Older Man Helping With War Production, Inglewood, CA, 1942Library of Congress: America from the Great Depression to World War II Black-and-White Photographs from the FSA-OWI, 1935-1945
During World War II many seniors came out of retirement to help with the war effort. Their employment income probably kept many of them off the welfare rolls during the war, but they had to retire once again when the servicemen returned home and needed jobs. The war also added to the size of the disabled population who needed long term care, and created many new widows and orphans who needed financial assistance. In 1939, the Social Security Act had been expanded to include survivors and dependents benefits, and the war greatly increased the number of people covered under the system. After the war, the Veterans Administration added new benefits for newly-disabled veterans or surviving spouses.
The size of the elderly and disabled population was growing, and many of them were now eligible for government payments of one kind or another, including veterans benefits, old-age assistance, Social Security, and unemployment assistance. Many of those payments could be used to pay for nursing home care, further encouraging the development of care facilities.
Elderly Army Officer Back in Service, Brownsville, TX, 1942Retired army officer registering men for Selective Service at the Chamber of Commerce. Library of Congress: America from the Great Depression to World War II Black-and-White Photographs from the FSA-OWI, 1935-1945