04/23/2026 12:21:02 PMEconomics associate professor Xi Yang studying how economic policies impact older adults. Economics associate professor Xi Yang studying how economic policies impact older adults. story -- Economics associate professor Xi Yang has served as principal investigator on a research project to survey the economic security of older adults. Social Security Income and Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits are vital for reducing economic insecurity among older low-income adults, but their policies have diverged -- SSI benefits and asset limits have tightened while SNAP's have expanded. This study, funded by the U.S. Social Security Administration through the Retirement and Disability Research Consortium, examines how these trends affect joint program participation and economic outcomes like material hardship and asset disparities. The findings will shed light on whether current policies effectively protect vulnerable older adults or inadvertently deepen inequities.