"I am actively seeking employment but to no avail," said Morrison. "I receive $858 in monthly benefits, my wife gets $412 and our rent is $660 per month plus electricity," he said.

For many retirees who do not have major savings and investments to cushion retirement, "the golden years" can be fraught with financial anxieties.

Laurelton residents John and Edith Saunders, 65 and 62 respectively, are also worried that they may not have enough savings and investments to
tide them over if they live into their 80s and 90s.

John Saunders said, "With all the medical advances and new technology, people are living longer. But social security is not much help. Maybe we’ll have to move to Florida or Arizona where things are less expensive, but then we wouldn’t see our kids very often and as we get older we’ll need them close."

The Saunders are faring a little better than the Morrisons only because Edith worked straight up to retirement so her benefits are, she said, close to John’s. The couple averages $1,800 per month and John does odd jobs as a carpenter to supplement that income.

"We get by," said John. "But it’s not exactly ‘pheasant under glass’ over here," he said, laughing.

Humor might be helping John Saunders cope, but for John Pounds of St. Albans, surviving on Social Security is no laughing matter.

For years Pounds and his wife Judy owned their own dry cleaning business and paid into social security.

Now 76, he said he gets such an insignificant amount from Social Security that he qualifies for a small supplemental veterans pension. He is disappointed with the treatment of seniors.

"As rich as this country is we shouldn’t have to worry about food and utility bills at 65, 70 or 80," said Pounds.

"Black Americans in particular shouldn’t have to worry about this. We built this country. My grandparents were slaves. If they [the government] won’t pay us reparations they should at least give us enough benefits so we don’t have to worry about anything. This country is rich enough to do that," he said.

Judy Pounds will not start collecting benefits until April 2001, but she was told earlier this year that she has not accumulated enough points under her own social security number to qualify for benefits at 62 and will have to collect from her husband’s account.

"I’m angry, yes," said her husband. "I have a right to be angry and nobody can tell me I shouldn’t be angry. They turn people into liars and cheats because when you get social security and you don’t have enough and you live under poverty...if you make any [additional] money you have to report it. But it’s not enough."

In June 1934 President Franklin D. Roosevelt introduced plans to Congress for the creation of "The Social Security Act."

The bill passed in both houses and was signed into law in August 1935.

Designed, according to social security historians, "to pay retired workers, age 65 or older a continuing income after retirement," the amount paid is based on the worker’s level of earnings/contribution during employment or self-employment.

People who have reached retirement age of at least 62 (reduced benefits until 65) or people who are disabled are eligible.

Disabled workers can collect at any age and auxiliary and survivor beneficiaries must meet age, disability or childcare requirement.

Applicants can actually start the application process up to four months prior to their 62nd birthday.

If they are still working, they will need the previous year’s W2 form, their most recent pay stub and the Social Security number of any divorced or deceased spouse(s).

Applications can be made over the telephone or applicants can visit the Department of Social Security Building at Jamaica Center, or fill out an online application at www.ssa.gov.com.

For more information, call 1-800-772-1213.

According to a 1999 Social Security "state statistics," benefits depend on the amount the retiree put in during their working years and the amount of the "auxiliary benefit is based on a percentage of the worker’s benefit."

Jordan Crawford, a representative at Social Security Administration, told the PRESS that participants have to earn 40 "credits" normally earned over a long work life. However, it does not require 40 years in the workforce to accumulate those points.

According to Crawford, if a worker retires after only ten years in the workplace, she would have had to contribute approximately $3,500 per year into Social Security in order to start collecting her own benefits at 62.

For example, Mrs. Morrison stopped working after the couple married and had a child. She did not work long enough or earn enough to contribute a large amount into the system to collect retirement benefits.

She, therefore, is considered an auxiliary beneficiary to her husband. He worked as a hospital security officer and his benefits are based on those figures as are his wife’s. Her benefits, however, do not reduce his in any way.

The Morrisons’ actually fall into the "average benefits paid" as quoted by the Social Security Administration’s statistics, which reports that in 1999 the average benefit per month was $804 for retired workers and $398 for wives and husbands of retired and disabled workers.

According to Crawford confirm that there is an annual 3.5 percent cost-of-living increase which commences every January.

Because benefits are woefully insufficient, many retirees must seek supplemental income via part time employment.

According to sources at Social Security Administration, retirees collecting benefits can still work. However, there is a limit on how much they can earn if they are under the age of 65. That figure, however, increases annually. This year it is $10,080, but by next year it will increase to $10,680.

After 65 there is no limit on how much a retiree can earn.

According to Janet Sweeney, a homeownership counselor at Jamaica Housing Improvement (JHI) in downtown Jamaica, seniors who own a home can also use the equity to make their retirement a little more comfortable.

"They can use what’s called the ‘reverse mortgage,’ the process of ‘borrowing’ the equity from one’s own property, to supplement their income," said Sweeney.

"If you have a $120,000 mortgage and your house is worth $250,000 you can use the equity as a source of monthly income via a credit line," she added.

For more informaiton, call JHI at 658-5050.

According to David Campbell, a 42 year-old with Chase Manhattan employee formerly in the investment department, the best retirement security for those still in the workforce is personal investment.

"Mutual funds and IRAs (Individual Retirement Accounts) are always a good choice and if your company has a 401K plan you should participate in it," said Campbell. "You can’t depend on Social Security alone."

Further information on IRA accounts can be obtained from financial counselors at most banks.

Senior centers such as the Robert Couche Senior center in Springfield Gardens, the Jamaica Service Program for Older Adults (JSPOA) in downtown Jamaica and the Cambria Heights Senior Center offer meals, games and friendships for little or no fee.