Profile of older Americans released
By
Suzanne Hopkins-
Profile of older Americans
About 3.7 million elderly persons were below the poverty level in 2008, according to the Profile of Older Americans: 2009, a new report from the U.S. Administration on Aging. Social Security constituted 90 percent or more of the income received by 35 percent of all beneficiaries. Other highlights include: More than one in eight of the U.S. population is age 65 and older, and the age 85 and older population is projected to increase by 36 percent, from 4.2 million in 2000 to 5.7 million in 2010, and then to 6.6 million in 2020 – a 15- percent increase for that decade.
Helping Seniors Connect to Benefits: Online Tool Links Users to 2,000 Local, State and Federal Programs
Many older people need help paying for prescription drugs, health care, utilities and other basic needs, but don’t know about programs that could help them.
Millions of older Americans are eligible for benefits ranging from heating and energy assistance to prescription savings programs to income supplements.
BenefitsCheckUp, developed by the National Council on Aging, is the nation’s most comprehensive online service that identifies benefits programs for seniors with limited income and resources. It includes more than 2,000 public and private benefits programs from all 50 states and the District of Columbia that cover needs such as prescription drugs, Medicare Extra Help, nutrition and food stamps, energy assistance, health care, housing and tax relief and others.
Applicants are guided through an online questionnaire to determine their eligibility for benefits. The information you will need about yourself or about the person you are helping includes: ZIP code; date of birth for self and spouse; type of residence (house, apartment or mobile home); length of time in current residence; Veteran status for self and spouse; employment history for self and spouse, specifically, whether or not the person ever worked for the state, local, county or federal government or the railroads; names of prescription medications; current income and assets from all sources for self, spouse and others in the household; and, estimates of current expenses, such as mortgage or rent, utilities, out-of-pocket medical bills, expenses for caring for someone at home while the person works or goes to school, etc.
BenefitsCheckUp will return a list of programs for which the applicant may qualify and provide contact information to learn more.
Downloadable enrollment forms are provided, where applicable. Information also is available in Spanish.
As of 2010, Benefits CheckUp has helped more than two million people find more than $8 billion worth of the annual benefits for which they are eligible.[[In-content Ad]]
About 3.7 million elderly persons were below the poverty level in 2008, according to the Profile of Older Americans: 2009, a new report from the U.S. Administration on Aging. Social Security constituted 90 percent or more of the income received by 35 percent of all beneficiaries. Other highlights include: More than one in eight of the U.S. population is age 65 and older, and the age 85 and older population is projected to increase by 36 percent, from 4.2 million in 2000 to 5.7 million in 2010, and then to 6.6 million in 2020 – a 15- percent increase for that decade.
Helping Seniors Connect to Benefits: Online Tool Links Users to 2,000 Local, State and Federal Programs
Many older people need help paying for prescription drugs, health care, utilities and other basic needs, but don’t know about programs that could help them.
Millions of older Americans are eligible for benefits ranging from heating and energy assistance to prescription savings programs to income supplements.
BenefitsCheckUp, developed by the National Council on Aging, is the nation’s most comprehensive online service that identifies benefits programs for seniors with limited income and resources. It includes more than 2,000 public and private benefits programs from all 50 states and the District of Columbia that cover needs such as prescription drugs, Medicare Extra Help, nutrition and food stamps, energy assistance, health care, housing and tax relief and others.
Applicants are guided through an online questionnaire to determine their eligibility for benefits. The information you will need about yourself or about the person you are helping includes: ZIP code; date of birth for self and spouse; type of residence (house, apartment or mobile home); length of time in current residence; Veteran status for self and spouse; employment history for self and spouse, specifically, whether or not the person ever worked for the state, local, county or federal government or the railroads; names of prescription medications; current income and assets from all sources for self, spouse and others in the household; and, estimates of current expenses, such as mortgage or rent, utilities, out-of-pocket medical bills, expenses for caring for someone at home while the person works or goes to school, etc.
BenefitsCheckUp will return a list of programs for which the applicant may qualify and provide contact information to learn more.
Downloadable enrollment forms are provided, where applicable. Information also is available in Spanish.
As of 2010, Benefits CheckUp has helped more than two million people find more than $8 billion worth of the annual benefits for which they are eligible.[[In-content Ad]]