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How immigrant pensioners live in New York

'13.05.2020'

Nata Potemkin

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The first thing that I was recommended during the preparation of this material: “Do not talk with retirees in any way Brighton Beach! They will tell you this! They will put pressure on pity and tell them that they are the poorest here! " And to my question: "Is this not so?" - answered: "Definitely not so."

Photo: Denis Malinin

What is an American pensioner and that - from a native of the USSR

In the US, an elderly person can receive one of the types of payments: either a pension or an old-age benefit. Even those who have not worked in the country for a day (at least officially) receive old-age allowance. The pension is received by the one who worked and paid taxes.

People who came to New York at retirement or pre-retirement age, as a rule, receive exactly the allowance. But, what pleases, after interviewing nearly two dozen immigrant pensioners in New York, I heard the unanimous opinion: our retiree lives better than an American pensioner. Ours has: a) an apartment received under the 8 program (subject to low income), b) Medicaid (which American pensioners basically do not have, only Medicare) and c) old-age allowance, despite the fact that he did not work a single day in the United States.

For people who did not work in the United States, in old age there is a disability benefit - SSI - which is often confused with old-age benefit, but the point is that upon reaching retirement age (62, 65, 67 - optional) SSI is received in one way or another almost everything.

The standard retirement age single benefit amount is $ 822. When it comes to a couple, the couple receives $ 603.50 for each spouse, for a total of $ 1207.

What payments can rely a pensioner who worked in the United States:

SSA - pension Social Security or Retirement benefit (and speaking of the minimum state pension for employees, they usually mean this option, but it is called “ours” as a “pension.” Social Insurance Social Security pays benefits on average about 40% of what you earned before retirement. You can calculate your payout using a retirement calculator at Social Security Administration's Website;

Union pension (Union pension) - A separate option for working; pension accrual through trade unions;

IRA - savings plan for future workers. You can pay into your individual retirement account (IRA) up to $ 5 500 per year, and when you become 50 years old, the amount will increase. Such accounts provide tax benefits.

Payment of private pension plans for those who have arrived in the country of working age and made contributions to a private pension fund.

If you work, then the easiest way to find out what your pension will be is to register on the site. Social Security Administrations. When you create an account there, they will show you how much income you showed to tax. There you will see the size of the pension, which you can receive now if you become disabled.

Embankment in the area of ​​Brighton Beach. Photo: Denis Malinin

At what age can retire

The retirement age when you can receive social benefits depends on your year of birth. If you were born before 1938, your full retirement age, also known as the social security retirement age, is 65 years.

The retirement age of social security increases by two months for each subsequent year to 1943, when the person turned 66 years. The retirement age comes in 66 for people born from 1943 to 1954 a year, and increases by two months each year to 1960 a year. If you were born in 1960 a year or later, your full retirement age is 67 years. you can use retirement age calculator SSAto individually calculate the full retirement age.

Today you can receive a pension from 62 years. But the later you decide to receive it, the more money you will receive each month. For example, if you start receiving pension payments from 70 years, you will receive 100%, and if from 62 years, then 70% of each payment.

But even if you have not worked in the USA for a single day, the state will not leave you without means of subsistence. How to survive on retirement never worked in the US immigrants who now live in New York?

Love

Age 80 years.

Lives in New York: last xnumx years.

Work experience: never worked on a check, only on a cache. Sometimes she worked for free at all - volunteered or helped her husband, who at that time was still alive.

“I buried him when he was 62 years old,” says Lyuba, “and worked as much as I could, but always unofficially. Where I live? I live in an apartment located in a house given to me by a charitable organization (non-profit - auth.), Helping the Jews. She has such houses, and they are settling us in them. To get such an apartment, you should stand in line at 62 of the year. ”

Lyubin's pension is $ 735 + $ 87 - a subsidy from the state of NY in connection with a decrease in living standards. The minimum income for a pensioner is $ 822. This is the standard pension for a single person; married pensioners have worse conditions - in total they are charged just over $ 1000.

Love does not complain of life, on the contrary, she told ForumDailythat the days pass with her antivno and intense: “I have children, I have relatives in Israel, there is a cat. I communicate with children. And in general, I can call my life quite rich: an organization that helps us, Russian-speaking Jewish retirees, including nationality, has done a lot for us - we play in the theater, attend amateur art clubs, dance, we have an exercise program Yoga, gymnastics and art groups, where we are taught painting, we go to concerts that are arranged specially for us - in general, life is in full swing. ”

Luba also relies on 194 Foodstamp every month, and if she lived with her spouse, then 204 would rely on two.

Svetlana Borisovna

Age 79 years.

Lives in New York: arrived in 60 years.

Work experience: in the US did not work.

Photos from personal archive

At the moment when Svetlana arrived in the USA, she had a husband, at the moment she has a daughter and a son. She became a widow several years ago. The situation is exactly the same as that of Lyubov: a pension of $ 735, an allowance from the state of $ 87, and the same 194 Food Stamp Benefits. The only difference is that Svetlana Borisovna received an apartment according to the 8th program.

This income is enough for life, and the woman thinks that she was more fortunate than the retired Americans: “I had some pretty heavy operations already here in New York, and my state of health can hardly be called good. I was operated on with a throat, eyes, had been treated for hepatitis C for a long time, and the condition was so depressing that I simply had no strength to learn English, although I understood that it was necessary. However, I can honestly say: our retirees live better than the Americans, especially if they were able to work here - nobody took me to 60 for years. For example, I have a friend who worked as an accountant before retirement, and now her pension is $ 1650 per month. There are some Americans who are familiar; they have a pension for $ 4000.

