After Joe Murphy learned that he had been eligible for Social Security benefits for all of his adult life due to his mild mental retardation and manic depression, he claimed the $40,945 in benefits that had accumulated over the years. In view of his mental status, the Social Security District Manager sought to give the money to a representative custodian, but this outraged Murphy, who finally convinced the agency to pay him the entire lump sum. When he blew all the money on gambling within a few weeks, Murphy blamed the government. "If you're mentally or physically disabled, the government needs to protect [you]," he said. "What they did was give me loaded gun and say, 'Shoot yourself.' "

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