Mary Dacus, 69, and her husband Stephen, 67, only get money from Social Security in Robinson, Illinois, and it’s not enough for groceries or healthcare, especially with Stephen’s cancer diagnosis adding more worries about paying for treatment.
Elderly Couple Struggles to Make Ends Meet on Social Security in Illinois
According to the published article in Business Insider, Mary Dacus, 69, and her husband Stephen, 67, are having a tough time in Robinson, Illinois. They rely only on Social Security, which isn’t enough for groceries and healthcare. Despite Mary getting $854 a month and Stephen $1,286, plus $23 in SNAP benefits, they still have no savings and owe almost $10,000 on credit cards.
Their money problems also affect their healthcare. While Medicare covers most costs, it doesn’t cover everything. Stephen’s recent cancer diagnosis adds more worries, as they don’t know how they’ll pay for treatment. Mary’s tried getting more help from the government, but it’s hard because they don’t have kids and live in a rural area.
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Furthermore, Mary’s story shows how hard life can be for older people, even if they’ve worked all their lives and rely on Social Security. Without more help, Mary and Stephen face a tough future, struggling with money in their retirement years.