Elderly Poverty Alleviation Social Work in the Post-poverty Era

At the end of 2020, the decisive victory in the battle against poverty marked a historic moment for China, eliminating absolute poverty and contributing to global poverty reduction efforts. General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized that lifting people out of poverty is not the end but the beginning of a new life and a new journey. The Central Committee of the Communist Party of China has identified rural revitalization as a crucial strategy for rural development and a significant historical task to achieve the comprehensive construction of a moderately prosperous society. The transition from poverty alleviation to rural revitalization poses a central challenge for post-poverty China, focusing on mitigating relative poverty. The elderly identified as poor in rural areas during poverty alleviation efforts have benefited from measures such as industrial development, relocation, and policy support. Despite escaping absolute poverty, their lack of stable economic sources and fragile livelihood foundations makes them susceptible to relapse into relative poverty, especially in the context of accelerated aging and the urban–rural imbalance. Preventing elderly individuals from falling into low-income situations remains one of the most prominent challenges in poverty governance.