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Simona Combi
Public Relations Manager
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simona.combi@ncoa.org

Arlington, VA (September 10, 2024) — The following is a statement from Ramsey Alwin, president and CEO of the National Council on Aging (NCOA), on the latest U.S. Census Bureau data on poverty, income, and health insurance in 2023.

“The latest older adult poverty data from the Census Bureau is an alarm bell for whoever wins the election in November. It is unacceptable that after a lifetime of hard work, over 8 million of our older family, friends, and neighbors are living in poverty and must choose whether to pay for food or medicine each month.

“Under the Supplemental Poverty Measure, the older adult poverty rate was 14.2% in 2023, virtually unchanged from 14.1% in 2022. This means about 280,000 fewer older adults age 65+ were lifted out of poverty in 2023 compared to 2022.

“The new numbers also reveal widening and unacceptable disparities. Poverty continued to increase more in 2023 for older adults of races and ethnic groups other than white. Poverty is now at an alarming 27.3% for older Hispanics (up 3 percentage points), 24.6% for Black older adults (up 4 percentage points), and 25.4% for older American Indians and Alaska Natives (up 5 percentage points).

“We know that Social Security, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), Supplemental Security Income (SSI), and other programs provide vital assistance that low-income Americans need to afford daily expenses. But we also know that not all eligible older adults are enrolled. Our new Benefits Participation Map shows 70% of older adults (9 million) who are eligible for these programs are not enrolled in SNAP and likely not enrolled in SSI and the Medicare Savings Programs.

“We need full funding for these programs to support outreach to those most in need. For 16 years, Congress has funded efforts to find and enroll low-income people with Medicare into benefit programs through the Medicare Improvements for Patients and Providers Act. This funding has been extended 12 times with bipartisan support, yet it is set to expire once again on Dec. 31, 2024. We urge Congress to make this funding permanent, so all older adults get the support they deserve to age with dignity.”

About NCOA
The National Council on Aging (NCOA) is the national voice for every person’s right to age well. We believe that how we age should not be determined by gender, color, sexuality, income, or ZIP code. Working with thousands of national and local partners, we provide resources, tools, best practices, and advocacy to ensure every person can age with health and financial security. Founded in 1950, we are the oldest national organization focused on older adults. Learn more by following us at @NCOAging.