Student Question
How did the lives of the elderly change during the 1930s under Roosevelt's policies?
Quick answer:
During the 1930s, the Great Depression worsened conditions for the elderly, increasing poverty rates significantly. However, President Roosevelt's policies began to offer hope with the passage of the Social Security Act in 1935, which aimed to provide a basic income for retirees. Although this legislation laid the groundwork for future support, its immediate impact was limited as actual payments did not commence until after the 1930s.
As was the case with most groups in the US, the lives of the elderly got worse in the Great Depression. The rates of poverty for the elderly went up dramatically during that time. However, things were to start looking better for the elderly as the 1930s wore on. In 1935, Congress passed the Social Security Act. This law created the social security system that we now have, which was meant to provide a basic level of income to all retired people. However, that did not do much to help the elderly because the actual payments did not really start being made until after the 1930s were over.
Overall then, the Depression was bad for the elderly just like it was for everyone else. The creation of Social Security gave some hope, but did not solve the problems in the short term.
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