Old Man.....Back To Work

My old dad had to go back to work this week. Inflation is going to put him and so many others in the grave!

Dad retired last year after surviving in the last few years a heart attack, bladder cancer and prostate cancer. Heck- he still went to work while he was doing chemo and radiation! But when he finally reached full retirement age last year he finally said he was tired and ready to pull out of the rat race. After watching him go through all kinds of surgeries, procedures and treatments (more coming soon) I was awash with relief.

Dad also has asbestosis, mesothelioma, and needs another stint in his heart and his leg. He can barely walk across a room without getting out of breath. And now he has had to go back to work! So many people gripe about baby boomers sucking up our resources with Social Security and Medicare, but now a lot of them are having to go back to work full time (which means no more SS cuz you can't make over around $14K and keep SS and Medicare).

Why are they going back to work? They can't afford to live on it! Inflation is getting so bad that after paying their Medicare and supplement premiums, deductibles and copays and paying their utilities, car note and insurance they can barely afford groceries and gas. And then come property taxes and upkeep, car repairs and other necessities (laundry soap, toilet paper, etc,). A lot of them can't afford the luxury of retirement!

It makes me so friggin' mad that the people who worked hard to make this country who should be able to enjoy their old age for a few years before they die are now resigning themselves to the fact that they're just going to have to work until they drop over dead! And as the price of medicine, food, gas, etc. keep going up and up more and more of our seniors are going to have to go back to work. It ain't fair!

reply to post by littled16


It's not the old people, it's the junkies having unprotected sex because more kids means more welfare money.

But why are they junkies? Two reasons: one, the real world is intolerable. Two, the government has done such a good job of getting us addicted to external physical stimuli (in order to convince us to work for them instead of with them) that we don't just stick to cars and junk food, we go the whole nine yards.

If you want to blame anyone for the economy, blame the government and its so-called "geniuses" who came up with the "Stimuli Plan". External stimuli, and money with which to afford it, to coax us into slavery.

reply to post by AfterInfinity


Those things and bailing out people in every other country, while in our own they only want to support the big corporations and the herds of sheep that are "lifers" in all the hand out programs.

It makes me sick to watch our seniors have to slave away while some young adults get paid to have "pill parties" every day because they can't work "cuz their back hurts" or "their nerves are bad".

I have predicted for a long time that this is the way the UK is heading, 'work till you drop'. Little did I know that it has already started in the good 'ol USA. Very tragic, sorry to hear of your fathers setbacks and ongoing slavery.

reply to post by Wide-Eyes


It was like that in past history, work til you drop dead, but that was supposed to be all behind us. It looks like history is repeating itself.

My husband and I have accepted that there probably wont be any Social Security for us and we know there wont be any for the kids or our grandkid. And with the price of everything shooting up there's not much money left for any kind of savings.

The future is a scary place!

P.S. Love your plaid!

I too have a retired father who is actually re-joining the work force, hes already gone through a foreclosure on his property.

I am trying to get him to move in with me and my wife so that he no longer "has" to work, but the truth is that might not even be enough what with his prescriptions he has to fill for his various ailments and thats with healthcare.

I can only imagine how bad it is for those with out, or with out a support system to help them.

reply to post by benrl


Sorry about your dad's foreclosure- that had to hurt. My dad's lucky that his house is paid off, but if it weren't he and his wife could come live with us. Your dad is lucky to have you and your wife to lean on.

I feel really sorry for those who don't own their homes. Many more will lose them when the choice comes down to a roof over their head or medicine and food to be able to live. The new healthcare plan really doesn't do anything to help them, it's geared more toward helping the young folks.

Those without family to take them in will end up homeless or in a nursing home. It makes me sad and mad all at the same time!

Most retirement plans assumed a certain population growth so that everyone had pretty much more than 2 kids so that the costs would be passed onto the next generation but when times and medical advances are good and you don't need to have 20 kids to hope that 3 survive so people just have 1 or 2 kids tops and there in lies the problem with the pension system....you always need more people paying in than there is pensioners

Originally posted by littled16
reply to post by Wide-Eyes

 

P.S. Love your plaid!

edit on 14-9-2012 by littled16 because: (no reason given)

Thank you x

reply to post by Maxatoria


What you say is true, but there are other factors at play here. Even as little as 10-15 years ago retired people could live on Social Security so long as they supplemented their groceries with a backyard vegetable garden and a few chickens. That just isn't possible any more. The cost of living has risen so quickly that many are having to choose between their medicine and food or electricity. Not to mention that people used to help out their elderly family members (some of us still do) but nowdays in our ME-ME-ME society a lot of seniors have nowhere to go, nobody to lend a helping hand.

Many seniors have too much pride to accept help even from their loved ones. The whole situation is a crying shame.

Originally posted by littled16
but now a lot of them are having to go back to work full time (which means no more SS cuz you can't make over around $14K and keep SS and Medicare).

Why are they going back to work? They can't afford to live on it! Inflation is getting so bad that after paying their

I sympathize, but you gotta get the facts straight here. You "get" Medicare if you are of age regardless of whether you work. You may not get Part B, but that's only if your job provides the equivalent. My wife is 65 and on medicare, but her work health insurance takes care of Part B, so she won't need (or be required) to sign up for Part B until she actually retires.

Regarding social security and working, this is how it works:

•If you are younger than full retirement age, $1 in benefits will be deducted for each $2 in earnings you have above the annual limit ($14,640 in 2012).

