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Supporting Tribal Elders Through Social Security – Justice in Aging

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Supporting Tribal Elders Through Social Security – Justice in Aging


Justice in Aging is releasing a series of two issue briefs to ensure advocates are aware of the services available to American Indian and Alaska Native older adults and the unique challenges they may face. This first issue brief in the series discusses the benefits available to tribal elders through the Social Security Administration, the unique rules that may apply to tribal communities, and the barriers and cultural factors that advocates should be aware of when supporting tribal elders in accessing these benefits.

Introduction

There are over nine million American Indian and Alaska Native (AIAN) people in the United States, ranging across 574 federally recognized tribes and 324 federally recognized reservations.[1] In addition, there are an estimated 680,000 Native Hawaiians[2] and members of over 200 non-federally recognized tribes.[3] AIAN populations experience the highest rate of poverty compared to any other population in the U.S.[4] Despite the dearth of data on economic security for AIAN populations, some sources estimate that AIAN populations hold less than 10% of the average wealth of the U.S. population and have substantially lower income rates than white Americans.[5]

While AIAN populations access aging and legal services in every state—with the highest concentrations residing in Oklahoma, Alaska, Arizona, California, and New Mexico[6]—they face many barriers in accessing economic security resources. In particular, the approximately one million tribal elders[7] across the country experience inequities related to transportation and technology barriers, and the compounding effects of wealth inequities over a lifespan. These inequities are rooted in centuries of oppression—ranging from violent land displacement in the 1600-1700s to forced relocation, genocide, and inequitable land resettlement efforts in the 1800s and beyond.[8] These inequities persist today due to lands being held in trust by the U.S. government, practices that effectively negate tribal sovereignty, and the ongoing mistrust of the U.S. government and institutions.[9]

Tribal elders experience poverty at double the rate of all older Americans.[10] These wealth inequities may be even greater for tribal elders living in rural communities[11] and for older Native women.[12] The economic security of tribal elders may be further impacted by factors such as kinship care and the high cost of living on reservations.[13] Aging service providers and advocates can support tribal elders in their communities to meet their economic needs by understanding Social Security benefits and the specific rules impacting AIAN populations, as well as implementing culturally appropriate and responsive practices.

Understanding Economic Values in Native Cultures

  • Collective Values. Many Indigenous cultures have traditionally held a different definition and perspective on economic security than Western cultures. The primary value for many AIAN communities is supporting the community’s health, social relationships, and connection to its culture—wealth may be seen as a steward to support these values, as opposed to being a standalone goal.[14] However, centuries of displacement, genocide, and systemic economic exclusion have created vast wealth inequities for AIAN communities. While tribal organizations may be working to decolonize wealth structures and reclaim land and resource ownership, individual tribal elders still need financial support to age with dignity.
  • Intergenerational Focus. The principle of making the world a better place for future generations is an essential part of many tribes’ cultures.[15] This value may especially resonate with AIAN individuals who were impacted by the U.S. government’s harmful Indian child welfare policies, which displaced AIAN children from their communities, stripped them of cultural beliefs, traditions, and languages, and perpetuated violence against tribal children.[16]
  • Financial Decisions. Many tribal cultures center communal living and values that reflect collective responsibility and contribution.[17] Native families may hold values—such as multi-generational living, women as earners,[18] and caring for one’s immediate and extended families—which may be reflected in their financial decisions. A tribal elder, for example, may be financially responsible for their grandchildren or may prioritize helping family or community members in need.[19]

Native communities have historically been excluded from financial institutions and continue to face barriers in accessing economic security, including limited access to financial literacy resources. Tribal elders may make decisions in response to ”financial distress,” such as excessively underspending or avoiding looking at bills or accounts.[20] Similarly, Indigenous communities have a long history of oppression by law enforcement and criminal legal systems, and as a result, tribal elders may be hesitant to report financial exploitation or fraud or use banking tools.[21]

Social Security Programs

Advocates who work with tribes may benefit from more information about Social Security Administration (SSA) benefits, and advocates who work with SSA benefits may benefit from knowing specific rules for members of federally recognized tribes. SSA is the federal agency that oversees the nation’s social insurance programs, including retirement benefits, disability benefits, and survivors benefits, as well as Supplemental Security Income (SSI).

