Only 38% of eligible FL seniors get food assistance through SNAP, report finds

More than 858,000 Florida seniors are eligible for SNAP but aren't enrolled in the program. (Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

More than 858,000 Florida seniors could get benefits through the largest federal food assistance program, but only 38% of those eligible participate, according to a report from the National Council on Aging and the Urban Institute.

Still, Florida’s participation rate in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, known as SNAP, for people 65 and older is higher than the national rate of 30%, according to the report .

The program, meant for low-income people, provides monthly benefits through an Electronic Benefits Transfer card. Miami-Dade, Duval, and Hillsborough counties have the highest enrollment rates. Even though 50% of eligible seniors in Miami-Dade get benefits through SNAP, 108,813 people who are eligible don’t participate.

Collier, St. Johns, and Charlotte counties have the lowest participation rates in SNAP out of the eligible elderly population. More than 19,000 seniors in Collier could get food assistance.

Nationally and in Florida, more people participate in other programs such as Supplemental Security Income, which provides cash assistance for seniors with little to no income, and Medicare Savings Programs. Those two have enrollment rates of nearly 50% among eligible Florida seniors.