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DataBrief:
Low-Income
Seniors
Did you know…
Seniors living alone have 35% less
annual income than seniors living
with others?
DataBrief Series ● September 2010 ● No. 4
Low-Income Seniors
• A quarter of seniors live alone, and they tend to have lower incomes than
seniors living with others, such as spouses.1
• About 15 percent of seniors living alone have incomes that put them below
the federal poverty line (FPL).1
• Lower incomes make these seniors more vulnerable to financial crises, such
as an unexpected illness or major home repair.
• When they face difficulties managing daily tasks such as preparing food,
dressing, and bathing, their ability to hire help can be limited by their
financial situation.
1
Avalere analysis of 2006 Health and Retirement Study.
DataBrief (2010) ● No. 4
Page 2
Seniors living alone have on average 35% less
annual income than seniors living with others.
DataBrief (2010) ● No. 4
Page 3
About the data:
The facts about seniors’ income
come from the 2006 Health and
Retirement Study, a longitudinal
survey conducted every other
year on individuals of
retirement age. The survey
asks people about their living
arrangements as well as their
income and assets from a
variety of sources. This analysis
is restricted to respondents 65
years old or older. For
comparison purposes married
seniors’ income and assets
were divided in half.
A Clear Policy Connection
Low-income seniors who live alone may face challenges
in maintaining their home and paying for help with
activities of daily living to the degree that they risk
impoverishment and their ability to stay in their homes.
Various state- and federally-funded programs are
available to support low-income seniors including Older
Americans Act programs from the Administration on
Aging and Medicaid home- and community-based care
as well as Medicare Savings Programs.
However, these programs only reach a modest number
of seniors at present.
Large-scale systematic changes to financing retirement
and long-term care services may be necessary to
support this population.
Analytics powered by Avalere Health LLC
DataBrief (2010) ● No. 4
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