What It’s Like to Be a Retired Immigrant in New York

Photo: Denis Malinin

As I was writing this article, I was given this piece of advice: “Never talk to retired people in Brighton Beach! They will tell you things! They will beg for sympathy and tell you they are the poorest ones!” “Isn’t that true?” I asked and was told, “Definitely not.”

U.S. retirees vs. USSR-born retirees in America

An elderly person in the United States is entitled to receive just one type of payment: either Social Security retirement payments or social benefits for elderly persons. The last one is designed even for those people who didn’t work a single day in the country (at least legally). Social Security retirement payments are for those who did work and payed taxes.

People who came in the U.S. in the age of retirement or right before it receive, as a rule, the social benefits for elderly persons. But as I spoke to almost two dozens of immigrant retirees I was happy to hear unanimously that Soviet-born retirees live better than their U.S. counterparts. Our people have: a) an apartment under Section 8 program (for those with low income); b) Medicaid (while most U.S. retirees only have Medicare), and c) the social benefits for elderly persons even they have never worked in the U.S.

Those who never worked in the U.S. are also entitled for SSI, supplemental security income. The point is that upon reaching the retirement age (62, 65 or 67 optionally) almost all people receive SSI.

A standard SSI amount for a single retired person is $822. A couple receives $603.5 per person, or a total of $1207.

Payments for a retiree who did work in the U.S.:

SSA — Social Security payment or Retirement Benefit. Those who hail from the USSR call it ‘pension payment.’ Social Security payment, on average, makes about 40% of what you were earning before retirement. Social Security Administration’s website features a pension calculator to calculate your payments.

Union Pension is an option for those who had been employed; it’s pension payments via unions.

IRA is a funded plan for those employed they can use in the future. You can deposit up to $5,500 annually on your individual retirement account (IRA). When you reach the age of 50, the amount will be increased. Money for traditional IRA is tax deferred.

Payments of private pension plans for those who arrived in the country at working age and made contributions to any private pension fund.

If you are employed, the easiest way to find out what your pension payment will be is to register on the Social Insurance Administration website. When you create an account, you will be shown earnings you disclosed to the tax authority. It’s where you will see the amount of pension that you can get now if you get disabled.

Brighton Beach boardwalk. Photo: Denis Malinin

At what age you can retire

Retirement age, after which a person is entitled for social payments, depends on the year you were born. If you were born before 1938, you retirement age is 65.

Social security retirement age is increased by 2 months for each subsequent year up to 1943, and reaches 66 for that year. People who were born between 1943 and 1954 reach their retirement age at 66. It again increases by 2 month for each year until 1960. If you were born in 1960 and later, your full retirement age is 67. SSA website features this calculator to help you calculate your full retirement age individually.

As of today, a person can start receiving pension payments after reaching the age of 62. But the later you opt for this, the more money you will be paid each month. For instance, if you start receiving your pension payments starting from the age of 70, you will be paid 100%, compared to only 70% if you start earlier, at 62.

Even if you haven’t worked in the U.S. for a single day, the state will not clear you out. How do immigrants who never worked in the U.S. survive?

Lyubov

Age: 80
Resided in New York: previous 20 years.
Employment record: Never worked for checks, only cash. In some cases she would work for free — as a volunteer or to help her husband who was still alive.

“He died in the age of 62,” Lyubov says. “I would work as much as I can, but it was always off the books. Where do I live? I live in an apartment in a home I received from a non-profit that helps Jewish people. It owns such homes, and it’s where people are settled. To be able to move into such an apartment, you need to get on the list at the age of 62.”

Lyubov’s pension payment makes $735+$87, a subsidy from the New York State due to decrease in living standards. A minimum income for a retiree is $822, a standard amount for a single person. Married retirees are in worse conditions — they are paid a bit more than $1,000 for two of them.

Lyubov does not complain about her life. Quite the opposite: she told ForumDaily that her days are active and full of events. “I have kids, I have relatives in Israel, and a cat. I see my kids. I can say my life is quite eventful: the organization that helps us, the Russian-speaking retirees of Jewish and other origin, has done so much for us. We act in a theater, visit amateur art activities groups, dancing clubs. We have yoga classes, an athletic and an art groups, where they teach us how to paint; we go to concerts — altogether, the things are humming.”

Lyubov is entitled for $194 in food stamps monthly. If she resided with her spouse, she would have received $204 for two of them.

Svetlana Borisovna

Age: 79
Resided in New York: arrived when she was 60.
Employment record: Never worked in the U.S.

Photo courtesy of Svetlana.

When Svetlana arrived to New York, she had a husband. Now she only has a daughter and a son — she widowed several years ago. Svetlana is in the same position as Lyubov: a pension payment of $735, a bonus from the state in the amount of $87, and the same $194 in food stamps. The only difference is that Svetlana Borisovna was provided with an apartment under Section 8 program.

