owth---, it was noted that several possible policy changes and programs were recommended in the literature.
These recommendations included: direct SSI mailings to the targeted group; developing policy that covers all factors known to affect individual retirement decisions (e.g., factors such as the shift toward job sectors that provide poor collective income and service programs for elders; the move away from the Anglo-white majority in the elderly population; changes in social security laws; growth in 401(k) pension plans, defined contribution plans, and individual retirement accounts; the increasing number of older women experiencing financial problems; and the rising cost of entitlements); designing "prevention-related outreaches" with pre-retirement, near poor, workers; changing social security models in general so as to reflect today's dual earnings family rather than the one-earner family model; raising the amount of SSI, funded by selected taxation; changing asset limitations; and changing the general welfare model.
SUPPLEMENTAL SECURITY INCOME: IS IT WORKING FOR THE
The purpose of this paper is to examine two areas of the literature on supplemental security income policy. First, studies related to the utilization of SSI by the low-income elderly are delineated and discussed and an assessment its made as to whether older people in poverty are being maximally served by SSI; barriers to maximal service are also discussed.
Second, the paper examines policy changes that can be made (and should be made) to better serve the elderly poor with respect to supplemental security income policy. The paper begins with a brief overview of current supplemental security income and ends with a series of formulated conclusions based on the reviewed research.
Overview of Supplemental Security Income
The supplemental Security Income Program (SSI) is a federally administered cash assistance program for the needy aged, bl...