Currently, older adults age 60+ account for 22% of California’s population[1]. By 2030, one-quarter of Californian’s population will be older adults 60+, intensifying the need to invest in the critical programs that support them. Now is the time to take action.

Medi-Cal & Medicare[2]

  • Older adults 65+ who have incomes at or below 138% of the federal poverty level and meet asset requirements are dually eligible for both Medi-Cal & Medicare for their health care coverage.
  • 1,420,564 older adults 65+ statewide are dually eligible.

Supplemental Security Income (SSI)[3][4]

  • SSI is a federal income supplement program available to low-income older adults and people with disabilities. The maximum monthly benefit a person can receive to live on is $1,234.
  • 589,962 older adults 65+ statewide receive SSI payments.

Poverty Levels[5][6]

  • California is the state with the highest number of older adults living in poverty.
  • According to Census data, 21% of older adults 65+ are living in poverty.
  • The Elder Index, the most accurate standard of measurement, gauges income insecurity among California’s older adults and takes into account local cost of living.
  • According to that measure, 33% of older adults 65+ can’t meet their basic needs.

In-Home Supportive Services (IHSS)[7]

  • IHSS provides in-home assistance to eligible older adults and people with disabilities instead of institutional care and enables recipients to remain safely in their own homes.
  • 503,634 older adults 65+ statewide receive IHSS services.

Older Adults Experiencing Homelessness[8][9]

  • 48% of homeless adults are age 50+.
  • 70,627 older adults 55+ statewide interacted with the homeless response system.

Endnotes

  1. Data Dashboard for Aging, California Population Profile, Adults Age 60 and Older. ↑

  2. Department of Health Care Services, By Medicare Dual Status and Age Group, Certified Eligibles, May 2026. ↑

  3. Social Security Office of Retirement and Disability Policy, SSI Recipients by State and County, 2024. ↑

  4. Social Security Administration, Supplemental Security Income (SSI) in California, January 2026 ↑

  5. California Budget and Policy Center, California’s Persistent Poverty Crisis: 2024 Rates Remain Alarmingly High, September 2025. ↑

  6. UCLA Center for Health Policy Research, California Elder Economic Security™ Index (CEI). ↑

  7. California Department of Social Services, Monthly IHSS Program Data, April 2026. ↑

  8. UCSF Benioff Homelessness and Housing Initiative, Toward Dignity Understanding Older Adult Homelessness, May 2024. ↑

  9. Homeless Data Integration System, Demographic Characteristics of People Experiencing Homelessness that California Served. ↑