WWW.CITYGATENETWORK.ORG MAY/JUNE 2019 13 While children are greatly affected by family poverty, at the opposite end of the spectrum, many seniors also do not have enough to live on.  More than 25 million Americans over the age of 60 are economically insecure—living at or below 250 percent of the federal poverty level. (National Council on Aging)  21 percent of married Social Security recipients and 43 percent of single recipients age 65 and over depend on Social Security for 90 percent or more of their income. (Social Security Administration)  The 2.1 million older adults on Supplemental Security Income (SSI) receive an average of just $435 each month. (Social Security Administration)  One­third of senior households has no money left each month or is in debt after meeting essential expenses. (Institute on Assets and Social Policy) Senior Struggle Those nearing retirement find they don’t have enough in the coffers  If you have a disability in the U.S., you’re twice as likely to be poor as someone without a disability. And fewer than one in five disabled adults are employed, which is one reason so many are poor. (NPR)  Disability limits access to education and employment, and leads to economic and social exclusion. Poor people with disabilities are caught in a vicious cycle of poverty and disability, each being both a cause and a consequence of the other. (NCBI)  A minority of people with disabilities can work, and even fewer (20 percent) can work in full­time, full­year positions. (NCBI)  Estimates are likely to dramatically understate experiences of poverty by people with disabilities because the disability­related costs they face—such as health care expenses, special diets, and medical equipment—increase the costs of their basic needs. However, these increased costs are not reflected in the income thresholds used to calculate poverty statistics. (NCBI) Adding Insult to Injury How disabilities amplify the effects of poverty