•In the year you reach your full retirement age, your benefits will be reduced $1 for every $3 you earn over a different limit ($38,880 in 2012) until the month you reach full retirement age. Then you get your full Social Security benefit payments, no matter how much you earn.

This straight from the horse's mouth

reply to post by schuyler


My apologies! I misquoted (unintentionally).

However the point still holds true that more and more seniors cannot afford to live on Social Security, and earning enough money to make it cancels out Social Security payments ( at the minus $1 for every $2 you earn formula). They could make it quite well at the minus $1 for every $3 you earn after $38K formula, sure. And absolutely working in addition to getting full benefits. But it's a messed up situation for ANY senior (especially ones with serious health problems) to have to go back to work just to be able to survive.

I know many elderly people (one of them 83 years old, bless his heart!) who are still having to work because they can't make it on Social Security. They don't live fancy or drive sports cars, they just can't afford their bills, groceries and medical treatments. It's sad watching a man in his 80s out in 90 degree weather gathering shopping carts from a parking lot to be able to afford his medicine and eat something besides bologna sandwiches every night. Sadly we will see it more and more.

Originally posted by littled16
reply to post by schuyler

 

However the point still holds true that more and more seniors cannot afford to live on Social Security, and earning enough money to make it cancels out Social Security payments ( at the minus $1 for every $2 you earn formula). They could make it quite well at the minus $1 for every $3 you earn after $38K formula, sure. And absolutely working in addition to getting full benefits.

I'm really sorry, but the point doesn't hold at all. If you are full retirement age, you get full social security, just as the quote direct from SS itself states. If you retire PREVIOUS to full retirement age, then those restrictions apply. I retired at age 62, so those restrictions apply to me until I reach age 66. The only way your point holds is for someone retiring early.

Social Security was not designed to support someone completely. It was designed as a supplement, a base to prevent impoverishment, and it has largely succeeded. Of course, for a variety of reasons, many people did not prepare for retirement adequately. My parents were in that position. Some lost their money in poor investments. Some simply couldn't afford to put money away. So I'm not claiming it's their own fault. But the fact is, relying on social security for ALL your income in retirement, is a mistake any way you play it.

The Social Security Administration estimates that retirees need 70 to 80 percent of preretirement income to live on once they retire. Social Security provides about 40 percent of preretirement income if you retire at full retirement age. Full retirement age is 66 in 2011. If you retire early, Social Security decreases benefits by approximately 25 percent.

Read more: The Average Percentage of Retirement Income That Is Social Security | eHow.com www.ehow.com...

I feel for you man, that is absolutly bogus, our country doesnt know how to take care of its old people.

reply to post by schuyler


In the case of my dad he is 65. He had to start his life over from scratch about 15 years ago. What he accumulated in savings went toward what insurance wouldn't pay for NUMEROUS surgeries and treatments in the last few years, as well as a few surgeries and treatments for his wife. He did not want to retire but physically just couldn't work anymore. He shouldn't even be working now. He refuses to move in with any of us, although we do break into his house and put groceries in the cabinet and fridge when they're not at home. We couldn't dissuade him from going back to work and he won't accept any monetary help at all. That is the case with a lot of seniors. And there are a lot of them with nobody to help them.

There are many who slaved for little money their whole lives just to put bread on the table and a roof over their families heads with nothing left for savings and are dependent on Social Security whether it was intended to be that way or not. Growing up I knew many seniors on Social Security who were able to pay their bills and rent and medical costs by just supplementing their income a little bit by raising some of their own food, doing a little quilting or sewing, doing a little lawn work for people, picking up cans, etc. The cost of living is rising so sharply that doing things like that help very little anymore.

It matters not what the system was originally intended to do. It is what it is, which is the only source of income for a whole lot of people. And those people are increasingly not making it by.

The future is a scary place. Even in New Zealand. I have resided in the fact that I will prob have to work till I die, one reason why Im not afraid to die and cant really wait for the end to be here. I work fulltime, in debt and no savings on a low wage. Every week is a struggle and im only 47 years old. Just cant get ahead and thats how society wants it

reply to post by BazRaza7


I feel you man! I am almost 46, a mother and a granny. My parents are in their 60s and I worry for them especially. We help all we can, but we're helping support a grandkid and just had one of our grown kids move home last week. We know that when we get a bit older we'll be on our own. Heck, we live paycheck to paycheck now! Thank goodness our house is paid off at least.

Except for the six figure bunch I think everybody else is going to have to work until they die.

Sadly alot of our elders think that the new generation is responsible for their future ala pensions and other benefits,,
They are right, however they never took into account how terribly inefficient our "democratic" systems are.
WE SHOULD BE TAKING CARE OF OUR ELDERS, but it's hard when 75% of your pay goes to the system through indirect and income tax.
The system has too many lawyers chomping at the bit.


I wonder if people will be mad when their savings and healthcare funds run dry. Things they have built a life around.
It's disgusting.

reply to post by littled16


I work for Medicare as an enrollment specialist and I can guarentee you that Medicare is not income based. He will still get insurance through Medicare at the same rate regardless of his income. You can send me a private message and I can give you more info.

As for SS, yes it is income based.

I agree it is sad to see those who have worked so many years and should be enjoying their golden years working. Drive thru's at fast food places used to be staffed with teenagers. Lately, I have see more older people manning the windows. It is the sad reality of our economy.

Yes, the thing that makes me most angry about our situation is that the generation that made such contributions and sacrifice are being let down by the country they supported so faithfully.

Sending prayers for your pop. They don't make 'em like they used to. And he obviously did a heckuva great job with you, Tiger!