Older adults may be able to access cash benefits from these programs. Over 50 million older adults age 65 and over receive Social Security benefits,[22] and these benefits range from an average of $1,707 per month for Social Security retirement benefits[23] to a maximum of $943 per month for Supplemental Security Income benefits.[24] Tribal elders, however, receive less Social Security retirement benefits than their Black and white counterparts.[25] Social Security provides critical benefits that lift older adults 65 and older across the country above the federal poverty line.[26]

Social Security Retirement & Survivors Benefits

Retirement benefits are available to individuals age 62 and over who earned at least 40 quarters’ worth of eligible work history—i.e., work in which the worker paid Social Security taxes—or whose current or former spouse has an eligible work history.[27] Individuals can also access survivors benefits if they are the spouse, ex-spouse, minor child, or disabled adult child of a deceased individual who had a sufficient work history during their lifetime.[28]

Social Security Disability

Disability benefits are available to individuals who meet SSA’s definition of disability or are blind and have an eligible work history, which for most individuals requires working for at least five of the previous ten years.[29] AIAN populations face significant health inequities, both in terms of high rates of certain illnesses and in accessing quality care to prevent, diagnose, and treat illnesses. Relatedly, AIAN populations have a significantly lower life span compared to the general U.S. population.[30] Social Security Disability benefits can be an important source of economic security for tribal elders below retirement age.

Supplemental Security Income

Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits are available to individuals with a disability, blindness, or aged 65 or higher, and whose income and assets are below the limits set by the Social Security Administration.[31] The combination of health and wealth inequities that tribal elders experience makes SSI a critical support. While tribal elders must report all the income and assets they have (such as Indian Trusts and payments from tribal programs), certain income and assets that tribal elders may have are excluded from the limits.[32] For more information about SSI exclusions, see the Tribal Benefits Coordinator Guide.

Barriers and Supports

  • Distance and Transportation. Tribal lands—including American Indian reservations, Alaska Native villages, and Pueblos—are predominantly rural. By some estimates, over 60% of AIAN populations live on or near their tribal lands, and the majority live in rural cities or “small towns.”[33] Distance and lack of transportation options can be a major barrier to tribal elders’ economic security. For example, the average distance to a bank from a Native American reservation is 12 miles[34] and some live over 100 miles away from the nearest Social Security field office.[35] Combined with poor road conditions in rural areas and tribal lands,[36] functional limitations associated with aging (e.g., poor eyesight), and cost associated with driving long distances, tribal elders face tremendous barriers in accessing in-person services related to their Social Security benefits.
  • Digital Divide. Some tribal elders may feel further excluded from accessing essential institutions—such as banks and the Social Security Administration—as those institutions often require the use of online tools. For example, tribal elders have inequitable access to broadband in certain locations, face barriers to acquiring costly electronic devices, or may be unfamiliar with those electronic devices or online tools. This barrier can hinder tribal elders’ ability to view notices or updates communicated online, download or upload necessary documents, and access online support staff.
  • Forms and Notices. Complicated forms and notices—such as the use of jargon or terms of art, advanced English composition, or even the legibility of fonts—can create significant barriers for all people, including tribal elders in accessing necessary information about Social Security or other financial resources. Advocates and government agencies can support tribal elders by using plain language English in their communications, use large sized and easy-to-read fonts, and clearly communicate the availability of translation services.
  • Local Connections. Advocates who are not members of tribes may have difficulty building connections with relevant tribal organizations or community members with standing. Building community partnerships—such as with tribal health clinics and tribal social services programs—is a valuable tool in building meaningful connections and credibility within tribal communities. Furthermore, building trustworthy and genuine partnerships requires non-tribal advocates to demonstrate their commitment through persistent and regular contact with tribal partners.[37]

Resources

Endnotes

  1. Nat’l Council on Aging, American Indians and Alaska Natives: Key Demographics and Characteristics (Jan. 10, 2023), available at https://www.ncoa.org/article/american-indians-and-alaska-natives-key-demographics-and-characteristics. ↑

  2. Brittney Rico et al., Chuukese and Papa New Guinean Populations Fastest Growing Pacific Islander Groups in 2020, Census (sept. 21, 2023), available at https://www.census.gov/library/stories/2023/09/2020-census-dhc-a-nhpi-population.html#:~:text=The%20Native%20Hawaiian%20alone%20or,MB%5D%20in%20the%20United%20States.↑

