ROCKFORD, Ill. (WIFR) – Tina Johnson’s faucet fell silent February 18. Without her social security benefits, she expects her phone to follow as other utilities may soon turn off amid mounting deadlines and outstanding balances.
Beside gallons of jugs and hills of paperwork in the dining room, the 61-year-old offers a biscuit to her dog, Reba. The pair share about 1,000 square feet in their south Rockford home.
“She was named after Reba McEntire… And she’s sweeter — everybody loves Reba,” Tina said of the beagle-collie mix. “My dog, God bless her, she’s almost 15-years-old.”
Tina depends on social security disability benefits for income…