We all want to maintain our health and energy levels with a steady diet of nutritious foods as we age. But this becomes difficult for many older adults who don’t always know where to then turn for help.

While Americans continue to ride a rollercoaster of economic highs and lows. But what’s constant is the fixed income that many older adults have throughout that ride, which can lead to bouts of food insecurity. In fact, in 2022, approximately 7 million older adults, or 1 in 11 people age 60+, faced food insecurity.¹

Nationally, about 5.2 million older adults age 60+ are enrolled in SNAP. Yet this figure represents less than half of the eligible population.

Older Adults Aren’t Using Availlable SNAP Benefits

The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) is a lifeline that can help older adults who might otherwise face hunger, malnutrition, and the stress of not being able to put enough food on their tables. However, more than half of all people age 60+ who qualify for SNAP do not participate.²  

If you are an older adult and struggle to afford enough food, SNAP can provide you with money each month to purchase food at your local grocery store, farmers market, or convenience store. The average SNAP benefit for a one-person senior household is $158 per month, or $1,896 per year.³ 

For older adults with low income, the $1,896 in average annual benefits can mean the difference between having food and going without. Because SNAP frees up financial resources, people enrolled in the program have more money to spend on medical care and other essential needs. And their health outcomes often improve as a result.

How to Get Help Applying for SNAP

One of the most common reasons older adults don’t participate in SNAP is because of the steps involved in signing up. While the application process varies from state to state, it can appear to be tedious and complicated, especially the verification it takes to ensure you’re eligible for the program.

If you need help with your SNAP application, there are several ways to get it:

1. Contact your state’s SNAP agency and ask if they have a SNAP outreach program to help with your application process.
2. Call 211, a free, nationwide service that connects people in need with health and human services.
3. Contact an NCOA Benefits Enrollment Center. These are local community organizations that help older adults and people with disabilities find and enroll in all the benefits programs they qualify for, which often includes SNAP. NCOA supports 87 Benefits Enrollment Centers across 38 U.S. states. Find one near you today.
4. Use NCOA’s BenefitsCheckUp to check your eligibility for SNAP and other programs that can help you pay for housing, utilities, prescription drugs, health care, and more.

Sources

1. Feeding America. Facts about senior hunger. Found on the internet at https://www.feedingamerica.org/hunger-in-america/senior-hunger-facts 

2. USDA. Food and Nutrition Service. Trends in Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Participation Rates: Fiscal Year 2016 to Fiscal Year 2020. December 2022. Found on the internet at https://fns-prod.azureedge.us/sites/default/files/resource-files/snap-trends-fy2016-2020.pdf  

3. USDA. Characteristics of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Households: Fiscal Year 2022. June 2024. Found on the internet at https://fns-prod.azureedge.us/sites/default/files/resource-files/ops-snap-fy22-characteristics.pdf