Resources are available to help low-income seniors make ends meet.
According to the National Council on Aging, as of January 2011, 16.1 percent of seniors live in poverty. Many other seniors are considered low-income. They may rely entirely on social security, and social security's cost of living increases may not keep pace with the increasing costs of food, gas, health care, prescriptions and housing. Others may not even have social security. However, a number of federal, state and local programs provide financial help for low-income and impoverished seniors.
Housing Assistance
Low-income seniors may qualify for housing vouchers. Vouchers may be used for any rental housing that accepts them, provided the housing is safe and sanitary, and the voucher is paid directly to the landlord. Vouchers are administered through local public housing agencies and Housing and Urban Development (HUD). Communities may also have apartment complexes that serve low-income seniors. Information on these can be found through your area's public housing agency or HUD office.
Supplemental Security Income
Supplemental Security Income, or SSI, pays a monthly benefit to very low-income seniors, the blind and/or the disabled. Whether you qualify for SSI is determined by your income and savings. If you're married, part of what your spouse earns is counted as well. Food stamps and energy assistance are generally not counted. Savings do count, but you can have burial funds set aside (up to $1,500 as of 2011). Apply by calling Social Security or by going to your local Social Security office.
Medical Assistance
Medicaid offers medical care to those with limited means. Medicaid is administered jointly by the federal government and by state governments, so the requirements to qualify vary by state. Even with Medicaid, you may have to pay limited co-pays for doctor visits and prescriptions. If you don't qualify for Medicaid, you may still qualify for extra help with your Medicare Part D prescription costs. Apply for extra help through the Social Security office. Extra help may cover your monthly premiums, your co-pays or both.
Food Assistance
The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, provides a monthly benefit for food for those with limited means; the resource limit is $3,000 for those 60 and over as of 2011. There is also an income limit. You may only apply for SNAP at a local SNAP office. You receive the monthly benefit on a debit card, and you may only use it for food purchases. Other items such as liquor and pet food will not be covered.
Tags: monthly benefit, help low-income, limited means, low-income seniors, public housing, Security Income
