From DC is Justice in Ageing’s weekly roundup of nationwide information and assets about points impacting older adults. To obtain From DC in your inbox as quickly as its printed, join our mailing checklist.
Right here’s what we’re watching in Washington:
Justice in Ageing Testifies in Congress concerning the Significance of Social Safety and SSI
This week, Tracey Gronniger, Justice in Ageing’s Managing Director of Financial Safety and Housing, testified in Congress for a listening to on eradicating obstacles to work and supporting alternative for individuals with disabilities. Tracey testified on behalf of each Justice in Ageing and the Consortium for Constituents with Disabilities (CCD) Social Safety Job Power, which Justice in Ageing co-chairs.
In the course of the listening to, Tracey urged Congress to make sure entry to very important Social Safety and Supplemental Safety Revenue (SSI) advantages for older and disabled people who find themselves in a position to and need to work. She pointed to bipartisan options for eradicating obstacles to work, such because the SSI Financial savings Penalty Elimination Act. This invoice would improve SSI asset limits, permitting extra SSI recipients to maintain their advantages whereas working and saving cash for primary bills and emergencies. Tracey additionally highlighted the necessity for sufficient staffing on the Social Safety Administration.
Watch a recording of the listening to, and learn Justice in Ageing’s assertion for the report.
New Census Information on Senior Poverty and Well being Insurance coverage Protection
The U.S. Census Bureau not too long ago printed its annual reviews on Revenue, Poverty, and Well being Insurance coverage Protection within the U.S. Whereas different demographics noticed poverty charges fall or stay flat, poverty charges for older adults elevated and continued to be particularly excessive for older adults of shade.
Information confirms that security web applications like Social Safety and Supplemental Safety Revenue (SSI) are vital for lowering senior poverty, with Social Safety lifting over 28.7 million older adults above the poverty line. In 2024, beneath the Supplemental Poverty Measure (SPM), the poverty fee for older adults was 15%, with older adults having the best poverty fee amongst all age teams.
Seniors of shade additionally skilled larger poverty charges. Roughly 24% of Black older adults, 19% of Asian older adults, 22.5% of American Indian and Alaska Native older adults, and 28% of Hispanic older adults had been residing in poverty. These numbers spotlight the necessity to strengthen and broaden the applications low-income older adults depend on, together with Social Safety, SSI, federal rental help, Medicaid, and Medicare in order that older adults can age with dignity and the assets they want.
As for medical health insurance protection, the Census information reveals that in 2024 8.2% of individuals had been uninsured. This is a rise from 2023, when the uninsured fee was at a record-low 7.9% as a consequence of COVID-related steady protection protections for individuals with Medicaid and enhanced premium tax credit for the Reasonably priced Care Act (ACA) Marketplaces.
The uninsured fee, particularly amongst immigrants, is more likely to climb extra steeply within the subsequent few years as a consequence of H.R. 1, which is able to take Medicaid, Medicare, and ACA protection away from 10 million individuals. One other 4.2 million individuals—together with many low-income older adults—will develop into uninsured subsequent yr if Congress permits the improved premium tax credit to run out in 2025.
Learn extra in Justice in Ageing’s explainer concerning the results of H.R. 1 on medical health insurance.
Preliminary Injunction Stops Federal Businesses from Excluding Older Immigrants from Packages and Companies
On September 10, a U.S. District Court docket issued a preliminary injunction in State of New of York vs. Division of Justice. The lawsuit was introduced by 21 states and the District of Columbia in opposition to 4 federal businesses that issued reinterpretations of the Private Accountability and Work Alternative Reconciliation Act of 1996 (PRWORA).
The reinterpretations had been issued by the Division of Justice, Division of Well being and Human Companies (HHS), Division of Schooling, and Division of Labor in July 2025 and redefined the time period “federal public profit,” thereby excluding immigrants from eligibility for over a dozen federal applications.
Older immigrants are already severely restricted within the sorts of public advantages they will entry. The HHS discover reinterpreting PRWORA would additional impede immigrant older adults’ potential to entry well being care and different helps by implementing immigration verification necessities for applications reminiscent of Federally Certified Well being Facilities and recipients of Neighborhood Companies Block Grants.
The company acquired over 500,000 feedback from advocates and stakeholders over this motion. The preliminary injunction enjoins the federal businesses from implementing their reinterpretations of PRWORA within the states which might be a part of the lawsuit.
Study extra about different latest coverage developments affecting older immigrants.
New Memo Issued on Public Cost, however Underlying Laws Stay Unchanged
On September 5, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Companies (USCIS) issued a coverage memo to USCIS officers on public cost. The steerage doesn’t change the advantages thought-about beneath the general public cost check, and the Biden Administration’s public cost rule stays in place.
The brand new memo emphasizes that officers should strictly observe the related authorities when making inadmissibility determinations and reminds immigration officers to be vital of an applicant’s propensity to be depending on authorities assist. For instance, if info is lacking from an software for lawful everlasting residency or adjustment of standing, officers should request that info, and a failure to offer it can lead to a denial.
Defending Immigrant Households (PIF) has created an explainer useful resource concerning the memo. Justice in Ageing will proceed to observe developments relating to public cost and educate our community concerning the impacts for older immigrants.
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