This is sort of a terrifically broad question. As I understand it, in the states, being someone who is unemployable [and demonstrated as such by various medical professionals, as opposed to just going through a rough spell, bad economy, whatever] usually means you're disabled enough for public assistance.

Otherwise, if there's some convoluted situation where this is not the case, the person would at least qualify for food stamps, potentially low-income housing and other assistance that wasn't disability-based. Usually you'd get in contact with a social worker if you knew a person in such a situation. People who I know in this sort of situation live with roommates or relatives, have odd jobs that don't really count as jobs and make do with very little and/or work towards being able to be considered disabled for the purposes of public assistance.

I'm sure someone with a more specialized background can show up and offer more specifics, this is mostly what I know anecdotally and through reading a lot of Ask MetaFilter.

Homeless =(

If they've got church or family, they lean on them. Otherwise they suffer and die like they should, though I have arranged that I never have to see this happening, and insist that we all pretend it never occurs. </family values>

Depends.

In the U.S.A., veterans have their own system but I'm going to assume, for the sake of argument, that the person applying for benefits is not a veteran.

If you're not a veteran, you can apply for Social Security Disability; if you qualify, the benefits you receive will depend on your work history and how much you've paid into the system.

Applying for Social Security Disability is not fun. Particularly when mental health issues are involved. I highly recommend getting in touch with a good attorney, one who specializes in these sorts of cases, before you even think about applying.

One of the things I have read about applying for Social Security benefits when you are depressed is that you should have testimonials from former employers and coworkers outlining how your disabilities made it impossible for you to do the job effectively.

And that can be hard on the ego.

A lot of it depends on what "unemployable" looks like.

There are a lot of kinds of jobs and a lot of different problems that prevent people from holding down jobs. I can think of people who are sort of marginally employed, or employed in situations whose demands meet their ability to offer work. For instance, people who couldn't probably be working in a corporate environment on a 9-5 schedule with a lot of stress, but who can work every Thursday, Friday, and Saturday unloading seafood from a truck for a local vendor, teaching music lessons, writing a few grants, doing pickup labor at a camp facility, working in a mailroom, etc.

I've known a lot of people who sort of skate through the system, including relatives (on my birth mother's side), often on very little, and for years and years, it involves an awful lot of suffering -- drug and alcohol abuse, jail, kids in foster care, psychiatric hospitals, homeless shelters, petty theft and prostitution. Yes, there are food stamps, food banks, welfare, disability, subsidized housing, medicaide, especially if there are kids involved, but it's a rough go. Life without work tends to spiral down, worse and worse. I've seen it, first hand.

If the person can at all work, I highly recommend that road. Especially if you're talking mental health issues; it's anecdotal, I realize, but my depression always got worse when I wasn't working and better when I was. Just the interaction with others helps. You know the expression, behave your way to better health.

Not to be mean, and I'm not talking about the truly disabled here, but describing someone as "unemployable" but not disabled sounds like nonsense to me. Any job, jockeying a register, mopping floors, fast food, is better than no job. Not working gets to be a habit, too. A person needs to demand more of him or herself and at least keep trying to get work. When wages are low, people may also qualify for supplemental income, food stamps, medicaide.

There are conditions like Chronic Fatigue or chronic pain or various other physical disabilities in which a person might be able to get through a day of work, but not have the necessary energy/ability to do other things like eat, shower, etc. Social Security doesn't consider these people "disabled," because they're technically able to work, but working might put them in such a bad place physically that they can't really function. From what I've seen from clients dealing with these issues, they often rely on food stamps and then ping-pong between working enough to live (but wearing themselves out physically) and taking time off to rest (but losing their house, etc. in the process).

Oh, and then they almost all at some point at least consider filing bankruptcy to clear out the medical and credit card debt, or at least to get creditors to stop harassing them constantly, and they all feel horrendously guilty about even considering it.

I am close to a couple people who are not in any way disabled, but nevertheless cannot work. They rely on family.

Well, I don't know occhi, I don't mean to be unsympathetic here, but there are people who work with terminal cancer, for christ's sake (I know some, in fact). Hell, there are days where all I can do is go to work and come home and climb into bed, but I still go to work.

Geeze, I'm sounding republican.

I've known several people, including my mother, that had little trouble being declared unable to work while on chemo/treatment. A lot depends out how much of a bulldog your doctor is.

It's very difficult to look at someone being treated for cancer and make any quick judgement on their ability to work. My mother was treated for 5 years, and a quick glance might give you the idea that she could work at least a minimal job. That wasn't the case. I did most of her everyday chores, most of the little things that you do to live that you don't give a second thought when healthy.

My mother, luckily, had saved and had good insurance. But the 1,100 a month disability did help. Part of the problem is using a label like 'terminally ill' and use it as a group. That's like making a statement about all black people, or short people. "I know a black person and they....". It means nothing, and only shows one common characteristic: these people have a disease that can not be treated and will eventually result in their death. This could mean in a week. It could mean in 5 years. Other than that, you're dealing in ignorance.

I still remember opening my mothers last medical statement. Her last treatment costs 90,000. To tell her that making min wage as a retiree at mcdonalds would be good for her is insulting.

Comparing a senior citizen receiving treatment for terminal cancer to having a tough time getting out of bed in the morning is so bizarre that it's difficult for me to take seriously. I can only assume that I'm reading the words wrong. At least I can hope. Then again, rush limbaugh spouts this type nonsense every day.