  3. Elilis O’Neal, Unrecognized Tribes Struggle Without Federal Aide During Pandemic, NPR (Apr. 7, 2021), available at https://www.npr.org/2021/04/17/988123599/unrecognized-tribes-struggle-without-federal-aide-during-pandemic. ↑

  4. Poverty USA, The Population of Poverty USA, available at https://www.povertyusa.org/facts (last visited Aug. 23, 2024). ↑

  5. National Community Reinvestment Coalition, Racial Wealth Snapshot: Native Americans (Feb. 14 ,2022), available at https://ncrc.org/racial-wealth-snapshot-native-americans/. ↑

  6. United States Census Bureau, Detailed Data for Hundreds of American Indian and Alaska Native Tribes, (Oct. 3, 2023), available at https://www.census.gov/library/stories/2023/10/2020-census-dhc-a-aian-population.html. ↑

  7. National Council on Aging, American Indian and Alaska Native: Key Demographics and Characteristics (Jan 10, 2023), available at https://www.ncoa.org/article/american-indians-and-alaska-natives-key-demographics-and-characteristics. ↑

  8. Katie J. Skipper, Boeing Employees Credit Union, Barriers to Indigenous Wealth (Nov. 21, 2023), available at https://www.becu.org/blog/barriers-to-indigenous-wealth (noting that resettlement legislations placed AIAN populations on resource-depleted land and resulted in the loss of over half of indigenous populations’ lands). ↑

  9. Id. ↑

  10. Administration for Community Living, 2020 Profile of American Indian Alaska Native Age 65 and Older (2021), available at https://acl.gov/sites/default/files/Profile%20of%20OA/AIANProfileReport2021.pdf. ↑

  11. See Robert John, Changing Numbers, Changing Needs: American Indian Demography and Public Health l Ch. 10 Demography of American Indian Elders: Social, Economic and Health Status (1996), available at https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK233097/. ↑

  12. National Indian Council on Aging, Pay Gap Worse for Native Women (2019), available at https://www.nicoa.org/native-american-womens-equal-pay-day/ (deducing that pay gaps for Native women translate to lower lifetime earnings for older Native women). ↑

  13. See Katia Riddle, Poll: 96% of Native Americans say inflation is severely affecting their lives, NPR (Aug. 20, 2022), available at https://www.npr.org/2022/08/20/1117689118/poll-69-of-native-americans-say-inflation-is-severely-affecting-their-lives; see also Christopher S. Pineo, Study: Native Americans pay more, travel farther for food, Navajo Times (Aug. 3, 2017). available at https://navajotimes.com/reznews/high-prices-for-food/. ↑

  14. See Native Governance Center, Indigenous Wealth Guide (2021), available at https://nativegov.org/resources/indigenous-wealth-guide/ (noting also that some tribal communities do not have a word for wealth). ↑

  15. See e.g., Indigenous Corporate Training Inc., What is the Seventh Generation Principle? (May 30, 2020), available at https://www.ictinc.ca/blog/seventh-generation-principle. ↑

  16. See generally MPR News Staff, Cultural impact of the Indian Adoption Project still felt today, MPR News (Feb. 13, 2017, 12:00 AM), available at https://www.mprnews.org/story/2017/02/13/cultural-impact-of-the-indian-adoption-project-still-felt-today. ↑

  17. See, e.g., American Indians for Opportunity, 4-R’s Core Cultural Values, available at https://aio.org/about-the-aio-ambassadors-program/4-rs-core-cultural-values/ (last visited Aug. 22, 2024) (explaining the 4 R concepts of Relationships, Responsibilities, Reciprocity, and Redistribution). ↑

  18. See generally Native Women Lead, available at https://www.nativewomenlead.org/mission-text-impact (last visited Aug. 22, 2024). ↑

  19. City Uni.of New York & First Nations Development Inst., The Wisdom of the Giveaway: A Guide to Native American Philanthropy 4 (2000), available at https://www.gc.cuny.edu/sites/default/files/2021-05/FG_The-Wisdom-of-the-Giveaway-A-Guide-to-Native-American-Philanthropy.pdf (”The Native worldview of giving away one’s wealth as a benefit to others has historically helped not only maintain harmony and economic balance, but has exemplified Native respect for nature and the commitment to future generations.”). ↑

