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More seniors are being pushed into poverty — here’s why
marketwatch ^ | 10/21/2022

Posted on 10/21/2022 9:28:03 AM PDT by devane617

A terrible thing is happening to America’s seniors.

While overall poverty rates in the United States are falling, they are rising for Americans over age 65.

That’s according to the latest U.S. Census Bureau data, which says the share of older people living below the poverty line rose to 10.3% in 2021, up from 8.9% in 2020.

The increase means that an additional 1 million older adults have fallen below the poverty threshold, bringing the total number of seniors in that unfortunate category to nearly 6 million, according to an analysis by the National Council on Aging (NCOA).

“We are deeply dismayed,” says Ramsey Alwin, NCOA’s president and CEO, in a statement. “This increase shines a glaring spotlight on the fact that Social Security and Medicare, the bedrock of retirement security for so many, are not sufficient to lift all older adults above poverty.”

Also dismayed—but not surprised—is Mary Johnson of the Senior Citizens League, a Washington-based advocacy group. “The Census Bureau report confirms what we have been fearing,” she tells MarketWatch. “Our surveys in 2021 and 2022 have indicated that a rising number of retirees report that they have spent through emergency savings and have applied for safety net programs. In fact, the number of survey participants who say they have applied for SNAP or visited a food pantry over the past 12 months is 33% compared to 22% a year ago. The number who say they have applied for rental assistance has almost doubled, from 5% in 2021 to 9% in 2022. Those who have applied for heating assistance up from 10% to 17%.”

(Excerpt) Read more at marketwatch.com ...


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Government; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: 2022midterms; biden; bidenflation; bidenomics; bidenvoters; freepathon; povertyrate; seniors
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To: devane617

Expecting Social Security to keep one out of poverty has been a dumb assumption all my life and the vast majority of people have understood this for a long time.

The govt can’t keep you out of poverty, that’s YOUR job.


21 posted on 10/21/2022 10:00:38 AM PDT by SaxxonWoods (The only way to secure your own future is to create it yourself.)
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To: devane617

The inflation has added one million to the poverty class. That doesn’t mean we need to raise SS it for other 60 million who draw.

There are programs for those few genuinely in need.


22 posted on 10/21/2022 10:02:15 AM PDT by gloryblaze
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To: devane617

Here’s why...

DEMOCRATS


23 posted on 10/21/2022 10:04:56 AM PDT by ProtectOurFreedom (The “I” in Democrat stands for “Integrity.”)
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To: 1FreeAmerican

Oh, the few people who get the maximum are not totally screwed. But for that you have to make pretty much close to max SS earnings for 35 years and wait until you are close to 70!
On the other hand, a lot of people make a lot less than the average!
Medicare is not cheap either!
I, personally, still have some savings left, but it is getting scary!
What irks me the most is that the Dems always spread the adds, how they “save(d)” the SS!
Crap!


24 posted on 10/21/2022 10:06:18 AM PDT by AZJeep
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To: PGR88

The biggest enemy of freedom and Liberty is power-mad government.

Their staggeringly stupid “American Rescue Plan” during COVID and then the even more stupid “Inflation Act” have ruined us.


25 posted on 10/21/2022 10:08:13 AM PDT by ProtectOurFreedom (The “I” in Democrat stands for “Integrity.”)
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To: TexasGator

Making our money worthless when large groups of elders live in fixed income is a form of abuse. Biden did this intentionally by spending so much money on his pets - (democrat base) that it caused inflation which caused the worth of our money to drop.


26 posted on 10/21/2022 10:12:50 AM PDT by GOPJ (Trillion dollar infrastructure bill - ONLY ONE NH HEATED SIDEWALK HAS BEEN COMPLETED...)
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To: ProudDeplorable

Geniuses. Every one of the Founding Father’s. Their collective IQs must have been astronomical.


27 posted on 10/21/2022 10:13:28 AM PDT by madison10 (There is no King, but Jesus.)
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To: devane617

Property and school taxes to support all the illegals isn’t helping.

Businesses that want illegal or foreign labor need to supply everything—education of the children, day care and any food, medical and housing that the illegal/work card carriers need.

Yes, I’m willing to pay bigger prices. At least I can see what I’m paying for without the open ended s*** that has government stealing from us.


28 posted on 10/21/2022 10:18:28 AM PDT by Irenic
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To: ProudDeplorable

Thomas Jefferson is guilty of the most heinous of all crimes.

