When I was working, I looked at it this way. My pay after taxes was maybe enough to live on, but I certainly lived on the low end of the scale. If I had not been taxed on that money it was still nothing great & if I had not been taxed on it then I would likely have had no S.S. When I retired, I no longer was taxed like previously, & my S.S. income is now based on later figures, so I am getting by somewhat better, although I may have to do without some things that are now priced out of my reach due to certain items that were excessively inflated in price. Of course, much of this depends on real estate that was (fortunately) paid for during my working years so I can get by with a little less expense. It’s no picnic, but learning to get by during the lean working years has helped.
So, you had “lean working years” and now you are living lean during retirement? Doesn’t sound like you were helped much by SS.