Oklahoma seniors could be hurt by proposal

(Oklahoma City-AP) -- A proposal to eliminate Social Security earnings limits could mean life or death for the state's neediest senior citizens. <br><br>A bill now under debate in the U-S Senate

Friday, March 3rd 2000, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

(Oklahoma City-AP) -- A proposal to eliminate Social Security earnings limits could mean life or death for the state's neediest senior citizens.

A bill now under debate in the U-S Senate would allow seniors to work without worrying about losing a portion of their Social Security benefits. Don Hudman of the Areawide Aging Agency says the provision could offset the cost of medication for people at the lowest end of the economic scale and make the difference in whether they could afford adequate medical care.

Yesterday, the House approved the proposal 422-to-0. The bill would allow senior citizens between the ages of 65 and 69 to avoid the earnings limits.

Presently, seniors who earn more than 17-thousand dollars a year pay a penalty amounting to one-dollar in benefits for every three-dollars they earn above 17-thousand dollars.