COMMENTARY | According to an article by the Associated Press, the newest census data states that almost 50 percent of Americans are living in poverty. I'm in shock. I didn't realize it was that high. Economic indicators would have everyone believe that the economy is getting better, but 50 percent of Americans living in poverty tells me that it's not getting better.
Unfortunately, I know how poverty happens. I also know how to dig myself out of it, but I need a robust economy to do it. We don't have that despite the fact that new unemployment claims have dropped to 2008 levels, and "fewer people are seeking unemployment benefits than just three months ago," says the Associated Press.
The bottom line is that fewer people are eligible for unemployment benefits. More people have exhausted their benefits, and even more still can't find full time, living wage work. This absolutely explains the drop in unemployment applications and the rise in poverty levels. Those people who are out of benefits are being thrust into poverty.
What's worse is that most of those people aren't eligible for government assistance. Even with zero income, if the individual still has a savings account with more than $100 in it, they are not eligible for food stamps, heat or rent assistance. I should know. I looked. In order to be eligible in my home state of Indiana, I have to have an income of less than $150 a month. I make $800. I have to have less than $100 in my checking and savings accounts. I have more than that. The final qualification is having monthly rent/ mortgage and utilities that are more than my monthly income and all my liquid resources. I still don't qualify. If I did qualify, they'd just hand me food stamps. I'd still lose my place to live.
In fact, when I add up all my income, liquid resources and investments, I have more than triple what would qualify me for assistance. It doesn't matter than I'm probably going to run out of money in three months. I'm just flat out not eligible even though I only make $9,600 a year before taxes. That's a 75 percent decrease in my income from 2009 to today. My unemployment benefits ran out Nov. 1, and I am now 100 percent on my own. Despite what the government thinks, I'm living in poverty. I can't afford food. Scrapping together enough money for rent and electricity is a challenge, and I'm one of the many people who have fallen from middle class to poverty class in the last three years.
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