Has Social Security stabilized poverty among the elderly?
By Angie Drobnic Holan, Louis Jacobson
Published on Tuesday, September 20th, 2011 at 12:12 p.m.
Related rulings:
"Poverty among Americans 65 and over is statistically unchanged" in recent years because of Social Security.
Rachel Maddow, Monday, September 19th, 2011.
Ruling: Mostly True | Details
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An anti-poverty card?
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.
Sources:
See original Truth-O-Meter item
Researchers: Angie Drobnic Holan
Names in this article: Rachel Maddow
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