SNAP Reach - Ages 60+

SNAP Reach - Ages 60+ in Arkansas

Arkansas

The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) is the country’s most extensive federal nutrition program, helping millions of low-income Americans access food and improve their economic security and health outcomes. Older adults received an average of $105 a month in SNAP benefits in 2020. Despite SNAP and other nutritional aid programs, food insecurity remains a problem in the United States. An estimated 5.2 million older adults were food insecure in 2020, and that number is expected to increase to more than 7 million by 2050 if things do not improve.

To be eligible for SNAP, households must meet certain income and resource limits. Eligibility criteria and monthly SNAP benefits can vary by state. Not everyone eligible for SNAP enrolls in it. Barriers to enrollment include lack of knowledge about the program and how it works, cultural beliefs, difficulty completing an application and stigma associated with receiving social services.

A research study found that a $1 billion increase in SNAP could increase the U.S. gross domestic product by $1.54 billion and support over 13,500 jobs. SNAP may also reduce medical costs caused by food insecurity, which are approximately $687 million annually per state.

SNAP participation is higher among:

• Older adults who live alone compared with those who live with family or in care facilities.
• Older adults with U.S. citizenship compared with eligible non-citizens.
• Older adults living at or below the poverty level compared with those living above the poverty level.

The National Council on Aging’s Senior SNAP Enrollment Initiative supports community-based organizations and agencies that assist adults ages 60 and older in applying for and enrolling in SNAP. The council’s free online BenefitsCheckUp tool helps connect older adults to benefits they may be eligible for, including SNAP. AARP spotlights multiple policies that make it easier for individuals ages 60 and over to enroll in SNAP.

Healthy People 2030 has an objective to reduce overall household food insecurity.

Berkowitz, Seth A., Sanjay Basu, Craig Gundersen, and Hilary K. Seligman. “State-Level and County-Level Estimates of Health Care Costs Associated with Food Insecurity.” Preventing Chronic Disease 16 (July 11, 2019): 180549. https://doi.org/10.5888/pcd16.180549.

Cronquist, Kathryn, and Brett Eiffes. “Characteristics of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Households: Fiscal Year 2020.” Alexandria, VA: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Food and Nutrition Service, Office of Policy Support, 2022. https://fns-prod.azureedge.us/sites/default/files/resource-files/Characteristics2020.pdf.

Dean, Olivia, Rachel Bleiweiss-Sande, and Andrew Gothro. “Solutions: State Policies Associated with Higher Participation.” Older Adult SNAP Participation Series. Washington, D.C.: AARP Public Policy Institute, July 13, 2022. https://doi.org/10.26419/ppi.00166.003.

Gaines-Turner, Tianna, Joanna Cruz Simmons, and Mariana Chilton. “Recommendations From SNAP Participants to Improve Wages and End Stigma.” American Journal of Public Health 109, no. 12 (December 2019): 1664–67. https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.2019.305362.

Nestle, Marion. “The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP): History, Politics, and Public Health Implications.” American Journal of Public Health 109, no. 12 (December 2019): 1631–35. https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.2019.305361.

Ziliak, James P., and Craig Gundersen. “The Health Consequences of Senior Hunger in the United States: Evidence from the 1999-2014 NHANES.” Report for Feeding America and the National Foundation to End Senior Hunger, August 16, 2017. https://www.feedingamerica.org/sites/default/files/research/senior-hunger-research/senior-health-consequences-2014.pdf.

———. “The State of Senior Hunger in America in 2020 – Full Report.” Feeding America, May 2022. https://www.feedingamerica.org/sites/default/files/2022-05/The%20State%20of%20Senior%20Hunger%20in%202020_Full%20Report%20w%20Cover.pdf.