The Food Stamp Program is Important for Older Adults

The Food Stamp Program (federally named SNAP, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) provides monthly benefits for low-income people of all ages, including older adults (age 60+), to buy the groceries of their choice at participating grocery stores, bodegas, and participating farmers' markets.  As an entitlement program, anyone who meets program guidelines for eligibility will receive food stamp benefits. Participants, or their caregivers, use an electronic benefits transfer (EBT) card to buy food.

However, only about half of the million older New Yorkers who are income eligible currently receive these nutrition support benefits.

Understanding the Facts about food stamp benefits:

The Food Stamp Program is a federal entitlement program, like Social Security or Medicare. It helps millions of families stretch their food budgets. Everyone who is eligible may get monthly benefits.

Unlike Medicaid, food stamp benefits are 100% federally funded and do not require matched funding from local counties.

U.S. Department of Agriculture reports that every $5 in new food stamp benefits stimulates $9.20 in total community spending.

Due to recent improvements in the Food Stamp Program, more older New Yorkers may be eligible for food stamps than ever before.

How to Apply for Food Stamps

In upstate NY, people apply for food stamps through their county Department of Social Services.  In NYC, applications go through Human Resources Administration (HRA) offices.  In many cases, people may be allowed to either mail or fax in their application instead of making an office visit.  Also, most older or disabled adults may be able to interview with a caseworker over the telephone, rather than face-to-face.

For Help with Determining Food Stamp Eligibility:

Hunger Solutions New York manages New York State's Nutrition Outreach and Education Program, located in 45 service areas across the state. This unique and nationally recognized program offers free, friendly, and confidential services to connect New Yorkers with nutrition assistance programs. Local NOEP coordinators have expertise in helping older New Yorkers obtain food stamp benefits.

myBenefits: New York State’s new quick and easy website helps determine if a person is eligible for a variety of programs, including food stamp benefits, Home Energy Assistance Program (HEAP) and the Elderly Pharmaceutical Insurance Coverage (EPIC) Program.

For more detailed information about food stamp eligibility, go to the Food Stamp Center.
For outreach materials to encourage older adults to apply for food stamp benefits, go to the Related Tools/Resources page.