The Women Who Don't Exist

[redqueen]

Last edited Mon Dec 2, 2019, 04:08 PM - Edit history (1)

...

The Holes in the Safety Net for Women Seniors

According to most media coverage on the topic, the average Social Security check amounts to $1400 a month, hardly a princely sum. But that figure is based on the average check men receive, and hence creates a misleadingly sanguine understanding of the circumstances of women living alone on Social Security. The average monthly check women living alone receive actually comes out to $1048 before roughly $135 is deducted for Medicare.

It gets worse. More than half of widowed, divorced, or single elderly women rely on Social Security for upwards of 90% of their income. For men living alone, Social Security comprises only about 35% of their income. Over 7 million seniors live in poverty in the US, and 2 out of 3 of them are women. This is unconscionable in the richest country on Earth. The market simply does not recognize the worth of human beings who exist outside of it; it’s up to us to quit worshipping the market and recognize the intrinsic value of our country’s elderly women.

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While laws designed to protect women from harassment and abuse are well-intentioned for the most part, they are too often ineffective. Adding a few more to the books won’t solve what are essentially sociocultural problems rooted in backward ideas that have remained largely immune to legal remedies. A $15 minimum wage (though I agree we need to raise the minimum wage) is just another band-aid policy that would do little to nothing for unpaid caregivers, women in abusive relationships, women who are being sexually harassed at their $15-an-hour jobs, or women who live on Social Security.

The potential of the Freedom Dividend and the reorganization of our economic system under the principles of Human-Centered Capitalism are what really set Andrew Yang apart from the rest of the DNC primary field on women’s issues. Women’s heretofore unrecognized contributions to society would finally be acknowledged financially and would finally be taken into account in Yang’s new proposed set of measurements for national well-being, the American Scorecard.

Put simply, the Freedom Dividend gives women a way forward when their paths are blocked or littered with obstacles, and Human-Centered Capitalism values women when the market won’t. No other candidate is offering anything close.

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https://medium.com/stacykharris/the-women-who-dont-exist-894f6da326ea

She makes a lot of other points relating to unpaid labor (which women do the vast majority of), sexual harassment, ans domestic abuse. I chose to highlight the issue about senior citizens because I was not aware of just how much worse off they were.

[dawg day]

1. I have worked since I was 13...50 years.

25 years as a teacher, always far from a good salary. Got my Ss statement last month. After paying into this system all this time, I will qualify for $1163 a month. If I instead go for half my husband's benefit, which I would get even if I never paid a penny... is almost the same.

Oh, well.

[redqueen]

2. Almost speechless.

It is so much worse than I thought and I already thought it was frickin dire.

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

9. Do you have a pension from the teaching job?

You might also want to consider delaying taking SS for a few more years would very noticeably increase that payout.

Maybe even work part time at something for a few more years, again to delay SS and increase it.

[dawg day]

13. I only got vested in a tiny pension with the last job.

My pay is so low these days, once I'm 66, I'll be able to work and get ss too.
The hub qualifies for twice as much, so we'll be okay....

The bright side of getting old... getting closer to Medicare, LOL.

[intrepidity]

3. Trying to fix link...

https://medium.com/stacykharris/the-women-who-dont-exist-894f6da326ea

[redqueen]

4. Oh thanks, I didn't notice that, will put in the OP. nt

[intrepidity]

5. Yeah, I removed the @

[Collimator]

6. There are programs which exist to subsidize Medicare contributions.

There are referred to as Quimby (QMB) or Slimby (SLMB) and are available for Medicare beneficiaries with low income and limited assets.

If not for the SLMB benefit, I would be living on less than $1000 a month.

[redqueen]

8. Those pay medical costs right? nt

[Collimator]

10. Quimby and Slimby pay the Medicare Premiums

I think that I have Slimby. (God only knows the difference; I certainly don't.) I had a case worker fill out the application for me because I have form-aphobia.

Before the Slimby assistance, I paid the $134 or $135 a month for Medicare out of my disability check. Now, I actually have that $134 or so dollars to live on.

That statement sounded pitying. I just mean that my living expenses total $900 a month for rent, energy, water, cable/wifi and food. Not having to pay the Medicare premium means that I have a small cushion for personal expenses.

Another point I should make is that I know nothing about Medicare. I used to be an expert on Medicaid, but they moved me to Medicare. I have no idea of what my plan really pays for and no idea of which decisions to make between now and December 15. Unfortunately, my new caseworker doesn't seem very knowledgeable either.

[redqueen]

11. Every little bit helps.

Glad there's programs in place to help with those premiums.

[Demsrule86]

12. And you still need a wrap unless your state will allow Medicaid to cover the 20% this is why I say

Medicare as practiced now doesn't work...we need to reform this program and invent a health care system that works in the 21st century. Many women in the boomer generation stayed home with childen and worked sporadically...and some are ending up homeless.

[MineralMan]

7. In my case, my wife gets more in Social Security than I do.

We're both freelancers, but she earned more than I did for several years. We both started receiving SS payments at age 62.

[redqueen]

14. Hopefully you both have enough so that you don't have to struggle. nt