In general, I think that this particular case of mine is not the best - it hurt, did not work, did not learn the language. So, if you are not a fool and do not be lazy - everything will be fine in your old age. ”

Svetlana Borisovna cannot afford entertainment, but reads the various press, which she is given at the pharmacy for free. She cooks herself, doesn't go to cafes and restaurants: “I don’t eat cereals, except for oatmeal, I like chicken, I yearn for those times when tomatoes were on 29 cents. In fact, there are not enough food stems, I must say. They are not enough for a month, you have to save. "

Alex

Age 73 year.

Lives in the USA: arrived in America as a child in 1951, lived most of his life in Israel, closer to retirement, he returned to New York.

Work experience: worked a few years getting small official earnings from filming in crowd scenes.

 

Alex was born in Poland in 1944. Parents went to the camp with him, very young: “I even went to school a little in Germany, although I consider Yiddish my first language. Then my parents moved here and in 1956 received American citizenship. Here I grew up, and when I turned 21, I joined the army. For some time I lived in Israel, because I was married to an Israeli woman, I know Hebrew, English, German and even a little Russian, some words and expressions. But I am American, my mentality is American. I had a family and have five children, two daughters and three sons, and have grandchildren, at the moment I am divorced, ”says Alex.

For many years, Alex has been trying to prove that he really was in the camp at the age of up to a year, and to receive an allowance paid by an international organization. Claims conference to all those who suffered from the Holocaust. However, the documents have not yet been found, but he hopes that the proof will still be able to be processed.

Alex decided to solve the housing problem thanks to his parents: “I am grateful to them for having moved to America, and now I have an apartment here in which we are now (Trump village - Auth.), But I need to pay monthly maintenance $ 840, plus I myself pay for the phone, for electricity, it is quite expensive (when specifying the costs, it turned out that they amount to $ 60 together with insurance for the apartment - ed.). I am a veteran, and if I were not a veteran, I would be homeless. They (the support service of the Federal Government veterans) give me some help, but I want to say that many veterans do not receive it.

It’s not so easy to live in New York. Sometimes they help me with taxes, sometimes they give financial support from the city, but this was only two months, but what about the other ten?

If I could work, or just walk without problems, there would be another conversation. I have a very bad leg, I need physiotherapy twice a week. BUT Department of Transport refused recently to give me a special handicap (NYC cupboard handicap - auth.). The wording is as follows: You have not a permanent disability. What is "permanent"? SSI i don't get it just Social Security (that is, retirement - auth.). But this is very little - only $ 634 per month, and I also get veteran assistance in the amount of $ 431, for a total of $ 1065. From this amount you need to subtract my maintenance. I also have a helper (home attendant)She helps me cook and goes to the store.

I am getting 194 Foodstamp. If you divide the number of food stamps by month, you get $ 6 per day. Do you know how to live on $ 6 per day?

If you subtract $ 1065 from $ 840 from my income, you’ll have complete poverty. People spend on food sometimes just as much as I get in total, and I spend 194 food stamp. From entertainment I have only TV and radio. I walk with a cane, so I cannot walk the streets myself. ”

Alex would be glad to have the same joys of life (theater, clubs for pensioners) - however, he does not speak Russian in the full sense of the word "speak". In parallel with this, he also thinks about his personal life: “I am still looking for a pleasant woman who would appreciate me for my brains and my optimism. Probably, in my case we should talk about an elderly woman, a young one - this is hard at my age. And then, they probably need sugar daddy. But you must understand: at my age, the main thing is health, and if there is no health, then there will be no love. You just write: looking for a nice woman. Not an extremist, I like to talk about politics. A registered Democrat, but I vote independently. ”

Inna, a social worker who knows Alex well as her ward, spoke in a conversation with ForumDaily: “Actually, Alex, not being a professional actor, is a member of the actor's trade union and took part in our performances at the Jewish Center. He is charismatic and very sociable, loves to sing. It is strange that he did not tell you that. As for his situation, both financially and legally, this is true. He really is very hard. Regarding benefits for Holocaust survivors - yes, at the moment he has difficulties with these payments, however right now he received a package of documents from the Red Cross, so far we have not considered him, but this can advance our history with the payment of benefits for the victims of the Holocaust, which, by the way, makes about $ 1000 in three months, that is, more than $ 300 per month. "

Brighton Beach residents voted for Donald Trump. Photo: Denis Malinin

According to statistics, immigrant pensioners and people who worked in ordinary positions in the United States now live at a very similar level. Nearly 9 of 10 people over the age of 65 in the United States receive social security benefits. Many of them spend 90% retirement income on food and accommodation.

According to statistics, the number of Americans who are not ready for retirement is appalling. According to a study conducted by the National Institute for Pension Issues, the average retirement account for able-bodied people is $ 2 500, and people of pre-retirement age are $ 14 500.

Two-thirds of working families are deprived of conservative accumulative pension goals for their age and income. As of June 2016, the average monthly social insurance payment was $ 1 234. On average, the cost of food in a supermarket, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, is $ 240, and the average rent for an 1-room apartment $ 900 is $ 1200.

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