I have seen many Bethelites who were just shy of 60 years old. They received nothing and got little support from individuals. Most had almost no marketable skills. I felt it was heartless on Bethel's part, but the blame needs to be shared. Being gullible will get you deep in a hole, in any religion. Nevertheless, JWs need to wise up. They are being taken advantage of and it will only end when they stop drinking the WTC koolaid.
As for the question, "How do they survive when they can't work any longer? Most are pitiful and broken, relying on gov't handouts. It is just too sad to bear.