👴🍖👵 Many OLD Americans Aren't Claiming Their FOOD Benefits (AARP Article)

[SummerOnTheWay1]

FROM THE ARTICLE:

16 Million Older Americans are Not Claiming Their Food Benefits, AARP Reports.

As food insecurity and hunger rates rise, SNAP benefits are going unused.

*** There are 3 Comments on the AARP website. ***

By Emily Paulin, AARP. Published April 04, 2025.

Nearly 60 percent of low-income older adults who qualify for federal food assistance aren’t using it, according to a new analysis by AARP’s Public Policy Institute. Some 16 million — or 59 percent — of adults 50-plus who could get help paying for food through the U.S. Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) in 2022 did not claim it.

“Millions of older adults are missing out on benefits that could have a big impact on their livelihood,” says AARP’s Olivia Dean, senior policy advisor and co-author of the report published March 28.

USE LINK BELOW TO READ THE ARTICLE: https://www.aarp.org/politics-society/advocacy/info-2025/older-adults-not-claiming-snap-benefits.htm...

[GailL1 · Accepted solution]

Seems they are finding the same thing with College Students - 

FNS.USDA.gov - SNAP - College Students 

3.3 million college students were potentially eligible for SNAP -

67% of those college students reported NOT receiving benefits

and this is from a demographic who should be able to muddle through any technical barriers or application problems. 

Should College Students get SNAP benefits?  

Their Eligibility:

 All college students must meet the SNAP eligibility criteria to receive food assistance.

If you're enrolled half-time or more, you must also meet at least ONE of the following conditions:
• Work 20+ hours per week

• Participate in a federal or state work-study program

• Have a physical or mental disability or condition that prevents you from working
• Care for a young dependent child
• Receive Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF)
• Enrolled in college through certain employment & training programs, such as   SNAP E&T, Workforce and Innovation Opportunity Act (WIOA), and others

• Participate in an on-the-job training program
• Be under age 18 or over 49