What causes poverty in the United States?
Poverty is one of the biggest problems in the United States. Poverty is s state of deprivation or the lack of funds. In 2012, it was reported that 46.5 million people were living in poverty but as of 2013, that number has decreased to 45.3 million. That is 14.5% of the United States population. If a family of four makes less than $24,000 a year, they are considered to be living in poverty. There are many ways someone is considered to be living in poverty. They range from people working at minimum wage to seniors who live off of their fixed incomes. Millions of families are affected by poverty. There are many different scenarios in which someone lives in poverty. For example, the percentage for single …show more content…
Seniors that live on fixed incomes are made to budget everything from food to electricity. Many cannot even afford to live in their own home because of fixed incomes. Many seniors who are over the age of 65 use their Social Security and Supplemental Security Income to make payments. In 2013, half the people who have Medicare had incomes less than $23.500. That is equal to 200% percent of poverty in 2015. The SPM or more commonly known as Supplemental Poverty Measures, measures the poverty thresholds. For a senior who is over 65, single and who has a mortgage, that threshold is about $16,500. If that is the income for a single citizen over the age of 65, they are considered living in poverty. In 2013, the poverty threshold for an individual who is under the age of 65, was $12,119 but for an individual 65 and over, is $11,173.
The ethnicity of an individual does not play a factor in poverty but yet Blacks and Hispanics have the highest poverty rate. Whites have the lowest poverty rate of citizens in the United States. It is strange that even though everyone is equal, poverty still affects Blacks and Hispanics more. If you are not white that does not make you more impoverished. Anyone can live in poverty and that includes all
Poverty is one of the biggest problems in the United States. Poverty is s state of deprivation or the lack of funds. In 2012, it was reported that 46.5 million people were living in poverty but as of 2013, that number has decreased to 45.3 million. That is 14.5% of the United States population. If a family of four makes less than $24,000 a year, they are considered to be living in poverty. There are many ways someone is considered to be living in poverty. They range from people working at minimum wage to seniors who live off of their fixed incomes. Millions of families are affected by poverty. There are many different scenarios in which someone lives in poverty. For example, the percentage for single …show more content…
Seniors that live on fixed incomes are made to budget everything from food to electricity. Many cannot even afford to live in their own home because of fixed incomes. Many seniors who are over the age of 65 use their Social Security and Supplemental Security Income to make payments. In 2013, half the people who have Medicare had incomes less than $23.500. That is equal to 200% percent of poverty in 2015. The SPM or more commonly known as Supplemental Poverty Measures, measures the poverty thresholds. For a senior who is over 65, single and who has a mortgage, that threshold is about $16,500. If that is the income for a single citizen over the age of 65, they are considered living in poverty. In 2013, the poverty threshold for an individual who is under the age of 65, was $12,119 but for an individual 65 and over, is $11,173.
The ethnicity of an individual does not play a factor in poverty but yet Blacks and Hispanics have the highest poverty rate. Whites have the lowest poverty rate of citizens in the United States. It is strange that even though everyone is equal, poverty still affects Blacks and Hispanics more. If you are not white that does not make you more impoverished. Anyone can live in poverty and that includes all