'I'm going to have to get a job'

detroit bankruptcy jeff zeigler
  • Name: Jeff Zeigler
  • Occupation: retired firefighter

Retired firefighter Jeff Zeigler worries about how a cut to his pension benefits will affect his ability to support his wife and two teenage daughters.

After decades of on-the-job injuries, from a shattered vertebrae to a broken back, Zeigler, 49, was forced to take a disability retirement last year.

Related: Just how generous are Detroit's pensions?

He currently receives around $4,000 a month from his pension. But he stands to lose up to $400 a month if the cuts proposed by the city's bankruptcy plan are approved. Like most public safety workers, Zeigler does not qualify for Social Security benefits.

This month, he lost his retiree healthcare benefits as part of the city's bankruptcy, forcing him to sign on to his wife's employer's plan.

After he is done recovering from a recent neck surgery, he said he plans to look for a job.

"I'm going to have to go get a job somewhere," he said. "I don't know if it will be a Wal-Mart greeter or driving a truck, but I'm going to go have to do something because of the money situation."

First published March 13, 2014: 5:10 PM ET

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