While 80% of SNAP-eligible people received benefits in 2011, according to a Mathematica Policy Research study, only 39% of Americans over 60 participated in the program – with 5.2 million seniors missing out on nutrition assistance. Some are too proud about taking ‘handouts’; some feel that taking SNAP benefits robs others of assistance, especially young children, while others find the application process daunting, despite the government’s steps to simplify the process. The average benefit for someone over age 60 who lives alone is $119 a month, and $176 for a two-person household, according to Mathematica.
Source: New York Times, 3/28/14, Seniors & SNAP
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