Older Californians Missing Opportunity for Food Assistance Programs - AARP Bu...

Older Californians Missing Opportunity for Food Assistance

Only 10 percent of eligible residents over 60 apply

Bob Hyman, a retired salesman with health problems, stocks up at the weekly food pantry at his subsidized senior housing facility. From food provided by the San Francisco Food Bank, he selects carrots, cabbage, potatoes, celery, onions, apples, pears, canned beans, bread and rice. "It's a good program, and it helps," he said. "It's free. I'm thankful." Chicken, which was formerly offered, hasn't been available for months. He buys eggs occasionally at a nearby grocery store, "but it's expensive." Hyman, 79, lives on a monthly income after rent of less than $700 from Social Security and a pension. He takes public transportation, eats $2 lunches at another senior housing facility and cooks at home. He dismissed any need for government food assistance. "I'm thrifty and smart about food," he said. Hyman is one of the estimated 90 percent of Californians over 60 who are eligible for the state's but don't participate. In the past two years, demand for food assistance in California has surged — up 44 percent in the past two years in Los Angeles County alone. Yet , after Wyoming. The U.S. Department of Agriculture estimates that about half of all eligible Californians receive food assistance, but only 10 percent of the roughly 360,000 eligible people over 60 participate. Nationally, the participation rate is 34 percent. By streamlining the process and getting the word out, advocates hope to make it easier for older Californians to apply for benefits. "People in California need to know about this program," said Christina Clem, associate state director for communications. "The money is there but the numbers of eligible Californians are not applying for the service in the numbers we have expected, given these hard economic times." USDA spokesman Regan Hopper said misinformation is a major problem. "Our greatest barrier to [food assistance] participation among seniors is that many don't know they are eligible." , because some medical and housing costs can be deducted from income, according to the California Association of Food Banks. Those over 60 are also allowed assets of $3,000 — compared with $2,000 for those under 60 — not including a house and car. But a lengthy , requiring fingerprinting, documentation, several return visits and an interview, can discourage clients. Sue Sigler, executive director of the California Association of Food Banks, said fingerprinting, introduced to prevent fraud, is unnecessary and creates a stigma. "California is one of only four states in the USA to still require this, despite advances in technology," she said. If California eliminated its fingerprinting requirement, the . AARP California is working on legislative and regulatory changes to remove both the asset test and the fingerprinting requirement, said Michael Richard, assistant state director for advocacy. Low enrollment is also attributed to confusion resulting from a 1970s-era state regulation that prohibits anyone who receives federal Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits from receiving food assistance. Instead, SSI recipients receive a food subsidy as part of their income benefit. Uncertain about what SSI means, many retirees receiving Social Security think they're not eligible for food assistance. "Social Security … is not the same as Supplemental Security Income. Having Social Security … doesn't exclude you," said George Manalo-LeClair, senior director of legislation for . Joan Aragone is a journalist based in San Francisco. Cancel You are leaving AARP.org and going to the website of our trusted provider. The provider’s terms, conditions and policies apply. Please return to AARP.org to learn more about other benefits. Your email address is now confirmed. You'll start receiving the latest news, benefits, events, and programs related to AARP's mission to empower people to choose how they live as they age. You can also by updating your account at anytime. You will be asked to register or log in. Cancel Offer Details Disclosures

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