NCOA Encourages Older Adults to Boost Their Budgets by Applying for $30 Billion in Unclaimed Benefits

Boost Your Budget Week spotlights programs that help pay for food, medicine, and more

ARLINGTON, Va., April 1, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- With poverty rising among older Americans and the cost-of-living still a challenge for those living on a fixed income, the National Council on Aging (NCOA) is raising awareness this month about the $30 billion in benefits that eligible older adults leave unused each year because they don't know about these assistance programs or how to apply.

Boost Your Budget Week, April 15-19, focuses on connecting eligible older adults to programs like the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), Medicare Savings Programs (MSP), and Medicare Part D Extra Help—all of which can make it easier for low-income older adults to afford daily expenses.

"Today in America, we have over 8 million older adults living in poverty, 2 million more than the year before," said Josh Hodges, NCOA's Chief Customer Officer. "Clearly, Social Security and Medicare are not enough to ensure every older American can make ends meet. During Boost Your Budget Week, we're spreading the message that there are programs to help."

Local organizations that serve diverse communities, including Black, Hispanic, Asian, Tribal Communities, and LGBTQ+ older adults with limited incomes, will be screening and helping individuals apply for programs. These partners operate under NCOA's national network of Benefits Enrollment Centers, supported by the U.S. Administration for Community Living (ACL).

Throughout the month, NCOA also will be promoting its free and confidential online tool BenefitsCheckUp.org, which allows older adults to enter basic information and receive a personalized report about which programs they may be eligible for and how to apply. BenefitsCheckUp is also available in Spanish, at BuscaBeneficios.org, and it offers a toll-free helpline at 1-800-794-6559 for in-person benefits assistance Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. ET.

About NCOA:
The National Council on Aging (NCOA) is the national voice for every person's right to age well. We believe that how we age should not be determined by gender, color, sexuality, income, or ZIP code. Working with thousands of national and local partners, we provide resources, tools, best practices, and advocacy to ensure every person can age with health and financial security. Founded in 1950, we are the oldest national organization focused on older adults. Learn more at www.ncoa.org and @NCOAging.

This project is supported, in part, by grant #90MINC0002 from the U.S. Administration on Community Living (ACL), Department of Health and Human Services. Points of view or opinions do not, therefore, necessarily represent official Administration for Community Living policy.

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SOURCE National Council on Aging