Due to poor outreach and an easy-to-understand application process, thousands of seniors in Virginia—including 37% of those aged 65 and older—miss out on important food assistance through SNAP benefits. This shows that policymakers and advocacy groups need to take action to improve Virginians’ food security and quality of life.
Thousands of Seniors Miss Out on SNAP Benefits
A new study from WRIC shows that Virginia has a big problem: over 100,000 people are eligible for SNAP, but many of them aren’t enrolled. This problem is especially bad for seniors aged 65 and up, since only 37% of them are involved. This makes it clear that policymakers and advocacy groups need to move right away.
About 70.2% of Americans who are qualified for SNAP are not using it. This means that 9 million people are having a hard time paying for food. In Virginia, Henrico County has 4,773 seniors who are eligible but not registered, Richmond County has 3,274, and Chesterfield County has 3,247. This shows that we need to reach out and help more people.
Millions of Seniors Miss Out on Vital Food Assistance
The head of the National Council on Aging says the situation is “shocking and unacceptable,” and they stress that many older people are missing out on important help. The group wants more work to be done to make people aware of SNAP benefits and make it easier for people to get them.
The study says that the low enrollment is because of poor outreach and an application process that is hard to understand. There’s a chance that many seniors don’t know how the system works or are too embarrassed to ask for help. Taking care of these problems is necessary to make Virginians’ food secure and their lives better in general.
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