The SSI/SSP Grant: A Critical Support for Older Women and People of Color in California Left Behind by the Labor Market and State Policy (California Budget & Policy Center)

Study focus: The author explores why SSI/SSP is such an important resource for Californians with low incomes — particularly for older women and people of color — and why state policymakers should reinvest in the program that helps people pay for their basic needs.

Participants: Disabled and older adult Californians with low incomes. Data from the California Department of Social Services, Social Security Administration data and other sources are used. The Elder Index, a tool refined and disseminated by the UCLA Center for Health Policy Research and the Insight Center for Community Economic Development, is referenced.

Outcomes studied: Labor market inequalities that create challenges to saving for retirement among women and people of color; California's deep reductions to SSI/SSP grants (post- Great Recession), which largely remain in place a decade later.

Findings: SSI/SSP grants are an important source of income. As California’s population ages, it will become even more important for state leaders to promote policies reflecting the needs of an older and more racially diverse state.

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• External Publication: The SSI/SSP Grant: A Critical Support for Older Women and People of Color in California Left Behind by the Labor Market and State Policy