Food Assistance for Older Adults: How SNAP Works and Who Qualifies 

Once approved, funds are loaded monthly onto an Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) card, similar to a debit card, that can be used to buy ingredients and packaged foods at major grocery stores, certain online retailers and farmers markets.  

Foods that are hot at the point of sale, like rotisserie chicken, for example, cannot be bought with an EBT card. Alcohol, cigarettes, vitamins, supplements and non-food items also can’t be purchased with SNAP funds.  

Federal food benefits represent “a very minimal amount of dollars, and yet it is important,” says Matt Pieper, chief executive officer of Open Hand Atlanta, a nonprofit that provides more than 5,000 meals a day around Atlanta to older adults, those struggling with poverty and individuals with medical-diet needs. “Many older adults and many people who have disabilities do look to SNAP to supplement their dietary budget,” Pieper says. 

SNAP benefits lifted nearly 2 million households with adults age 50 and older out of poverty in 2022, according to research by AARP’s Public Policy Institute. 

How is SNAP funded?

SNAP benefits have been fully funded by the federal government since 1939. States disburse their SNAP allotments and pay 50 percent of the administrative costs to run the program.  

Beginning in fiscal 2028, however, states would be on the hook for 75 percent of administrative costs, or a total of $2.8 billion, according to estimates by the Tax Foundation.  

In addition, states will be required to cover a share of SNAP benefits based on state error rates, or how much they over- or underpay on benefits. 

States with error rates of 6 percent or higher will pay 5 to 15 percent of benefit costs. States could choose to use error rates from fiscal 2025 or 2026 as the basis of their payment. They will then begin paying under this new model in 2028.

AARP’s Sweeney wrote in his letter that this “shifts significant burdens for SNAP funding onto state budgets that are already stretched thin.” 

To manage these new costs, some states may be forced to restrict benefits or eligibility — or withdraw from the program altogether.

Are older adults required to work?

Currently, most “able-bodied” adults up to age 54 who don’t have dependents must work or volunteer a minimum of 80 hours per month to maintain SNAP eligibility. If they fall short, they can get SNAP for only three months in a three-year period.

Congress extended this requirement to people up to age 65 and narrowed exceptions for adults caring for young children while also eliminating exceptions for veterans and other vulnerable groups.  

Older adults who can’t find steady work or who have caregiving responsibilities could lose nutrition assistance under the changes.  

Expanding employment requirements would be “especially harmful to older adults who often face age discrimination, longer unemployment, chronic health conditions and caregiving responsibilities that limit their ability to stay in the workforce,” wrote Nancy LeaMond, AARP’s chief advocacy and engagement officer, in a May 21 letter to House leadership.  

Do food assistance benefits increase as food prices rise? 

Benefit amounts are based on the Thrifty Food Plan, which takes into account food prices, consumption patterns and dietary guidelines to set a realistic baseline for how much a healthy diet costs in the current market.  

In 2021, SNAP benefits increased 21 percent after accounting for these additional factors. Prior to that, adjustments had been limited to inflation in an effort to keep the program cost-neutral. 

Going forward, adjustments must again be cost-neutral, essentially permitting increases only to offset inflation. This effectively erodes the value of these benefits over time, experts say.  

“While SNAP benefits are adjusted for inflation annually, the cost of groceries has increased so rapidly that the annual adjustments based on inflation alone do not keep pace with actual food prices,” says Lauren Ryan, AARP government affairs director for federal food security policy. 

Does SNAP provide cooking classes?

Not directly, but part of the SNAP program includes a prevention-through-education program that works with states and local organizations to promote outreach in lower-income communities.  

Open Hand Atlanta is one of the organizations that relies on SNAP-Ed funding to help teach older adults how to read nutrition labels, shop on a budget and cook with the ingredients they buy. Last year the organization served 1,700 older adults through cooking classes; it is on track to serve 2,200 this year — unless funds are cut, Pieper says.  

Funding for SNAP-Ed was also struck by Congress, even though advocates like Pieper say nutrition awareness can be one of the best ways to prevent adverse health outcomes, especially for older adults.  

Malnutrition affects about 1 in 4 older adults in the United States. Scientists have identified malnutrition as a “serious burden” on the health care system because of the outsize impact it can have on recovery from illness, surgery and overall health.  

“We’re providing [older adults] with the tools they need to stay healthy so that we can lower health care costs,” Pieper says. “And if they are able to work, we can keep them employed because we’re keeping them healthy.” 

How to apply for food assistance

Applicants must apply through their state SNAP office, either online, in person or by mail. Each state may have a different process, but you can find your local office in this directory.  

Each office’s website has information to help you contact a representative with questions, submit an application or find local retailers that are EBT-friendly.  

Keep in mind that your local food pantry can also be a great source of additional information.