If Social Security check is your only income...

How are you getting by in this economy?

My COLA was a wash, as county agencies reduced benefits because of the increase. Disability limits my work options, but I used to be able to pick up temp jobs to supplement. Ten years ago, way before the economy took a nosedive, I went back to school and got my BA in hopes of gaining employment that would mitigate or even end my dependence on Social Security; that got me the opportunity to hear that I was now "over qualified,". One prospective employer went so far as to ask, "Why should I hire someone who can do a job in little bits when someone else could do it all at once, and why would I hire you for a few years when I could hire someone younger for a lot of years?"

A year and a half ago I went through Vocational Rehab to develop a business from my home. Did the business plan, marketing plan, the whole bit. Got all the requisite licenses and registrations. And since I wasn't planning on something huge I didn't apply for loans, hoping to gradually build the business. It's been exhausting and exciting, and there have been very positive responses. And prospective customers keep saying that they'll keep us in mind for when the economy improves. I've yet to draw a paycheck. Right now my time is mostly spent in trying to learn Quickbooks, as hiring a bookkeeper is out of the question. Mostly it seems that I'm putting in the hours and the effort so that I don't have time to think about how it might have turned out better if...if...if only.

So. If you are in a similar boat or know someone who is, maybe we can share some ideas for getting through this time. I suspect I'm not the only one who could use some positive input.

maximum allowed by SS. It's the only way she can make it.

the geniuses opted out 30 years ago saying it won't be here when we retire. asses. I have a three hour little job to make my utilities bill. God bless your mom and everyone else. this is hell.

although she had to quit her part time job last year.

She'll be 75 in July. She has no skills, so she worked at one of the large Donut chains. Younger girls (I'm talking 18, 20, etc) would come in after my mom (she was there for 4 AM) and work a couple of hours and spend the rest of the time bitching about how "tired" they were.

Anyway, because of age mom had to quit work. Social Security doesn't even cover the limited expenses she has while living with someone else (she isn't married to him). He's almost 90 years old. When he dies, I don't know what she'll do, as I don't think he's willed his mobile home to her or anything (they live in Florida).

She doesn't want to live with one of her kids...there are five of us...but she may have to.

is age discrimination plain and simple. I hope you filed a complaint and possible charges against that person.

I did have a chat with the senior ombudsman (even though I technically didn't yet qualify as a senior). Turns out that the offending jerk was related to him somehow and he wasn't in the least surprised. I simply didn't have the time to seek legal recourse, and eventually found part-time work that lasted for a couple of years. Ironically, that job had me frequenting the jerk's business from time to time, and it didn't bother me in the least to learn that he had been fired by their corporate offices.

utter something like that. Most times they figure out some other reason, valid or not, to get rid of people looking for work and pushing 50 or older in the US.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topics&forum=353

We discuss lots of ideas for savings in different areas. :hi:

Thanks for the info, and I will definitely check it out!

why would I hire you for a few years when I could hire someone younger for a lot of years?"

I am in a very similar situation. I can cover everything but my rent. I have no health insurance as I am not yet 66 or 67..Not sure when Medicare kicks in for me.
I used up all my savings and then some. I have been getting some help from my family...but I would rather not continue that. I do not know what I am going to do.

The is now a SENIOR Group and A Frugal Living Group here at DU.

They have offered some good ideas.

Good luck. And if you make any startling discoveries, please let me know.

link to Seniors. Link to Frugal group in above post.
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=227x1818

Medicare coverage is NOT on the same "sliding scale" of full Social Security benefits. While folks can start receiving early (at 80% of the full rate) Social Security benefits at age 62, they must wait until age 65 to receive Medicare.

me it was 65 yr and 7 months. Determined by birth year, soc sec web site has the chart www.ssa.gov

Many on ssi and ssd have to depend on section 8 housing, with the loss of som much low income housing, how do people get by? I'm not on ss, but my mother in law is, without section 8 she'd be unable to afford her housing.

In the process of trying to find another location, as this one is no longer suitable healthwise. (Not to mention that the landlords aren't happy with me since they found out I was supporting Obama -- turns out they value their Klan affiliation. Sucks to write that check every month!)

So many are caught in a bad situation, but with waiting lists of 2 units for every three people, it can take a while. Really wish you a speedy search!!

place to live with cheap rent. Paying for Medicare, Medicare supplemental insurance and medication takes a big chunk of my SS income, too.

...according to what we are reading in the news and projections. Any business idea that depends on improvement is likely to be a dead end for the next few decades. However, there are opportunities for meeting peoples' basic needs that can prove to meet your needs as well. The trick is in coming up with the perfect avenue for a revenue stream.

I, myself, am in deep thought about how to stay afloat. The world is in such a state of flux that the old paths don't exist. What can I pursue; what can I offer in exchange for money or barter? I'm an editor by trade/training but out of that business, a dealer in antique and vintage papers (that bidness is pretty much dried up), a pie baker in a family member's coffee house.

I'm reading books about the great depression. How did people survive? They shared housing. They kept community. That was a start.

http://www.ssa.gov/pubs/11017.html

PASSes can be used to raise/save capital needed for a small business. Financially, you use your current Social Security Disability check for your approved small business expenses in your approved PASS plan. Since you are using you SSDI for your PASS plan, none of that income is counted in looking at your qualifying for other low income benefits such as SSI, food stamps, sudsidized housing, etc.

As you stated when your SSDI income went up from the COLA, your other benefits decreased. With a PASS plan exempting your SSDI, all your other benefis go up and you qualify for others such as SSI and medicaid. PASS plans aren't easy and SSA hates them.

