I'm a US attorney who does the same sort of work, representing individuals with disability claims, as the people using this board. I happened upon this board while looking for something else. If you're interested, here's a link to the US equivalent of this board.

http://ssaconnect.com/index.php?option=com_forum&Itemid=0&page=viewforum&f=3

hello over there! : )

thanks for the link, and reminder that whatever difficulties we have with our complex welfare system, it could get much worse. US social security law looks very scary, just from the selfish point of view of a practitioner, aside from anything else.

welfare reform is planned here, (not that it seems to have ever stopped!)and our politicians have fallen into the habit of looking to the US for ideas - but President Bush has social security reform plans of his own, i gather...

oh oh - i'd better not start up... : ) glad you enjoyed our thought experiment 'cooking test' anyway... and thanks again for the eye-opener!

jj