Combating Food Insecurity:
Tools For Helping Older Adults Access SNAP
AARP Foundation
Food Research and Action Center (FRAC)
Hunger Among Older Americans
 In 2013, 8.7% of all households with a person aged 65 or
older were “food insecure”
 In 2012, more than 4 million Americans 60 and older
participated in SNAP, which is 9% of the total number of
Americans using SNAP
 Most eligible Americans are not enrolled in SNAP. In 2011,
3 out of 5 eligible adults 60+ missed out on SNAP, and
significant gaps in participation exist in all states
 In 2009, researchers estimated that 4.9 million Americans
aged 50-59 were food insecure
*Source: AARP State of the 50+ in New York City Report, page 47,
July 2014. The full report can be found at:
http://www.aarp.org/content/dam/aarp/research/surveys_statist
ics/general/2014/State-of-the-50-Plus-in-NYC-2014-AARP-resgen.pdf
*Source: AARP State of the 50+ in New York City Report,
page 47, July 2014. The full report can be found at:
http://www.aarp.org/content/dam/aarp/research/survey
s_statistics/general/2014/State-of-the-50-Plus-in-NYC2014-AARP-res-gen.pdf
AARP Foundation and FRAC Toolkit
http://pdf.aarpfoundation.org
/i/397003-snap-toolkit
Barriers to SNAP for Seniors
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Do not know they may be eligible
Do not know how to apply
Feel stigma related to receiving government assistance
Believe their benefits would deprive other needy
people of aid
 Do not have transportation
 Do not know how to use technology associated with
online applications
 Believe the application and enrollment process is too
intrusive, complicated, or time-consuming
Myths about SNAP*
 Myth 1: If I apply for SNAP, I’ll only get $16 per month.
 Reality: The average SNAP household with a senior in
New York receives $170.42 per month. SNAP households
with more than one senior receive an average benefit of
$191.60 per month.
*Source: AARP and AARP Foundation’s 2012 Summit Report: “Hunger
Among Older New Yorkers Breaking Down the Barriers”; the full report
can be found at: http://states.aarp.org/wpcontent/uploads/2013/09/AARP-NY-2013-Hunger-White-Paper.pdf
Myths about SNAP*
 Myth 2: By participating in SNAP, older adults will be
taking away benefits from others who need them more,
such as working families and children.
 Reality: SNAP benefits are available to all eligible
individuals who qualify. SNAP benefits are funded with
federal money, and no participant is taking anything away
from another person in need. In fact, every $5 in new
SNAP benefits generates $9 in total community spending.
*Source: AARP and AARP Foundation’s 2012 Summit Report:
“Hunger Among Older New Yorkers Breaking Down the Barriers”; the
full report can be found at: http://states.aarp.org/wpcontent/uploads/2013/09/AARP-NY-2013-Hunger-White-Paper.pdf
Myths about SNAP*
 Myth 3: Older adults are required to have a face-to-face
interview before SNAP benefits can be issued.
 Reality: Older adults may have a face-to-face interview if
that is their preference; however, in New York State, it is
common for the interview to be conducted by telephone
or by a scheduled home visit.
