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| SOCIAL SECURITY;MEDICARE |
Today’s fact: one of every three Americans over 65 depends on Social Security checks to stay above the poverty line. Without Social Security, the poverty rate among seniors would soar from the current 9 percent to 45 percent. The average monthly Social Security benefit for a retired worker was about $1,230 at the beginning of 2012, and the official poverty line for an individual over 65 is $10,788 annually.
See how senior poverty
rates have changed over time by clicking on today’s infographic. Then join the
discussion below. Does this much dependence on Social Security surprise you?
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How do we know? Check the original sources behind the fact:
- Congressional
Research Office: “Social Security Reform: Possible Effects on the Elderly
Poor and Mitigation Options”
- US Census
Bureau: “Income, Poverty, and Health Insurance Coverage in the United
States: 2010"
- US Census Bureau “The Older Population: 2010 Census
Briefs”
- AARP: “Older Americans In Poverty: A Snapshot”
- US Social Security Administration: “Average monthly Social Security benefit for a retired worker
- MORE
