Assistance Programs for Seniors on a Fixed Budget

The number of Americans over the age of 65 is growing. And a significant number of those seniors are living on reduced or fixed incomes.

In a 2023 profile of older Americans, the Administration for Community Living found that, in 2022, almost 6 million seniors lived below the poverty level. Another 2.7 million were classified as “near poor.”

This is why so many seniors are living on a fixed income — which means they’re no longer collecting a regular paycheck. They instead depend on payments from retirement savings, pensions, or Social Security. It leaves them very little wiggle room in their budgets.

Federal Assistance Programs for Seniors

The U.S. federal government has a list of food and housing assistance programs that seniors can use.

Food Assistance Programs for Older Adults

Starting at the age 60, Americans may be eligible for federal food assistance depending on their income:

• Seniors Farmers Market Nutrition Program (SFMNP) — A USDA program that gives you coupons you can use at farmers markets, roadside stands, and community farms. They cover fresh food, vegetables, honey, and herbs.

• Commodity Supplemental Food Program (CSFP) — A USDA program that sends you a monthly package of healthy food. They send food to local agencies where you can then pick it up.

Not every state has these two programs. It’s also worth checking to see if you are eligible to get food stamps through SNAP.

Housing Assistance Programs

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development offers resources for finding housing options.

If you are looking to stay in your current home:

• Their reverse mortgage program lets you take some of your home value to use for general living expenses.

• They have a network of housing counseling agencies you can talk to.

• Seniors in rural areas can apply for rural housing loans.

If you are looking to find an apartment:

• You can use the HUD resource locator to search for rentals you can afford.

• The HUD’s public housing program can provide safe rental housing for low-income seniors.

• The Housing Choice Voucher Program provides housing assistance to millions of American families.

Additional Assistance Programs

For older Americans who need help with energy costs, there is the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP). This program reduces the costs of home energy bills and minor energy-related home repairs and upgrades.

The Lifeline program helps to reduce the cost of phone or internet services for low income households.

Supplemental Security Income provides monthly payments to older adults who have little or no income.

For Tribal members, the National Resource Center on Native American Aging and the Indian Health Service offer elder care programs, health resources, caregiver support, and other services for qualifying Native elders.

Medicare

If you have a Medicare Advantage (Part C) Plan as part of your health insurance package, you might be eligible for a Medicare flex card.

This isn’t provided by the government. It’s a benefit offered by some insurers. A flex card can help with buying food, paying bills, paying for rides to medical appointments, and more.

National Council on Aging

The National Council on Aging is an organization created in 1950 with the mission of helping older adults obtain the resources to live at home as long as possible. As part of this, they offer a lot of supportive resources.

Center for Economic Well-Being

NCOA’s Center for Economic Well-Being helps older adults with limited income find and enroll in programs and benefits. This includes:

• Medicare Part D

• Medicare Savings Programs

• SNAP benefits

• Medicaid

• LIHEAP

BenefitsCheckUp®

NCOA’s BenefitsCheckup is a free online search tool to help seniors find programs to cover food, healthcare, medication, and more. You can search by your ZIP code or by a specific benefit, like food assistance or rent support.

If you find a program, you can find out if you qualify and apply online right from the website.

State and Local Nonprofits

Your community likely has resources beyond what’s offered by the federal government and the NCOA. The Administration for Community Living has a search tool for finding organizations and support by location.

Also, the nonprofit AARP operates across the country and is a great information source for the latest news and resources that affect the lives of seniors.

Aging With Community Support

There are millions of older Americans trying to stretch their dollars every month. The good news is that there are also quite a few programs out there aimed at helping them. They can offer live-saving support by assisting with buying fresh and healthy foods, covering mortgage or rent payments, reducing energy bills, and more. Organizations like the NCOA can also make the process of finding and applying for these programs easier and less confusing. Every American deserves to live with dignity at every age.