January is Poverty in American Awareness Month. For detailed information on the intersection of poverty and disability in the US, we recommend this extensive report with compelling statistics created by the Century Foundation: "7 Facts About the Economic Crisis Facing People with Disabilities in the United States"
This commentary is contributed by Kendra Bailey, Workforce Training Team Supervisor
As an employee with multiple disabilities who has experienced poverty and being unhoused, it’s important to me to talk about Poverty in America Awareness Month this January.
In September 2023, I traveled to Washington, D.C. on behalf of Relay Resources to speak to lawmakers about improving Social Security and Social Security Disability benefits programs, supporting the SSI Savings Penalty Elimination Act (or House Resolution 5408).
As these programs currently stand, individuals who need these benefits are not allowed to hold more than $2,000 in assets. They also risk losing their benefits entirely if they get married. Both of these scenarios, and many more, keep people with disabilities in artificial poverty because there is also a cap on how much a person can earn at work while using these benefits.
(Source: The Century Foundation)
According to the National Disability Institute, one in four people of working age live with a disability. The NDI goes on to say that disability can lead to poverty, and that poverty can also lead to disability.
I ended up unhoused and in poverty at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic because I lost my job. This drastic change caused flare-ups of other conditions that made it incredibly hard to find work and to work consistently. In 2022, the US Census Bureau reports that 37.9 million people were living in poverty, and I was one of them. Even though I eventually found housing and a full-time job, I still found it hard to make ends meet.
In my role here at Relay, I often meet people who are experiencing housing and food insecurity, along with difficulty locating resources to help. The National Disability Institute reports that if the Federal Poverty Level (FPL) included the added costs of living with a disability, poverty rates for people with disabilities would be closer to 35%.
Add to this the likelihood of discrimination in the workplace and settling for lower-paying jobs, many of us experience a cycle of poverty that is very challenging to escape. Thankfully, we have specialists at Relay who work to connect folks with the resources they need. And having the ability to qualify for low-income housing was a key reason I applied to Relay in the beginning.
During this Poverty in America Awareness Month, I want us to think about how profoundly people with disabilities like myself have been disproportionately impacted by poverty, and continue to be. I am proud to work for an agency that has resources including a food pantry and clothing closet available to employees, and I’d love to see those resources expand in coming years.
During my time in DC, the SSI Savings Penalty Elimination Act was introduced to the Senate. Among other changes, this bill would allow people who need SSI and SSDI to hold up to $10,000 in assets rather than just $2,000.
All of us can do our part to support long-overdue changes to these benefits by contacting our Senators and Representatives on Capitol Hill to support this bill. We can do our part to help eliminate workplace discrimination by creating a welcoming, inclusive, and equitable environment for all.
Finally, I’m proud to work for an AbilityOne agency that focuses on employing people with disabilities first and foremost. It was because of Relay that I was finally able to escape the cycle of poverty I hope that with increased awareness, new and more comprehensive supports are developed to help more of us escape, too.