He told the truth.

:-(


29 posted on 10/21/2022 10:20:44 AM PDT by cgbg (Claiming that laws and regs that limit “hate speech” stop freedom of speech is “hate speech”.)
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To: Red Badger

I wonder what the racial make up
is?
Ive got a funny feeling about that and the dem Plantation:-)


30 posted on 10/21/2022 10:21:26 AM PDT by Harpotoo (Being a socialist is a lot easier than having to WORK like the rest of US:-))
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To: devane617

“In fact, the number of survey participants who say they have applied for SNAP or visited a food pantry over the past 12 months is 33% compared to 22% a year ago. The number who say they have applied for rental assistance has almost doubled, from 5% in 2021 to 9% in 2022. Those who have applied for heating assistance up from 10% to 17%.”

All by design, Comrades. All. By. Design.

I just signed up this week for SS. I retired at age 56 and turned 62 this summer. I don’t NEED it, but I’ll be dipped if I’m not going to get back SOME of the money STOLEN from me from age 15 on, when I had my first paying job. 41 years total as a taxpaying drone in one form or another.


31 posted on 10/21/2022 10:29:45 AM PDT by Diana in Wisconsin (I don't have, 'Hobbies.' I'm developing a robust Post-Apocalyptic skill set. )
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To: devane617

President Retard did that.

Libtards love stepping on old people and would euthanize them with their morbid “healthcare” if they could

They should think about that when they vote


32 posted on 10/21/2022 10:31:38 AM PDT by NWFree (Somebody has to say it 🤪)
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To: madison10

BTTP!


33 posted on 10/21/2022 10:45:41 AM PDT by MV=PY (The Magic Question: Who's paying for it?)
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To: devane617

We’re back to where we were in the 1970s, when the cliche extreme was seniors eating canned dog or cat food. For decades, they on average lived relatively high on the hog, traveling the world, eating out for many meals, soaking up copious medical visits and procedures, etc., etc., based on the level of SS payments, fat pensions, and so forth.

We’re not near Great Depression territory yet, but we are rapidly giving up gains that went to them (while working-class wages were stagnant) over the past half century.


34 posted on 10/21/2022 10:49:32 AM PDT by 9YearLurker
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To: 9YearLurker

What we are seeing is the transformation into a third world country.

A relatively small number of seniors will be living high on the hog, while the majority will be learning to love cat food.


35 posted on 10/21/2022 10:51:26 AM PDT by cgbg (Claiming that laws and regs that limit “hate speech” stop freedom of speech is “hate speech”.)
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To: devane617

I’m fine in retirement but I could not have done this without my home and care completely paid off. I’m glad I don’t like to to travel anymore so I don’t spend too much money. I’m also work part time so I use that money for my bills and stick my SS into savings. I’m grateful because if anything did happen, I’d do a reverse mortgage so I’d be OK.


36 posted on 10/21/2022 11:00:18 AM PDT by peggybac (My will is what I wanted. God's will is what I got.)
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To: cgbg

I expect that the increases we have seen in PROPERTY TAXES due to inflated valuations, and then the increase in the cost of homeowners’ insurance, have a pretty similar impact for those who own their homes (not renters).

And I would bet that these expenses are rising much faster than the incomes of seniors.


37 posted on 10/21/2022 11:02:01 AM PDT by NEMDF
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To: ProtectOurFreedom

“Here’s why...

DEMOCRATS”

DITTO x 100


38 posted on 10/21/2022 11:02:41 AM PDT by devane617 (Discipline Is Reliable, Motivation Is Fleeting..)
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To: NEMDF

The increase in my property tax and home insurance alone takes more that the COLA increase.


39 posted on 10/21/2022 11:03:46 AM PDT by devane617 (Discipline Is Reliable, Motivation Is Fleeting..)
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To: devane617

The left wants the old folks dead. Most are the dreaded High Skin Reflectance variety, and must be sent to nursing homes, or killed in some other way. Their replacements are streaming into the country, and were chosen because of their skin reflectance, or lack of it. The new arrivals get TVs, confortable chairs, a cot, food just like back home, and English lessons - see NYPost, yesterday’s edition.


40 posted on 10/21/2022 11:04:37 AM PDT by I want the USA back (Kick every last democrat out of office! )
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