State Trends in Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Eligibility and Participation Among Elderly Individuals: Final Report

Elderly adults (ages 60 or older) participate in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), formerly the Food Stamp Program, at lower rates than other eligible people. This report provides State information on the characteristics of elderly SNAP participants and eligibles and elderly participation rates that can be used both in assessing the success of past efforts and when considering additional efforts to increase elderly SNAP participation. The report is based on analyses from a Survey of Income and Program Participation-based microsimulation model, SNAP Quality Control data files, the Current Population Survey, and other data. The report finds that the estimated elderly SNAP participation rate increased steadily from 25 percent in fiscal year (FY) 2002 to 34 percent in FY 2006. The highest elderly participation rates were found in Hawaii, Florida, Maine, New York, and Oregon. The States with the largest elderly participation rate increases were Massachusetts, Michigan, Missouri, New York, and Washington