"SUPPLEMENTAL NUTRITION ASSISTANCE PROGRAM (SNAP) SENIOR FOOD STAMP BENEFITS" PROGRAM
The Food and Nutrition Service. Across the USA.
Program Description
"Silently suffering, too many of America's oldest citizens are making tough choices—not taking their medications as prescribed, not adjusting the thermostat for heating or cooling, or skipping meals. While hunger in itself is a serious problem, not eating healthy meals often makes existing health conditions worse. The benefits offered by SNAP can help put food on the table and provide seniors with extra dollars to purchase fruits and vegetables, whole grains, and low-fat milk products."
-fns.usda.gov USDA SNAP Senior Outreach
"SNAP is the largest program in the domestic hunger safety net."
-fns.usda.gov
The Food and Nutrition Service works with states, nutrition educators and community groups to ensure that those individuals eligible for the SNAP program are aware how to apply and can access food stamp benefits.
“SNAP” Program applicants must be approved or denied in 30 days or less, under certain very low-income circumstances applicants may receive food stamp benefits within 7 days.
Eligibility for the “SNAP” Program depends on the number of people in a household, income, cash, bank accounts, social security, unemployment, and SSI benefits.
A food stamp pre-screening tool can be found on the SNAP Program website. Senior applicants can enter information to find out if they may be eligible for SNAP benefits and how much they could possibly receive.
*The pre-screening tool is not an application for “SNAP” Program benefits.
“SNAP” benefits can be used to buy:
-Foods such as bread, fruits and vegetables, meats, fish and poultry, and dairy products.
-Seeds and plants which produce food.
“SNAP” benefits cannot be used to buy:
-Alcohol, beer, wine, liquor, cigarettes or tobacco.
-Soap, paper products and household supplies.
-Vitamins and medicines.
-Food that will be eaten in the store and hot foods.
The “SNAP” Program has a special SNAP Senior Outreach Toolkit to help fight senior hunger and malnutrition.
The SNAP Senior Outreach Toolkit targets hard to reach and high risk seniors such as:
-Low-income seniors living at or below the poverty line.
-Grandparents raising grandchildren.
-Seniors who are less educated.
-Seniors who live alone or are divorced, separated, widowed, or never married.
-Minority populations such as African-Americans and Hispanics/Latinos.
-Disabled seniors or seniors who require support.
-Seniors who rent.
-Seniors who live in the South, (Mississippi, South Carolina, and Arkansas.)
Seniors who are at high risk for hunger and malnutrition can be helped through targeted outreach. The “SNAP” program toolkit can be used to help millions of eligible seniors who are eligible but have not applied. The toolkit also lists the barriers and myths that prevent many seniors from enrolling in “SNAP” program.
source: ns.usda.gov
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