Savvy Living

"What resources can you recommend for locating government assistance programs for seniors? My husband and I have been helping support his mother for the past three years and we can't afford to do it any longer."

Locating government benefits and financial assistance programs for seniors is actually pretty easy thanks to two key resources created by the National Council on Aging (NCOA) and the National Association of Area Agencies on Aging (n4a). Here's how you can find help.

Online Search

If you have Internet access, the easiest and most convenient way to search for benefits for seniors is at the website benefitscheckup.org.

Created by the NCOA 10 years ago, BenefitsCheckUp is a free, confidential web-based service that helps low-income seniors and their families identify federal, state and private benefits programs that can help with prescription drug costs, healthcare, utilities and other basic needs. This site contains information about more than 2,000 programs across the country.

To help identify benefits that could help your senior relative, you'll need to fill out an online questionnaire that asks for date of birth, zip code, expenses, income, assets, veteran status and a few other factors. The process takes about 15 minutes to complete.

Once completed, you'll get a report detailing all programs and services for which she may be eligible. You can also apply for many of the programs online or you can print an application form, fill it out and mail it in.

Phone Assistance

If, however, you don't have Internet access, you can also get help over the phone by calling the Eldercare Locator (800-677-1116), which will assign you a counselor to review your family member's situation, provide you with a list of possible programs she may be eligible for and who to contact to seek help.

Types of Benefits

Depending on an individual's income level and location, the various benefits that may be available to your mother-in-law include:

Food Assistance: Programs like the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) can help pay for her groceries. The average monthly SNAP benefit is currently $119 for seniors living alone. Other programs that may help include the Emergency Food Assistance Program, Commodity Supplemental Food Program and the Senior Farmers' Market Nutrition Program.

Health Assistance: Medicaid and Medicare Savings Programs can help or completely pay for out-of-pocket health care costs. There are special Medicaid waiver programs that provide in-home care and assistance.

Prescription Assistance: There are hundreds of programs offered through pharmaceutical companies, government agencies and charitable organizations that can help reduce or eliminate prescription drug costs, including the federal Low Income Subsidy known as "Extra Help" that pays premiums, deductibles and prescription co-payments for Medicare Part D beneficiaries.

Heating and Cooling Assistance: There is the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP), as well as local utility companies and charitable organizations that provide assistance in lowering home heating and cooling costs.

Supplemental Security Income (SSI): Administered by the Social Security Administration, SSI provides monthly payments to very low income seniors, age 65 and older, as well as to those who are blind and disabled. The average SSI payment is around $500 per month.

In addition to these programs, there are numerous other benefits such as HUD housing options, home weatherization assistance, tax relief, various veteran's benefits, transportation, respite care and free legal assistance.

Savvy Living is written by Jim Miller, a regular contributor to the NBC Today Show and author of "The Savvy Senior" book. The articles are offered as a helpful and informative service to our friends and may not always reflect this organization's official position on some topics. Jim invites you to send your senior questions to: Savvy Senior, P.O. Box 5443, Norman, OK 73070.