An old woman from Washington, DC, recently revealed how much she was getting from her pension per month, both from Social Security and the government. Apparently, the DC woman was earning a combined total of $5,000 monthly while also owning a fully-paid home; however, to many people’s surprise, the relatively well-off retiree still considers herself “broke,” and her story has since polarized many people as to why she’s struggling.
85-year-old Pat Fagin Scott from Washington, DC, recently sat down for an interview/conversation with Business Insider to discuss the state of her finances as some kind of case study for older generations struggling in modern economies. For a bit of background, Scott retired from the government and corporate job, with her social security providing her $2,500 per month, while her government pension gives an additional $2,500. Scott also owns a fully paid five-bedroom home in DC and seems to live alone.
“I get $2,500 a month in Social Security and another $2,500 a month from the government, plus a small annuity for essentials. I just took out a reverse mortgage because it’s still not enough,” claims Pat Fagin Scott in an interview with Business Insider
It’s not clear what specifically drains most of Scott’s monthly pension and savings, but the DC woman swears her pension is not enough to cover her living expenses, which is also why she’s job-hunting, despite her age. So far, it hasn’t been going well on the job-hunting front. For reference, DC is an expensive place to live, except Scott doesn’t have to pay rent and also lives alone. However, one casual mention of a relative somehow explains why the senior citizen is financially struggling:
“My granddaughter racked up $6,000 in speeding tickets that I’m going to pay. I’m trying to set up a payment arrangement for that. There are so many things going on in my life that it’s like a boat that is gathering water. Every time I plug up a hole, another hole comes. I’m sinking, but I’m not sinking fast enough to drown yet,” Scott explains
This line immediately stood out to some people online who now thought of Scott’s family as the source of her financial drain. Meanwhile, others are still puzzled as to why the DC woman is still left wanting, especially when many of them somehow made lower living wages work, even in a place as expensive as DC.
Some Seniors Have It Worse
Some of Scott’s more concerned critics online have chimed in on the matter, and many suspected that the old woman’s relatives could be leeching off her. The granddaughter, who has a whopping $6,000 worth of speeding tickets, was a prime suspect since the average cost of a speeding ticket is usually just a few hundred dollars.
“Being broke because you’re supporting others is one of the better reasons to not be able to survive on 5k a month,” surmises thirteen-thirty7
“Wait til she has to pay the driving on a suspended license fines. How does one person even get $6000 in speeding tickets?” wonders Cunbundle
There are those, however, who are less sympathetic with Scott’s situation, stating that the amount she gets every month is easily twice or more than what people get as their wages. Other senior citizens also have it worse since some are limited to $1,000 per month or even less, according to certain testimonies.
“She says, ‘my family borrowed money from me, but it didnโt hurt me.’ Uh, then why are you crying in an interview that you need a job because $5K isnโt enough?” says wizardofmops
“She needs to cut off the leeches. She’d be doing them a favor making them get their act together,” according to thetaleofzeph
In any case, the job hunt is still ongoing for Pat Fagin Scott, and in the meantime, it might even be better for her to just relocate instead of sticking with a five-bedroom house, which she doesn’t even need in its entirety.
