Seniors fear losing Social Security checks

Trudy Steineman of Dayton receives $1,078 each month from Social Security, which represents about half of her monthly income.

Should Congress fail to raise the debt ceiling by next week and the government halts the distribution of Social Security checks, she wonders how she will survive.

“I wouldn’t be able to live,” said Steineman, who moved in with her youngest son Matt in December. “I have medical bills I’m trying to pay off.”

The 61-year-old Dayton retiree said she suffered two seizures and has back problems. Workers’ compensation contributes to the other half of her monthly income.

“I think they (the government) need to take things seriously,” Steineman said. “People overspend a lot and I try not to. The government spends a lot more and in bigger amounts than citizens.”

More than 2 million Ohio seniors would be affected if Social Security checks are halted Aug. 2, according to Kathy Keller, associate state director of communications for AARP.

“What we’re doing is making sure that our congressmen and senators know that this is unacceptable,” Keller said. “For about one-third of the Ohioans who get Social Security checks, its 90 percent of their income. Those are the people that are going to be hurt the worst.”

Robert Schumeth, 69, of Washington Twp., is another area resident who relies heavily on his Social Security income each month.

“They better not stop it,” he said. Schumeth noted that he does have an individual retirement account and other retirement funds to fall back on should an emergency arise.

If the debt ceiling is not raised before next week, the former printing company employee believes he could survive about six months without a check from the federal government.

Contact this reporter at (937) 225-2353 or Asimon@DaytonDailyNews.com.