Many boomers on Social Security live near poverty and don’t tell anyone. It’s adding to the loneliness crisis.

About 13% of Americans are living below the federal poverty line, but another 29% are just above the poverty threshold. 

Each morning, Ann Miller picks up her local newspaper. She flips past the front-page stories, game-day recaps, cartoons, and crossword puzzles. She’s looking for the grocery coupons: If she’s lucky, there might be a sale on frozen fish or canned tomatoes.

The 78-year-old barely gets by on $1,800 a month from her Social Security income. She lives in Ellensburg, Washington — a town about 100 miles southeast of Seattle — in a small apartment above a hay barn. The place gets a little dusty, but it’s all she can afford.

Miller budgets religiously but she doesn’t have any retirement savings. Once she’s paid for her housing, utilities, cellphone, credit card debt bills, and gas, she usually has $75 left over to buy food each month. If she has any unexpected expenses, she might not have enough money to eat.

No one in Miller’s life knows about her finances. She frequently talks to her neighbors but she said she’s anxious that they will find out about her tight budget. She requested to use her maiden name for this story due to privacy concerns.

And, while Miller might qualify for SNAP and other forms of government assistance, she has chosen not to apply because she’s worried her neighbors in Ellensburg would find out. To feel comfortable signing up for aid, she said would have to move to a town “where no one knows me,” she said.

About 13% of Americans are living below the federal poverty line, but another 29%, like Miller, are just above the poverty threshold. One in five adults don’t have retirement savings, and millions of baby boomers are relying solely on Social Security checks — making it difficult to afford housing, food, and healthcare as they age.

Because of this, many older adults told B-17 they feel isolated. Stigma and misconceptions about safety-net programs mean some people don’t apply for the help they need. What’s more, social activities can be costly, and prices for dining at restaurants, plane tickets, and concerts have been rising for years. For a generation that already feels lonely, money woes are making it worse.

Miller has lost count of how many restaurant dinners and group vacations she’s had to decline, and most of her friends have faded away.

“At some point, you become invisible,” she said.

Money woes make boomers’ loneliness worse

Being social can be expensive, and some low-income older adults feel like they don’t have many options.

Sixty-three percent of Americans who earn less than $50,000 a year and 41% of adults over 66 years old say they feel consistently lonely, per a survey of 2,496 US adults conducted by Morning Consult and published in 2022 by the health insurance company Cigna.

While hobbies and group activities might help some baby boomers feel less isolated, not everyone has the financial resources to access them, said Diane Stone, an associate director for the National Council on Aging, an advocacy firm that provides resources for older adults. They might not be able to afford a reliable phone line or gas to drive and visit family, she added.

“Getting older makes it harder to do some of those things because of mobility issues and transportation issues,” Stone said. “When you layer on financial insecurity and having less income, it exacerbates all of that.”

Maureen, for example, lives on her $1,601 monthly Social Security income and is afraid she will outlive her limited savings. The 66-year-old is a retired teacher and asked to use her first name for privacy. A widow, Maureen lives by herself in Northeast Pennsylvania and struggles to pay for groceries and electricity every month. While her friends know money is tight, she is reluctant to tell her loved ones she receives $23 a month in SNAP food benefits because she feels “embarrassed” about her finances, she said.

What’s more, Maureen has to decline most social invitations because of cost.

“A friend of mine wanted to go to a concert Friday night,” Maureen told B-17 in early August. “I said, ‘you know, that sounds like fun, but I have $400 to last until August 28 when I get my Social Security check.”‘

Older adults are reluctant to tell friends and family they need help

B-17 reported on the loneliness crisis when it spiked during the pandemic. And, to be sure, costs can be a major barrier to social life for other generations, like Gen Z. But experts like Stone say Americans — especially low-income older adults — have felt isolated for much longer.

Like Maureen, 68-year-old Rita lives on her $1,680 monthly Social Security check in Pekin, Illinois, a town about 175 miles southwest of Chicago. She, too, receives $23 monthly from SNAP and hasn’t told loved ones she needs financial help or that she receives government aid.

Even so, $23 doesn’t go very far at the grocery store, and Rita (who is using her first name for privacy) is now several thousand dollars in debt because she had to use credit cards to pay for housing, food, and transportation.

“I live alone and I’m inside most of the time,” she previously told B-17. “I’m kind of isolated.”

Stone said stories like this are familiar. She added that many older adults have misconceptions and feel stigma surrounding government aid — so they are less likely to ask for assistance.

“There’s kind of this myth that people have that, if I enroll in benefits, I’m taking something away from somebody else,” she said.

SNAP and senior nutrition programs are often means-tested, meaning people qualify based on their income. There typically aren’t a limited number of spots. Stone knows it can be difficult to ask for help, but there shouldn’t be shame in “accessing the benefits you are entitled to,” she said.

Of course, not all older adults rely on Social Security, decline to seek government aid, or struggle financially during retirement. Some have strong savings nest eggs and feel more comfortable discussing finances with friends and family. Those with resources to be social and travel might also feel less isolated.

For low-income baby boomers, reaching out for help can be daunting — even if they feel like they’re living in poverty.

Without money, family, or close friends, Miller worries about who will take care of her when she can’t maintain her independence.

“I remember those times in my life when I had all those positive things to look forward to,” Miller said. “Now, at the sunset of my life, I try to stay upbeat. But I don’t have a plan and that scares me.”