...indeed. Social Security is my only source of income and because I retired early (due to both osteo and rheumatoid arthritis making it increasingly difficult to do the only work I have experience and background in) my benefits are pretty meagre. Half my monthly income gosto rent alone and I live in what is classified as "subsidised low income housing". MY EBT benefits ( which SNAP transitioned to after I reached age 64) barely make it past the middle of the month. The pitiful LCAs we receive don't even keep pace with inflation and last year, as well as this year coming in April, a rent increases have pretty much wiped it out (this year's will exceed what I receive from the 1.6% adjustment so now I'm falling behind).
Since my first year on SS, my SNAP/EBT benefits have been reduced by 47% while my income over the last two years only increased 4.1%, (2.8% of which was offset by last year's rental increase). Not quite a n equitable trade off there.
At our age we seniors need to be more conscious about our diet and eat as healthy and nutritiously as we can (the central tenet of the programme), but that isn't possible with dwindling benefits. Healthier natural and organic foods without all the harmful ingredients, pesticides, antibiotics and growth hormones (which I strive to purchase as much as possible) is sadly more expensive than the mainstream overprocessed and factory farmed rubbish.
