As the American federal government gives more and more money to Ukraine, and spends trillions of dollars on infrastructure jobs that never get completed, the seniors in the nation are wondering if they're even going to get a cost of living increase with all of this inflation. Just because someone is older now and on Social Security Income (SSI) doesn't mean their groceries aren't expensive, or that their gas doesn't cost the same as everyone else's. It does; the prices are the same. The difference is that the burden is disproportionately more difficult for seniors, as they're on a fixed income. If the amount of SSI they're paid isn't increased, most are forced to go work well into their 70s and 80s. This is why you see old Walmart greeters or cross guards. A group of people that the government is supposed to take care of, as that's the entire point of Social Security, are being pushed aside for more politically beneficial groups. What's the government's answer to seniors struggling financially? These seniors are being told to work more.

It has been said by politicians, and especially the mainstream corporate media. Since 2021, there have been hundreds of different articles, speeches, and even long news specials about the importance of employment for seniors over the age of 65. It's hard to imagine the sort of mind that will tell old people to keep working instead of simply signing a bill to make sure that seniors have the SSI that they're owed for working all their adult lives. It's a social contract that has been shattered, but no one really seems to care about the suffering of seniors. For most people, that old man at the Walmart door is just an annoyance, when he should be a stark and tragic reminder about your potential fate under the weight of a government that no longer represents you. At least that's the common feeling among the seniors who are being forced to work.

So, is it actually a good idea to go back to work once you've retired and started to draw SSI? The answer is complex; it's a yes, and it's a no. It can be both of these answers at once because there is nothing that's straightforward about this sort of situation.

The "yes" comes into play when you consider that SSI is just so low compared to the cost of living in America. How else are seniors supposed to pay their bills? Again, they don't have a deferred cost of living for being elderly. They're struggling just like everyone else. However, it's also a "no" because the government is going to deduct from the already low SSI monthly stipend depending on the job you have. They will not allow you to supplement your full benefit. They will certainly take some back. So you end up running yourself into the ground for just barely more than the SSI was paying.

The Government Would Love to Pay Less and Tax More

You should also realize that the government would love nothing more than to pay you less for SSI, and to take more of your income as you work until you die of old age. This way, the government has a lot more money to give immigrants cell phones and EBT cards and to fly in Afghani refugees after America's military destroyed their country. The federal government is very open about the fact that they're taking from the Social Security pool to do these things; and every new initiative the government has, it takes available money away from seniors. Instead of putting more money into the Social Security pool, the American government is paying the budgetary needs and government salaries of Ukrainians. Maybe you think America should be helping Ukraine, and that's fine. But at what cost to actual Americans?

If you do go back to work, just understand that the government is still going to tax your income, and they're going to deduct money from your SSI payments. You will not get to supplement a full SSI stipend with a payroll job.

Seniors Are a Forgotten Demographic

Seniors in America are a forgotten demographic. If it's not the government ignoring them, it's the television trying to get them enrolled in reverse mortgage and insurance scams. As a senior, you really have to pay attention to your income coming in so you can make the decision that's best for you, in terms of going back to work or making do with an SSI stipend.