Food stamps: Majority of seniors in DC region missing out on SNAP benefits

There are more than 15,700 seniors over the age of 65 who are missing out on receiving food assistance in D.C.

A report conducted by the National Council on Aging found that between 34% and 37% of seniors in the District of Columbia, Virginia, and Maryland are eligible to receive the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program but are not enrolled.

SNAP benefits are typically loaded onto an EBT card that can be used to purchase groceries. In order for a senior to qualify, their net income must be less than or equal to the federal poverty line or their assets must total $4,250 or less. Current data shows that 1 in ten 10 over the age of 65 live below the poverty line.

Nationwide, 70.2% of people over the age of 65 are not participating in SNAP despite meeting the requirements. This accounts for about 9 million people who could be struggling with food insecurity.

“It’s shocking and unacceptable to have nine million eligible older adults not enrolled in benefits that can make the difference between them affording food or health care each month,” NCOA President and CEO Ramsey Alwin said.

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Meanwhile, D.C.’s SNAP program has come under fire several times for having the slowest processing rate for applications in 2022 to making improper payouts to recipients.

The Department of Agriculture fined D.C. in July $4.4 million for its repeated errors in overpaying and underpaying beneficiaries. The USDA found that 20% of cases were improperly paid out. D.C. has the option to use half of the money it is fined for to reinvest in its SNAP program.