SNAP benefits for a retired person living alone
Key Takeaways
- The latest data estimates that seniors living alone receive on average $104 per month in SNAP benefits
- 62.6% of seniors living alone who are eligible for SNAP are not receiving them, which equates to an estimated 5 million people
- According to the Center of Budget and Policy Priorities, In 2016, SNAP benefits provided an additional $6.6 billion in benefits for households with seniors
Introduction
Many people ages 65 and over live on fixed incomes, which limits their spending on expenses. The USDA reports that in 2020, 1.28 million people over the age of 65 living alone faced food insecurity. Despite the availability of a multitude of public assistance programs to help fulfill basic needs, an estimated 9 percent of households with seniors live in poverty.
Source: Trends in USDA Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. Participation Rates: FY2016 to FY2019
Seniors have the lowest participation rates in SNAP benefits; however, those who are enrolled face exponentially better health outcomes compared to their counterparts who are not receiving benefits. A study conducted in 2018 with more than participating 75,000 seniors found that seniors on Medicaid and SNAP are 24% less likely to be moved to a nursing home and 14% less likely to be hospitalized.
Despite the benefit of being dually enrolled in Medicaid and SNAP, 42% of the study participants were eligible for SNAP but not enrolled. There are many existing myths and misinformation that keep people from signing up for SNAP. mRelief exists to change that.
Myths, Misconceptions, and Barriers to SNAP access
Maximum Benefit Amount
Misconception: Most seniors who receive SNAP benefits receive at most $20.
Fact: The latest data shows that seniors living alone receive $104 per month on average. That's 5 times as much as the myth says - and a whole lot more groceries 😀 An estimated 80% of people over the age of 55 receive more than the average.
Digital Literacy
Barrier: Digital literacy has been a common issue that we’ve faced when helping older adults.
“While filling the application I was sent a code. [I am] trying to locate the code [and] the screen just went off and I could not locate it again” - Text from a user from Kentucky
Solution: With help from our client advocates and case workers at our partner organizations, the process of figuring out your eligibility and applying to SNAP can be seamless!
“We are in our 70 -80 it's hard for us to understand applications you were a lot of help now let's see if we get help! [We are] both diabetic [and] food is too expensive, we can't afford what we are suppose to eat. [Our bills] are so high, too bad they don't count our bill[s]. We had COVID last year. [We] were in hospital and then nursing home for 34 days. We are not as strong as we used to be. We have 5 loans that we are paying cause we kept needing money but food stamps doesn't count that as bills, [so we] hope we can get help! Thank you for your help!” - Text from a user in Texas
I don’t think I deserve this
Myth: A text from one of our users: “I feel bad. I don't know if I deserve it. I have a job, and I struggle to get groceries, but there are so many people in need more than me. I don't know”
Fact: If you are eligible for SNAP, you can be sure that the benefits are meant for you! Unlike housing vouchers and other social programs, receiving food stamps doesn't make it less likely that others in your community will have access to them.
How mRelief helps seniors
Helen said that “food stamps made living in Kentucky a little more affordable.” She maintained that SNAP benefits helped her afford food that was good for her cholesterol, like fruit and fresh vegetables. “It's just awful hard for me,” Helen said, “but the food stamps were a great help.” mRelief, with support from the AARP Foundation, is able to reach even more seniors than mRelief has already connected to SNAP. Our technology has already been used to submit 11,176 applications for seniors and older adults aged 50+ for SNAP benefits. An estimated 138,230 seniors aged 60+ have checked their SNAP eligibility using mRelief and were likely eligible for benefits within the past year. We helped Helen sign up for benefits and we can help you get SNAP to remain independent.
Learn more!