  20. Stephanie Cote, National Endowment for Financial Education, Acknowledging and Addressing Historical and Present-Day Financial Trauma in Indian Country (Apr. 24, 2024), available at https://www.nefe.org/news/2024/04/acknowledging-historical-and-present-day-financial-trauma-in-indian-country.aspx. ↑

  21. Becky Rebecca Owl Morgan, National Indian Council on Aging, Native Households Have Highest Unbanked Percentage (May 13, 2021), available at https://www.nicoa.org/native-households-have-highest-unbanked-percentage/. ↑

  22. Cathleen RomigSocial Security Lifts More People Above the Poverty Line Than Any Other Program (Jan. 31, 2024), available at https://www.cbpp.org/research/social-security/social-security-lifts-more-people-above-the-poverty-line-than-any-other. ↑

  23. Aly J. Yale, How Much Social Security Will I Get? Wall Street Journal (May 28, 2024), available at https://www.wsj.com/buyside/personal-finance/retirement/how-much-social-security-will-i-get. ↑

  24. Social Security Administration, How much you could get from SSI, available at https://www.ssa.gov/ssi/amount#:~:text=The%20maximum%20monthly%20SSI%20payment,living%20situation%2C%20and%20other%20factors. (last visited Aug. 20, 2024). ↑

  25. See Social Security Administration, Retirement Income Among American Indians and Alaska Natives In the American Community Survey (Feb. 2015), available at https://www.ssa.gov/policy/docs/rsnotes/rsn2015-01.html. ↑

  26. Cathleen Romig, Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, Social Security Lifts More People Above the Poverty Line Than Any Other Program (Jan. 31, 2024), available at https://www.cbpp.org/research/social-security/social-security-lifts-more-people-above-the-poverty-line-than-any-other. ↑

  27. Social Security Administration, Eligibility for Social Security retirement, available at https://www.ssa.gov/retirement/eligibility (last visited Aug. 22, 2024). ↑

  28. Social Security Administration, Survivor benefits, available at https://www.ssa.gov/survivor (last visited Aug. 23, 2024). National Center on Law & Elder Rights, Title II Auxiliary Benefits: Social Security Benefits You’ve Never Heard of, and Who is Eligible for Them (acl.gov) (April 2024). ↑

  29. Social Security Administration, Who can get Disability, available at https://www.ssa.gov/disability/eligibility (last visited Aug. 23, 2024). ↑

  30. Elizabeth Arias et al., Mortality Profile of the Non-Hispanic American Indian or Alaska Native Population, 2019, 70 Nat’l Vital Statistics Report (2012), available at https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/110370. ↑

  31. Social Security Administration, Supplemental Security Income, available at https://www.ssa.gov/ssi (last visited Aug. 23, 2024). ↑

  32. Social Security Administration, Program Operations Manual System, available at https://secure.ssa.gov/apps10/poms.nsf/lnx/0500830830%21opendocument. ↑

  33. First Nations Development Institute, Twice Invisible: Understanding Rural Native American 1 (2017), available at https://www.usetinc.org/wp-content/uploads/bvenuti/WWS/2017/May%202017/May%208/Twice%20Invisible%20-%20Research%20Note.pdf. ↑

  34. Roksha Kopparam, Washington Center for Equitable Growth, Data Infrastructure and tribal sovereignty can help break down barriers for Native Americans to build wealth (Mar. 2, 2023), available at https://equitablegrowth.org/data-infrastructure-and-tribal-sovereignty-can-help-break-down-barriers-for-native-americans-to-build-wealth/. ↑

  35. See Social Security Administration’s American Indian and Alaska Native Geospatial Map, available at https://experience.arcgis.com/experience/1be637d7716647fcbb33c8cb3f8967dd/ (illustrating that the nearest Social Security field office to the Standing Rock Indian Reservation is in Aberdeen, South Dakota); see Google Maps, distance between Standing Rock Indian Reservation to Aberdeen, SD is roughly 151 miles, and the fastest route is approximately a 2 hour and 41 minute drive. ↑

  36. Unite States Government Accountability Office, Roads on Tribal Lands (Jun. 18, 2018), available at https://www.gao.gov/blog/2018/06/28/roads-on-tribal-lands (finding that road conditions are incomplete, inconsistent, or outdated). ↑

  37. See generally Just Lead Washington, Building Legal Community Partnerships (2017), available a https://justleadwa.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/JustLead-Community-Guide_Final.pdf (sharing tips on building trusting community partnerships). ↑





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