AARP Hearing Center
The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) is the nation’s largest antihunger program and a lifeline for 40 million people, including 11.4 million adults ages 50 and older, who are at risk for food insecurity (i.e., limited or uncertain access to adequate food). A countercyclical program, SNAP is designed to expand when the economy weakens and contract when the economy strengthens. It provides financial assistance to low-income individuals and families to help buy the food they need. The program reduces food insecurity and poverty and is linked to improved health outcomes, including reduced hospitalizations, among low-income older adults.
This Fact Sheet describes selected characteristics of households with at least one adult age 50 or older as well as individuals ages 50 and older who participated in SNAP in Fiscal Year 2023 and the benefits they received. In addition, this fact sheet provides some findings by older age group (participants or households with adults ages 50 to 59 versus those ages 60 and older), and state-level data are included in the appendix. Read the full report.
Key Takeaways:
- In Fiscal Year 2023, 10.3 million SNAP households—almost half the 21.4 million total SNAP households—included at least one adult age 50 or older.
- Adults ages 60 and older make up a growing share of SNAP participants, increasing from 12 percent of participants in Fiscal Year 2016 to nearly 20 percent in Fiscal Year 2023.
- Sixty-seven percent of older SNAP participants live alone.
- Nearly half—44 percent—of SNAP participants ages 50 to 59 have a disability.
- SNAP households with adults ages 50 and older received an average benefit of $212 per month in Fiscal Year 2023, not including emergency allotments, or $266 with emergency allotments included.
- Regular SNAP benefits lifted 2.2 million households with adults ages 50 and older out of poverty in Fiscal Year 2023, and SNAP plus emergency allotments lifted nearly 2.8 million households with older adults out of poverty.
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Data Visualization: Food Insecurity and SNAP Enrollment Among Older Adults
In 2023, 12.6 million (or about 1 in 10) Americans ages 50 and older experienced food insecurity, meaning they had limited or uncertain access to adequate, nutritious food. Food insecurity prevalence rose in 2022 and 2023, following years of decline. Factors like high food prices and the end of pandemic-related benefits may have played a role. At the state level, food insecurity prevalence varies widely and has also changed over time.
16 Million Eligible Adults Ages 50 and Older Are Not Enrolled in SNAP
This paper is focused on understanding who is not enrolling in SNAP despite being eligible— what we call “eligible nonparticipants”—which is important for addressing low program enrollment. We estimate the number and share of SNAP-eligible nonparticipants ages 50 and older, examine their economic and demographic characteristics, and discuss policy implications based on the findings.
