Living on Social Security
My sister is a widow living on nothing but Social Security; she also gets Medicaid benefits. She is on oxygen 24/7 and in a wheelchair (Thanks to Covid.) Do any of your books deal with life in poverty? What should be her priorities? She will never be able to work again.
Terry Says
While my columns and this question and answer section always deal with the financial problems of people who have money decisions to make, I do recognize that many people don’t have the luxury of these choices. It’s a sad fact that more than one-third of Social Security beneficiaries rely on that monthly check for at least 90% of their living expenses. In other words, one-third of our seniors are living in abject poverty.
I wish I could wave a magic wand and come up with some resources. I urge you to contact the Department of Aging, to make sure your sister is getting all the benefits — including home meal delivery, subsidized rent, etc — that is available to her. She is fortunate to have a sister like you to care for her. Too many of our elders are not only poor, but alone.
