Has Social Security stabilized poverty among the elderly?

Social Security was a focal point of the most recent Republican presidential debate. And that’s made it a major talking point for liberals, too.

On her MSNBC show, Rachel Maddow noted that for elderly Americans, the poverty rate has been stable -- even as the poverty rate has risen for most other demographic groups.

The reason? To Maddow, it’s simple: Social Security.

After checking, we concluded that Maddow is largely correct that Social Security keeps a significant number of older Americans out of poverty. But we also found that other programs also play a role. On balance, we rated her statement Mostly True.