No, they can't take money directly from the "pension scheme". Social Security cannot be garnished to satisfy judgments from private creditors, and in most cases

No, they can't take money directly from the "pension scheme". Social Security cannot be garnished to satisfy judgments from private creditors, and in most cases, retirement accounts are privileged and will not be forcibly garnished or confiscated by the authorities to pay an outstanding judgment. Also in most cases, you can retain retirement accounts through a bankruptcy. This is a good reason to make sure a lot of your savings is allocated into designated retirement accounts and not just a standard savings account. Parent poster is commenting on the general expense of medicine, but for your typical retiree, it shouldn't be too out of control with Medicare.