Reaching Underserved Elderly and Working Poor in SNAP

On September 17, 2009, USDA's Food and Nutrition Service awarded grants totaling $3 million to six State agencies for piloting outreach programs to increase Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) participation. The funding targets eligible seniors age 60 and older and eligible working poor households.

The approaches that will be tested for reaching SNAP-eligible elderly include a simplified phone application process, application assistance from call center and locally stationed staff, and assistance from a faith-based organization serving different segments of low-income seniors. Models for reaching SNAP-eligible working poor households include assistance from a network of partners with existing relationships among the working poor, mobile applications specialists whose services will be marketed through new partners such as libraries and job centers, and a combination of strategies focused on working poor Latinos.

SNAP is the primary source of food assistance for low-income elderly persons, but just three out of ten elderly in this country who qualify for benefits participate. The national SNAP participation rate among eligible working poor has been about ten percentage points lower than the rate for all eligible persons.

The pilots will be conducted in rural and urban counties and are expected to run two to three years. The six State agencies awarded grants of $500,000 each are as follows:

Last modified: 09/24/2009