Ending Hunger in America, 2014 Hunger Report Full Report | Page 120
tion Programs have decreased 18 percent from 1992 to 2012. At the same time, [the eligible
population] has increased 34 percent.”98
Seniors and the Safety Net
Richard Lord
Without Social Security
benefits, the senior
poverty rate in 2011
would have risen from
8.7 percent to 43.6
percent.
110? Chapter 3
n
In 2011, Social Security lifted close to 15 million seniors out of poverty, the majority of
them women. Without Social Security, 43.6 percent of all seniors would have been in poverty.
With Social Security, however, only 8.7 percent fell below the
poverty line in 2011.99
“Between 2001 and
When Social Security was first launched, during the Great
2010, the risk of hunger
Depression, it was much less effective in reducing poverty. At
for seniors increased
the beginning of the 1960s, one in three seniors was living
by 78 percent, putting
the total number of
in poverty. When the War on Poverty was launched in 1964,
seniors at risk at 8.3
benefit levels were increased, and in 1972 they were indexed
to rise with inflation.100 Within two decades, the senior
million.”
poverty rate was cut to one in 10. In a 2004 report for the
— Meals on Wheels
National Bureau of Economic Research, Gary Engelhardt and
Research Association
Jonathan Gruber concluded, “Social Security can explain the
entire decline in poverty among the elderly.”101
The War on Poverty also established the Medicare program, which guarantees health insurance to all seniors. Before Medicare was enacted, half of all senior ? ?\?H [?[??\?Y ??\?[??X[ ?\?H??? ? ?X][?YYX?\?x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