From DC: Justice in Aging Testifies, New Data on Senior Poverty, Court Halts Immigrant Exclusions

September 12, 2025

From DC is Justice in Aging's weekly roundup of national news and resources about issues impacting older adults. To receive From DC in your inbox as soon as its published, sign up for our mailing list.

Here’s what we’re watching in Washington:

This week, Tracey Gronniger, Justice in Aging’s Managing Director of Economic Security and Housing, testified in Congress for a hearing on removing barriers to work and supporting opportunity for people with disabilities. Tracey testified on behalf of both Justice in Aging and the Consortium for Constituents with Disabilities (CCD) Social Security Task Force, which Justice in Aging co-chairs.

During the hearing, Tracey urged Congress to ensure access to vital Social Security and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits for older and disabled people who are able to and want to work. She pointed to bipartisan solutions for removing barriers to work, such as the SSI Savings Penalty Elimination Act. This bill would increase SSI asset limits, allowing more SSI recipients to keep their benefits while working and saving money for basic expenses and emergencies. Tracey also highlighted the need for adequate staffing at the Social Security Administration.

Watch a recording of the hearing, and read Justice in Aging’s statement for the record.

New Census Data on Senior Poverty and Health Insurance Coverage

The U.S. Census Bureau recently published its annual reports on Income, Poverty, and Health Insurance Coverage in the U.S. While other demographics saw poverty rates fall or remain flat, poverty rates for older adults increased and continued to be especially high for older adults of color.

Data confirms that safety net programs like Social Security and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) are critical for reducing senior poverty, with Social Security lifting over 28.7 million older adults above the poverty line. In 2024, under the Supplemental Poverty Measure (SPM), the poverty rate for older adults was 15%, with older adults having the highest poverty rate among all age groups.

Seniors of color also experienced higher poverty rates. Approximately 24% of Black older adults, 19% of Asian older adults, 22.5% of American Indian and Alaska Native older adults, and 28% of Hispanic older adults were living in poverty. These numbers highlight the need to strengthen and expand the programs low-income older adults rely on, including Social Security, SSI, federal rental assistance, Medicaid, and Medicare so that older adults can age with dignity and the resources they need.

As for health insurance coverage, the Census data shows that in 2024 8.2% of people were uninsured. This is an increase from 2023, when the uninsured rate was at a record-low 7.9% due to COVID-related continuous coverage protections for people with Medicaid and enhanced premium tax credits for the Affordable Care Act (ACA) Marketplaces.

The uninsured rate, especially among immigrants, is likely to climb more steeply in the next few years due to H.R. 1, which will take Medicaid, Medicare, and ACA coverage away from 10 million people. Another 4.2 million people—including many low-income older adults—will become uninsured next year if Congress allows the enhanced premium tax credits to expire in 2025.

Preliminary Injunction Stops Federal Agencies from Excluding Older Immigrants from Programs and Services

On September 10, a U.S. District Court issued a preliminary injunction in State of New of York vs. Department of Justice. The lawsuit was brought by 21 states and the District of Columbia against four federal agencies that issued reinterpretations of the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 (PRWORA).

The reinterpretations were issued by the Department of Justice, Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Department of Education, and Department of Labor in July 2025 and redefined the term “federal public benefit,” thereby excluding immigrants from eligibility for over a dozen federal programs.

Older immigrants are already severely restricted in the types of public benefits they can access. The HHS notice reinterpreting PRWORA would further impede immigrant older adults’ ability to access health care and other supports by implementing immigration verification requirements for programs such as Federally Qualified Health Centers and recipients of Community Services Block Grants.

The agency received over 500,000 comments from advocates and stakeholders over this action. The preliminary injunction enjoins the federal agencies from enforcing their reinterpretations of PRWORA in the states that are part of the lawsuit.

Learn more about other recent policy developments affecting older immigrants.

New Memo Issued on Public Charge, but Underlying Regulations Remain Unchanged

On September 5, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) issued a policy memo to USCIS officers on public charge. The guidance does not change the benefits considered under the public charge test, and the Biden Administration’s public charge rule remains in place.

The new memo emphasizes that officers must strictly follow the relevant authorities when making inadmissibility determinations and reminds immigration officers to be critical of an applicant’s propensity to be dependent on government support. For example, if information is missing from an application for lawful permanent residency or adjustment of status, officers must request that information, and a failure to provide it will result in a denial.

Protecting Immigrant Families (PIF) has created an explainer resource about the memo. Justice in Aging will continue to monitor developments regarding public charge and educate our network about the impacts for older immigrants.