*Source: AARP and AARP Foundation’s 2012 Summit Report: “Hunger
Among Older New Yorkers Breaking Down the Barriers”; the full report can
be found at: http://states.aarp.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/AARPNY-2013-Hunger-White-Paper.pdf
SNAP Outreach Planning
1. Identify the target audience:
 Be clear about target geographic areas and population
demographics
 Focus efforts on specific zip codes/towns/cities
 Ask state agency to conduct a data match between
SNAP and other programs
SNAP Outreach Planning
2. Choose strategies and tactics:
 By revealing those in the community that need
help accessing SNAP, one can identify the
strategies that can be used to increase access to
SNAP benefits
 3 core strategies:
 Education
 Prescreening
 Application assistance
SNAP Outreach Planning
3. Plan to measure success:
 Set specific, realistic objectives around targeted number
of people and what channels to utilize in order to
achieve desired outcome
Education
SNAP Messaging:
 Conduct audience research using focus groups, testing
messages, and materials used by local SNAP agencies
 Use simple language
 Write at a 5th or 6th grade level to accommodate different
literacy levels
 Use images, infographics, and illustrations that convey actions
 Use translated materials (enlist help from local CBOs and
universities for translations) that are available from SNAP state
or local agencies, and the USDA
 Consider additional special subpopulations for personalized
messages (e.g., Veterans, grandparents, older people of color)
Education
Disseminating Messages:
 Trusted messengers
 individuals and organizations that have credibility with
older adults (e.g., elected officials, health care
providers, faith-based community organizations)
 Strategic partnerships
 retailers, grocers, pharmacies, farmers’ markets,
senior centers, senior housing, cross-program
collaboration
Prescreening
 Predicting an applicant’s eligibility and benefit level
 Methods include both paper and online based
assessments
 Can take place in any setting where outreach workers
interact with older Americans (e.g., senior centers,
housing community rooms, food pantries)
Application Assistance
 Peer-to-Peer Model – engages older adult
volunteers who are sensitive to applicants’ needs
and can relate to the aging experience
 Peers may have personal experience with public
programs like SNAP, Medicare, and Social Security
 Can more personally communicate and help
address barriers for potential applicants
Application Assistance
Outreach workers help clients to:
 Understand and fill out the application
 Submit or assist with sending applications and
other necessary documents to SNAP offices
 Claim excess medical deductions, which are
the most underutilized deductions
**Outreach methods may be limited by funder or grant
requirements, so strategize accordingly
Application Assistance
Authorized Representatives can be helpful for those
needing assistance navigating the application process or
shopping with their SNAP benefits
 Important for individuals who are confused with the
application process or incapacitated and cannot travel
 Authorized representatives can help in case of illness
or injury down the road
Evaluating Success
Key metrics to consider within outreach effort,
implementation, and final reporting:
 Awareness – number and type of all contacts
(mailings, phone calls, and events)
 Screenings – number of clients screened
 Applications – number of applications submitted to
SNAP offices
 Dispositions – number of follow-up calls to clients
Evaluating Success
Follow-up:
 Monitor contact with seniors, and help increase their
benefit amounts by reporting changes or other
deductions
 Conduct interview with partners that have helped with
outreach
 Produce anecdotal information about positive impacts of
SNAP enrollment for clients
 Interview personnel at local supermarkets and farmers’
markets about economic impacts of the project-assisted
SNAP enrollments
Evaluating Success
Systemic Issues:
 SNAP outreach workers should track problems that
clients encounter (barriers to access) and report
information to a central data bank
 Use special worksheet/spreadsheet
 Sort problems by date, issue, and SNAP office location
 Case processing backlogs, delayed determinations, busy
phone lines, lost docs, etc.
 You may spot trends that warrant SNAP agency systemic
response
Evaluating Success
Benefit Dollars Leveraged:
 Estimate the dollar benefit amount that resulted from SNAP
enrollments
 Use the average monthly SNAP benefit amount for seniors in
your state and multiply the value by the number of program
enrollments per month
 Multiply this value by 12 to get an annual estimate
 Seniors are usually certified for 24 months, so it can be
appropriate to provide a multi-year estimate for the amount of
benefit dollars generated by the project’s work with seniors
Evaluating Success
Economic Activity Generated:
 SNAP benefits bring in federal dollars and have ripple
effects for the entire food chain
 Including an effect on farmers, food processors,
truckers, supermarkets, and other retail food outlets
 Estimate economic impact: multiply the estimated dollar
benefit amount by 1.79 (multiplier factor resulting from
USDA’s analysis of the economic impact of SNAP
spending)
Evaluating Success
Sharing Lessons Learned:
 SNAP outreach project partners should develop a
relationship with their local SNAP offices
 SNAP offices will welcome your feedback and
insights on systemic problems
 Outreach projects provide SNAP offices with
trained outreach partners that streamline the
application process for SNAP case workers by
submitting completed applications with
accurate information