Economic Security

The National Council on Disability (NCD) recently released its 2023 Progress Report titled “Toward Economic Security: The Impact of Income and Asset Limits on People with Disabilities.” This report examines the implications of asset limits in government-sponsored social safety net programs on the economic self-sufficiency and financial independence of people with disabilities. The report focuses on four critical areas of public policy: health care, cash benefits provided through Supplemental Security Income (SSI), employment, and asset building and wealth protection. It also offers findings and recommendations for the Administration, Congress, and states in the areas of health, employment, asset building, and wealth protection...

This report estimates that half of all single older adults in the United States lack the income to afford basic needs, a calculation that matched Elder Index expense data with state-level income statistics. The report also ranks states based on their levels of elder economic insecurity by measuring the percentage of older adults who did not have sufficient income to meet their realistic expenses.

This three-part report begins with an examination of the causes of poverty for older women. It also explores the issue of intersectionality in light of disproportionate rates of poverty for both women of color and LGBTQ women. The second part of this report provides an overview of the various anti-poverty programs available for older women. Finally, the report concludes by offering specific policy recommendations for increasing older women’s economic security.