A new report from the U.S. Census Bureau finds that a significant number of older adults living in poverty are not receiving social security. According to the report, 28 percent of older adults relied on social security as their sole source of income in 2021. For many older adults, however, there is no social security option due to insufficient work or no work history.

Seventy percent of older adults in poverty lived in households that received Social Security, compared to about 91 percent of those in households that are not in poverty.

This has led to an increased risk of living in poverty and vulnerable living conditions—new data shows that 63 percent of older adults in poverty lived alone, compared with 26 percent of those not experiencing poverty. 

Approximately 8 percent of people over age 65 lived in poverty in 2021. Women were most likely to be living in poverty at a rate of 65 percent, compared with 54 percent of those in the same age category not living in poverty. 

Hispanics were more likely to live in poverty at 20 percent compared with 8 percent not living in poverty. Meanwhile, 17 percent of non-Hispanic Black Americans over the age of 65 lived in poverty, compared with 9 percent not living in poverty. 

Non-Hispanic Whites were the least likely to be living in poverty, at 55 percent, compared with 77 percent of those not in poverty.

Marital status may be exacerbating poverty for some Americans. According to the report, 24 percent of the people living in poverty were married, compared with 59 percent of those not living in poverty. Experts believe the higher rate of poverty among single people may be due to fewer financial programs, tax benefits, and non-tax benefits available to unmarried individuals. Older adults were also less likely to receive retirement and property income. 

Experts at the Census Bureau believe that creating a safety net for people with inconsistent income is important, adding that Social Security is no longer enough to meet the needs of those in poverty.