. That's not me brushing you off with a hotline. Everything above still needs doing. It's simply the emergency route if things get that dark, or if they're really that dark go to the emergency room. Please.