> Navigating through the maze of available public and
private benefits programs can be difficult and confusing.
Many people don’t know what benefits are available, or
how to apply. Our Benefits QuickLINK website enabled
nearly 31,000 people to learn about and apply for benefits
designed to help pay for groceries, drugs, home heat and
other necessities.
Benefits Outreach
These efforts were bolstered through our vibrant
collaborations with 12 AARP state offices. For
example, AARP Ohio made available Benefits
QuickLINK screenings to people who gathered
for free health screenings during four stops of
the AARP/Walgreens Wellness Bus tour—with
positive results. Twenty participants learned they
were eligible for an estimated $46,517 in annual
benefits.
New features were added to the Benefits
QuickLINK website, too. They included AARP’s
online tool for calculating the Medicare Part D
“doughnut hole” and the AARP Foundation’s
State Guides to Public Benefits.
Food Assistance
Sadly, only one-third of seniors who are eligible
for help with buying the food they need for
good health actually receive that benefit from
the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance
Program (or SNAP, formerly known as food
stamps). Our online SNAP map helped thousands
of people learn about and apply for the special
debit card that can be used like an ATM card at
most grocery stores, certain senior centers and
nonprofit meal delivery services (such as Meals
on Wheels).
We also focused policy-makers’ attention on
improving older Americans’ access to SNAP
during a December 2 forum held in
Washington, DC.
One appreciative client told
us, “QuickLINK provided
in just a few moments
information that I’ve been
trying to research and
understand for months. I’m
truly grateful. Thank you!”
State-specific information to help people learn
about and apply for food benefits was available via
an interactive map on the Foundation’s website.
