90-year-old forced to work at a store to support sick wife: 'It's a hard way to go'

The former carpenter said the job is pleasant and his coworkers treat him with respect. (Representational image: Unsplash)

A 90-year-old retired carpenter in Oklahoma, US, has returned to the workforce to support his wife and cover rising living costs, Business Insider reported.

Vince Scidone, a former Marine and union representative, now works part-time as a cook at OnCue, a convenience store chain. He took the job in July 2024 after struggling to make ends meet on a fixed pension and Social Security income. “I had to go back into the workforce,” Scidone said. “I tried for three months, but my age was against me.”

Scidone earns $14.90 (about Rs 1,300) an hour and works four days a week, preparing pizzas, quesadillas, and burgers for the store’s grab-and-go bar. He says the job is pleasant and his coworkers treat him with respect. “We laugh and joke a lot,” he said. “They don’t want me climbing ladders.”

Scidone’s financial troubles began after he and his wife Deborah bought a new home in Oklahoma. The couple had $50,000 (about Rs 44 lakh) in savings, but spent it within three years on a down payment, furnishings, and rising property taxes, which jumped from $2,000 (about Rs 1.7 lakh) to over $5,000 (Rs 4.4 lakh) annually. Their combined income last year was $104,000 (Rs 91.6 lakh), including Deborah’s $997 (about Rs 88,000) monthly Social Security check, but their expenses—utilities, medical bills, mortgage, car payments, and church tithes—total around $7,000 (about Rs 61,000) a month.

“I just paid some bills and had to go into my savings account, which is down to $42 (about Rs 3,700),” Scidone said. “My credit has gone downhill.”

Scidone began receiving his pension in 1998, but says it hasn’t kept pace with inflation. “You can survive, but it’s a hard way to go,” he said.

Deborah, who recently underwent major surgery, is unable to work. Scidone hopes to save enough for both of them to retire again and visit their children and grandchildren. “It doesn’t bother me to be 90 and still working,” he said. “But I’d love for us both to be able to retire and break our routine.”