If there was something that could help you financially, you would want to take advantage of it, right?
According to the National Council on Aging, there are roughly nine million older adults in this country who are not getting benefits for which they are eligible.
“There's hoops just hoops and hoops and hoops,” says Sara Levi. Hoops, Sara Levi says that are not worth jumping through for some people.
The last time we talked she was living in Portsmouth making less than $10,000 dollars a year and leaning on her SNAP benefits, which stands for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.
Watch related video: Foodbank sees dramatic increase in food insecurity on southside of Hampton Roads
“I have probably been on SNAP benefits on and off my life,” she says.
The program allows those qualified to use SNAP like cash and buy eligible food items from authorized retailers.
A new interactive map by NCOA shows benefit enrollment rates among older adults at the national, state, and local level.
When I looked into it, I learned, of the stats available in our area, Chesapeake has the lowest participation rate of eligible seniors who are using SNAP at 29.5%.
Even Newport News, with the highest participation of seniors, has less than 50% of people are enrolled. NCOA's map reports more than 15,000 people in Hampton Roads are missing out on benefits that help them pay for food, health care, and other daily costs.
Watch related video: Feeding military families
Cassie Edner, a public benefits attorney at the Virginia Poverty Law Center says, "we don't know exactly why this is happening, but we have some theories."
Edner says the results could have to do with the minimum SNAP payments being $23.
“We hear many seniors who talk to us, and they say, ‘hey, I am only eligible for $23/month. It may not be worth going through the hoops of applying for snap for $23 a month,’” she says.
VPLC crunched the numbers and found that the minimum will get you:
- 1lb. of ground beef
- One gallon of milk
- One loaf of bread
- Five bananas
- 12 eggs
- Two cans of vegetable soup
- ½ gallon of orange juice.
Watch related video: 80-year-old food bank volunteer honored for keeping families in Suffolk fed
Edner says for a healthy diet though seniors need more help, which is why the VPLC along with the food bank are pushing to raise the snap minimum to $50.
“I've talked to my clients, and that's double the amount that they can get for food,” Edner says.
To stretch the money you do have, Edner says shop at farmers markets that accept SNAP. You can double your allotment and the food is healthy.
Also use the SNAP calculator to see your deductions and verifications.
“I just want to make sure that people are aware of what they're eligible for,” she says.
Watch related video: Food banks say shelves are bare as kids head back to school and food insecurity increases