But they can offer significant opportunity - PASS plans are considered an SSI work incentive since they create eligibility for SSI. Lots of folk don't realize they are most powerful for folk on SSDI.

what we've been doing via Voc Rehab. It's also part of the reason the process has taken so long.

In the past it was often necessary in Colorado for us to ask our Congressman to help when SSA was being a barrier to someone trying to return to work.

with VocRehab I had a very interesting and informative conversation with a benefits planner (external to Social Security); I didn't want to do anything to jeopardize my benefits, given that I have no way of replacing them short of winning the powerball. There was lots of 'upstream' dawdling after all Ts had been crossed and Is dotted, and at one point one of those individuals decided that a number of client programs that had already been approved needed another examination; several of the other clients who were scheduled to start classes did so without the books and supplies that were delayed as a result. There were delays in my process as well, some of which were undoubtedly caused by the interplay between a state agency and Social Security. I have been told, by someone who works for Social Security, that their employees are hired primarily for data entry skills.

As for asking a Congressperson for help, good thing that Musgrave is gone. She and I had butted heads and there would have been no help forthcoming from her if I'd been bleeding to death in her front yard.

"I have been told, by someone who works for Social Security, that their employees are hired primarily for data entry skills."

So true. They also have no accounting skills yet are responsible for auditing your PASS. It is more likely than not that they will find you in non-compliance and say you have an overpayment at some time. It is also very likely that they will be wrong. Every business needs an accountant (They should set up your invcome expense tax categories for you too then use in Quickbooks I would think). Suggestion - Have VR or your PASS pay for a business accountant (business expense) and then have VR pay them some more for your PASS accounting. A PASS can't be used for PASS accounting (If I remember right). SSA is not your friend anymore than IRS is your friend. My guess is you already know that.

Good luck

;-)

VR got me Quickbooks, and I'm having major struggles learning to use it. Balancing my checkbook is the closest I've ever gotten to accounting, and at least once a year I manage to screw it up to the point of have professional help to untangle it. At the moment I'm experiencing some sympathy for Sisyphus (sp?). Anyhoo.

And I'm playing with the idea of going back to school to get my BA, but at my age, what's the point? We worked part time jobs and so were eligible for unemployment at $80 and $75 per week. We also qualify for food stamps which helps and we're paying cheap rent because we're house sitting (we shouldn't pay anything considering all the shoveling and cat care we need to do, but whatever....)

In addition to SS, Mr. Gray does programs on Laughter and Health, so that brings in a little....very little. We're doing the same thing you are, starting a business on a shoe string.

Other than that, we're broke all the time but we do manage to survive without going hungry or being cold. Come April when we have to move is the big problem. We can't put enough money together to pay the ridiculous rents and deposits around here.

I try to live in the day.

There is no way that I could survive just on Social Security. But in the near future, I am going to have to retire. I am just trying to get some more money into my IRA and 401K.

before that, you lose money based on what you earn. The maximium allowed earnings between 62 and full SS eligibility is something like $14K per year.

so I'm now living on social security only (about 1/4 of what our income was) Our home is paid off, it would be real hard otherwise. I have chickens, wood heat, my own water source and room for a big garden. My daughter (still working) and grand-daughter live with me and it's not so bad. I'm making a few adjustments like letting my car go back so I don't have a car payment, then I'll just buy a car for 4 or 5 thousand cash (I'm saving the car payment money)after that, I'll have money to save. I realize this will ruin my credit, but with the drop in income credit is harder to get, and I'm better off without it anyway. I pay 340 a month for health insurance because I won't qualify for Medicare for another year. Electricity is only about 100 a month. I think that lots of people from my generation know how to make do with little.

We lost Dad a couple of years ago, and Mom now gets his Social Security. She's a "notch baby", and there's no one anywhere in the country who could live on those benefits.

If I come into a pile of dough in the next year, when I'll reach full retirement age, I'm going to withdraw from SS, repay what SS has paid me, and re-apply so I can get the full benefits. Given my family genes, I think it'll pay off in the long run.

Would love to find a part time job.

I submitted my business plan once, and had some great constructive criticism. The main point being that in a discretionary market I would not fair too well during these tough times. So, I'm back at it with a new plan that relies on a captive market I'm very glad I branched into (funerary). I was lucky enough to have a small amount of money left for me by a departed relative, so now I don't even have to get into a loan. They are going to match my capital investment with a Disability Grant.

Once I get going I may be one of the few fairing well in the depression. Unfortunately I'm still living on family charity and food stamps until it's finally rolling. I've been out of work (mostly due to health issues) for over a year now.

It's hard for me to imagine, but I know many who aren't fairing as well as my little family. I just hope to God and all that is holy that the state doesn't cut my insurance - no treatments, can't work.

Can you PM me about the new biz plan, I have some experience there.

Go online at Goodmorning America they have been doing something about people doing their own start up buisness on $100.00. I think it was on Mon or Tues. It was interesting discussion. They said they would post information there.

for low income housing because of my CREDIT score/history. I have unpaid medical bills and a student loan in default. They've levied my SS, so they are getting their money. Meanwhile, I'm temporarily at a friend's house. Otherwise, it would be my car. I have a tent, someone graciously gave me. We do what we have to.

I lost all my outpatient medical benefits for the past year because I was trying to work, and could not afford to pay them out of pocket. I gave up about $500 per month to have the right to earn a net of $160. It's hard to keep getting a smack down and work with constant pain. One or the other. I have quit trying. I need health care. I'm not able to overcome the System. It is stacked against us.

But, you know.. I survive. A couple of family members help from time to time, and I really hate that. I don't want them to have to. They have needs too. Any gifts like that also go against you. So, net, zero.