Her income is enough for living, and the woman believes she has been luckier than American retirees. “I have had several complicated surgeries here in New York., and it’s hard to say I’m a healthy person. I had surgeries on my throat, my eyes, I was treated from hepatitis C, and I was in such a grave condition that I couldn’t even learn English, although I did realize I needed it badly. However, to be honest, I believe our retirees are better off than Americans, especially those of us who were able to get employed. I was 60, and no one wanted to hire me. An acquaintance of mine was employed as an accountant before retiring, and she now receives $1,650 monthly. Some Americans I know are paid $4,000.

“In general, I think my case is not the best one. I was ill, I didn’t work, and haven’t learnt the language. But if you’re not stupid or lazy, you will be OK when you grow old.”

Svetlana Borisovna cannot afford entertaining herself, but she reads different newspapers and magazines she is given for free in a pharmacy. She cooks by herself and never eats out. “I don’t eat grain, except for oats; I love chicken and miss the times when tomatoes cost 29¢. My food stamps aren’t enough, I must say. They are not enough for a month, and I am forced to save where possible.”

Alex

Age: 73
Resided in New York: arrived in the U.S. as a child in 1951, lived most of his life in Israel, returned to America when approaching retirement age.
Employment record: had worked for several years and earned small official payments as a crowd scene actor.

Alex was born in Poland in 1944. He was taken to a camp together with his parents when he was a little baby. He even went to school in Germany for some time, although he considers Yiddish as his native language. Then his parents moved to America and became U.S. citizens in 1956. Alex grew up in the United States, and was drafted in the army when he turned 21. He lived in Israel for some time when he was married to an Israeli woman. He speaks Hebrew, English, German, and some Russian. But he says of himself that he’s an American. Alex had a family and is a father of five children — two daughters and three sons. He also has grandchildren, and is divorced, he told ForumDaily.

For many years now Alex has been trying to prove that he was indeed in a camp before he turned one in order to receive payments from international organization Claims Conference that supports Holocaust victims. He hasn’t found the documents yet but still hopes he will be able to finish this case.

Alex doesn’t have a problem with accommodation thanks to his parents. He says he’s grateful to them for moving to the United States. His apartment is in Trump Village, and he says he pays $840 monthly in maintenance fees, plus phone, electricity bills, etc. (When FD detailed these expenses, it turned out they are $60 monthly, including apartment insurance.) Alex says he’s a veteran, and that’s what saves him from being homeless. The U.S. Department for Veteran Affairs provides assistance to Alex, although not all veterans are entitled.

For Alex, living in New York is not easy. He says the authorities help him with taxes, and sometimes pay some financial assistance, but it happens rarely. The man also complains about his walking disabilities caused by an ill leg. Not so long ago, the Department of Transport refused to issue an NYC placard handicap for him, stating that his disability is not permanent. “What is ‘permanent’?” he asks, and says that his total pension payments reach $1,065 monthly ($634 in Social Security payment, $431 veteran’s benefits). Out of this amount, Alex pays his maintenance fees and his home attendant, who helps him with cooking and shopping.

Alex receives $194 monthly in food stamps. He says that when you divide the amount by 30 days, you get $6 daily. It’s not possible to live on $6 per day, he says.

He says his pension payment minus maintenance fees is extremely poor for him. Some people spend $1,000 on food, while for him it’s an entire amount of what he receives. His entertainment is TV and radio. He uses a cane, so he’s not able to walk along the streets on his own.

Alex says he would be happy to enjoy theaters and retiree clubs but he doesn’t speak Russian fluently. He still thinks of having some personal life: he’s searching for a nice woman who will praise his intellect and optimism. He says she should be old enough because he’s not able to be a ‘sugar daddy’ for a young woman, and it’s difficult for his age. The key thing for his age, Alex says, is health, and it’s vital for having love. He asked to describe him as ‘no extremist’ who loves discussing politics; a registered democrat who votes independently.

ForumDaily spoke to Inna, a social worker who knows Alex well. “Alex is not a professional actor but he’s a member of the actors union and had roles in plays in the Jewish center. He’s charismatic and very talkative, and he loves singing. It’s weird he didn’t tell you that. Regarding his situation with money and his leg, it’s true. It’s all very difficult for him. Regarding Holocaust Survivors allowance, he’s experiencing some troubles with it. But he’s just received a package of documents from the Red Cross. We haven’t considered it yet, but this might push forward our situation with this allowance, which is about $1,000 per quarter, or more than $300 monthly.”

Brighton Beach residents voted for Trump. Photo: Denis Malinin

Statistics say that immigrant retirees and those who had been employed in low-key jobs in the U.S. are now at almost the same level. 9 out of 10 people older than 65 receive social security payments in the U.S. Many of them spend 90% of their retirement income on food and living. In addition, the number of Americans who are not ready to retire is extremely high. A research by the National Institute on Retirement Security found that an average retirement account of employable people is $2,500, and for people of pre-retirement age it’s $14,500.

Two thirds of employed families have no conservative savings retirement goals for their age and income. As of June 2016, average social security benefit was $1,234. In general, cost of food from supermarkets reached $240, and 1-bedroom apartment rent was $900 — $1,200.

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