Profile of Libby Johnson
Profile: Libby Johnson
Libby, an 82-year-old resident of Bridgeport, Connecticut, came to the United States in 1954 aboard the famed Andrea Doria oceanliner, two years before it sank. A former farmer from a rural town in South Central Italy, she relocated with her husband and two small boys. In the post-war economy, Libby was able to find work in garment industry sweatshops.
Libby worked as a seamstress and member of the International Ladies’ Garment Workers Union from 1955 until 1964. There was an interruption in her work and union membership for five years, starting when her daughter was born. She returned to work in 1969 and worked until 1988, when she retired at age 62. At that time, her husband was six years older and had already retired.
Though Libby worked 28 years as a due-paying International Ladies’ Garment Workers’ Union (ILGWU) member, she was unable to earn her full pension because the union rules only allowed a significant draw down if workers had 25 consecutive years of union membership. Because of this, her monthly pension from ILGWU is approximately $97 per month – an insulting pittance after 28 years of hard work.
Back in Italy, Libby’s husband had been drafted into Mussolini’s army and served until he was taken as a Prisoner of War. For this, Libby now receives a widow’s pension from the Italian Republic of less than $100 per month.
Libby lives in a small, single family home she owns in Bridgeport. It was built by her husband and family members in the early 1960s. They mortgaged the land and built the home with cash as they saved. Libby and her husband were able to pay off the mortgage on the land before their retirement. Medicare and Social Security benefits began when she retired at age 62. Her main source of income -- Social Security – gives her just over $800 per month.
In 1996, Libby’s husband died after a fight with leukemia. The entire family was watchful and nervous about whether she would be able to make ends meet with limited income and mounting medical bills, now that she only had one income. Soon after her husband died, and at the urging of her children, Libby made her first application for public assistance. Her prescription bills were adding up, so she applied for ConnPACE, a Connecticut program that assists eligible elders with their medicine costs. In addition, one of her sons moved in with her. He is mentally disabled and lives on Social Security, Supplemental Security Income and State Supplement. He is able to drive her to an occasional doctor’s appointment and pitches in to buy food.
Over $200 of Libby’s Social Security check has been used to pay her Medicare Supplement each month. Despite this, she did not have prescription drug, vision, dental or long-term care coverage. Access to a more affordable Medicare supplement would make a big difference in her economic struggles.
Over the years, Libby has dealt nobly with health struggles, including a breast cancer diagnosis, two neck surgeries and one back surgery. These catastrophic events led to additional medications and greater costs. Libby takes prescription drugs each day to help with rheumatoid and osteo-arthritis pain, hypothyroidism, incontinence, gastrointestinal disorders, high blood pressure as well as other over the counter medications. ConnPACE is literally a lifesaver for Libby.
Libby also applied for a property tax exemption from her city and the state as well as energy assistance through a local community action agency. Thanks to the property tax breaks, she pays just over $1,000 every three months in property taxes. She worries about these and her annual homeowner insurance policy. Due her limited English skills, applying for public benefits on her own is out of the question. So, her children help her in applying for public assistance and paying her bills.
Today, while Libby continues to struggle with chronic health conditions, she is able to live in the house that her husband built and offer housing to her disabled son. Her oldest son visits often and helps her with bills and paperwork. Despite her many health conditions, she also maintains a formidable garden with heirloom tomatoes which are the envy of the neighborhood. This garden supplements her food costs and helps to keep her mentally healthy.
Stories like Libby’s illustrate the significant impact that health care, prescription medication and housing costs can have on older women in Connecticut. Her story highlights the need for well-informed decision-making by state and federal policy makers, service providers and advocates working on behalf of low-income seniors, particularly given the economic downturn and state budget constraints. The Connecticut Elder Economic Security Initiative™ offers a conceptual framework and concrete tools, such as the Elder Economic Security Standard™ Index, to evaluate how well programs and policies are helping elders who struggle to make ends meet.
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