Most older adults are not using tax-advantaged savings accounts to save for future health expenses, a new poll of people age 50 to 80 suggests, and those who do are more likely to have high incomes and education levels, and to be in good health and under Medicare eligibility age. Continue reading
Tag Archives: elder economic security
Emergency Broadband Benefit Program Available to Older Adults
As of July 4th, over 34,000 Massachusetts households have enrolled in the Emergency Broadband Benefit (EBB) Program to help families and households struggling to afford internet service during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Massachusetts Healthy Aging Collaborative encourages communities working to become age-and dementia friendly to raise awareness about this program to help connect older adults to internet access.
The EBB provides eligible households with a temporary, monthly discount of up to $50 towards their broadband service. Eligible households can also receive a one-time discount of up to $100 to purchase a laptop, desktop computer, or tablet from participating providers if they contribute more than $10 and less than $50 toward the purchase price. Continue reading
EBT SNAP Online Purchasing Options Expanded in Massachusetts
The Baker Administration announced that Massachusetts residents who receive Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) can now use their EBT SNAP benefits to buy fresh food and pantry staples online from a variety of participating stores for same-day delivery and pickup via Instacart, including Price Chopper, ALDI and newly added Hannaford and Stop & Shop.
Residents can shop for groceries from Hannaford, Stop & Shop, Price Chopper and ALDI via the Instacart online site and mobile app. Continue reading
UMass-Boston Research Examines Late-life Gender Disparities in Economic Security
New estimates from the 2020 Elder Index, developed by UMass-Boston’s Gerontology Institute, illustrate the elevated risk of economic insecurity experienced by older women, especially those living alone. Continue reading
Greater Boston Food Bank Reports on Food Insecurity During Pandemic
Massachusetts saw an overall increase in food insecurity of 55 percent from 2019 to 2020, according to a new survey conducted by The Greater Boston Food Bank (GBFB) in collaboration with the National Food Access and COVID Research Team (NFACT) and funded by the Hunger to Health Collaboratory (H2HC) and Stop & Shop, founding member of H2HC. Continue reading
MAPC Seeks Feedback on MetroCommon2050, the Greater Boston Region’s Long Term Plan
MetroCommon2050 is Greater Boston’s next long-range regional plan. It’s a plan for all of the 101 cities and towns and countless neighborhoods of the region of the Metropolitan Area Planning Council (MAPC).
Through research and community engagement, MAPC gathered opinions from thousands throughout the region, including people of different ages, backgrounds, racial and ethnic backgrounds, walks of life, and perspectives. This allowed us to confirm that the goals in MetroCommon reflect Greater Boston’s hopes and dreams and that our view of the problems that need to be solved is correct. Continue reading
AP-NORC Survey: Long-Term Care in America and Americans Preference to ‘Age at Home’
Given the choice, a sizable majority of the public would prefer to receive long-term care in a home setting as they age rather than move into a nursing home, according to a new study from The AP-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research and funded by The SCAN Foundation.
Overall, 88% percent of adults favor getting ongoing living assistance in their own home or in a loved one’s home. Just 2% would want to age in a nursing home and 10% prefer a senior community. Continue reading
Report: The Changing Picture of Who Claims Social Security Early
As individuals approach their 60s, they face the important decision about when to start claiming Social Security retirement benefits. A report by Philip Armour and David Knapp of the RAND Corporation – shared via AARP’s Public Policy Institute – examines the characteristics of those who decide to start collecting at the early eligibility age (EEA) of 62 compared with those who wait until later.
A companion report, “The Consequences of Claiming Social Security Benefits at Age 62,” asks what financial consequences the decision to collect early might have for the individual over time. Continue reading
New UMass-Boston Research Examines Economic Security for Older Adults in Large Metro Regions
New estimates from the 2020 Elder Index from the Center for Social and Demographic Research on Aging at UMass-Boston shows that living expenses are high in
metropolitan areas across the U.S., and many older singles and couples lack the resources
needed to get by in their communities. Continue reading
RRF Issue Brief on Economic Security of Older Adults Features UMass-Boston Projects
The RRF Foundation for Aging, which supports the Elder Economic Security Index from UMass-Boston, among other related projects, released an issue brief with data highlighting the importance of addressing economic security for older adults. Continue reading