Can the Elderly Survive on Their Social Security Checks?

This is really a two part article in as should employers hire the elderly and can they survive on there Social Security Checks alone? 

Employers who hire or retain older workers can substantially ease the economic pressures created by an aging population. But that is usually not the case. Not only are the older employees the first to go, employers usually will not even consider hiring someone over the age of say 55. And why is that? Because they believe that the new young man or woman coming into the company with their degrees will do the company more good then the employee that has been with the company for 20 or more years. Or does the employer let them go so that they do not have to pay the employee as much as bringing on a new person at half the salary. I am not sure myself as I fit into this category as being to old to hire. Our experience seems to be our downfall. 

One of the very few places that you can see an older person working is of course Wal-Mart. If you have not been to a Wal-Mart, (I personally think you must live on another planet then) the first person you meet when walking into the place is an elderly person greeting you at the door. Which I personally think is wonderful. Although I have threatened several times to become a Wal-Mart greeter my family will not even consider letting me do it. No they do not think it is below me or them for me to work there. They are afraid that the first person that comes in with an attitude I will just bodily throw them out. Don’t want me arrested I guess.

Do you think older people can live off of the retirement benefits and the Social Security benefits?? If you think that it is possible for someone over the age of 70 to live off of there SS checks let me give you a for instance where that is not possible. I have several friends that are finding it very difficult to cover there bills with there SS checks. No, they do not live beyond there means. Here, let me explain. One of my very dear friends gets a total of $882 a month on her Social Security check. Now she has your usual bills, electric ($140 a month) your gas (most of the homes that they live in are not totally electric like they are now days $45 a month) there phone bill if they have a phone ($50 a month) She owns a car that she bought about a year ago after some kids stole her car that was paid for and wrecked it. The insurance would not give her much for her car considering that it was 18 years old. So she now has a car payment of $288 a month. lets say that they drive very little ($80 a month now that is very little with the gas prices the way they are). We must not forget their water bill ($30 a month) Most of the elderly have paid for there homes by now. Oh yes, we have one more bill, groceries.