An analysis of the U.S. Census Bureau reports for 2001 indicates that more people 65 and older are slipping into poverty. The analysis, which appeared October 15 in a Newsday column by Saul Friedman, showed a decline of 2.6% in the median annual income of people 65 and over. Those below the median had monthly incomes that were less than $2,000. Friedman’s column cited a Census Bureau official’s estimate that 16% of those 65 and older are in poverty. The sagging stock market and rising cost of prescription drugs contribute to the decline of spendable income for many seniors. 

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November 2002