CW: Poverty & Food Insecurity
Millions of older Americans and disabled people rely on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) to help afford food. These groups are among the most vulnerable to food insecurity. They often live on fixed incomes while facing higher costs for housing, healthcare, medication, and daily essentials. SNAP serves as a crucial lifeline. It helps ensure that people do not have to choose between paying rent and buying groceries.
Recent federal proposals could dramatically cut SNAP funding over the next decade. These include shifting the cost burden to states, requiring them to cover up to 25 percent of SNAP benefits, and expanding work requirements for adults between the ages of 55 and 64. For many people with disabilities, especially those not formally receiving federal disability benefits, this could mean losing access to food entirely.
Many face barriers such as chronic illness, mobility limitations, or cognitive challenges that make it difficult or impossible to work or meet rigid program rules. Work requirements do not reflect the lived realities of older adults or disabled individuals. Many people in their late fifties and early sixties struggle with ageism in the job market or caregiving responsibilities at home. Others fall into a bureaucratic gray area. They are too ill to work but not officially recognized as disabled.
Transferring SNAP funding responsibility to states would likely result in even more restricted access. States could respond by reducing eligibility, capping benefits, or increasing red tape. For older adults and disabled people, even minor bureaucratic barriers like complex paperwork or long wait times can make applying for or maintaining benefits nearly impossible.
Food insecurity among these populations is already worsening. In 2023, nearly 12.6 million Americans aged 50 and older experienced food insecurity. That is up from 9.4 million in 2021.
Despite this, participation in SNAP remains low. Approximately 59% of eligible older adults are not enrolled. Nearly 3.3 million of them could be receiving between $184 and $367 per month in SNAP benefits. Many of them skip applying due to stigma, confusion about eligibility, or the belief that the benefit is too small to matter.
Disabled people also face significant food insecurity. Federal data show that households with a disabled adult are more than twice as likely to be food insecure as those without. Disabled people often require specific diets and regular meals to manage chronic conditions. This makes food access a matter of health as well as dignity.
Additionally, economic security remains elusive for many disabled Americans due to systemic barriers in employment and social support systems. As of 2023, 25.9% of disabled people in the United States live in poverty. Unfortunately, this means disabled people live in poverty at twice the rate of nondisabled people.
Organizations like AARP are urging lawmakers to protect and expand SNAP, not cut it. Providing food assistance is not just an act of compassion. It also helps reduce healthcare costs, keeps people living independently longer, and improves public health outcomes. The SNAP program is not wasteful. It is essential.
SNAP cuts do not just tighten budgets. They unravel lives. For many older adults and disabled people, the threat of losing food assistance is not a political abstraction. It is a daily, personal crisis. Lawmakers must protect the people who rely on SNAP the most. They must choose dignity over cuts.
Sources:
Ashbrook, Alexandra. “The ADA Anniversary: Economic Security and Justice for People with Disabilities.” Food Research & Action Center, Food Research & Action Center, 26 July 2023, frac.org/blog/ada-anniversary-economic-security-justice.
Coleman-Jensen, Alisha, et al. Household Food Security in the United States in 2022. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Economic Research Service, Sept. 2023, www.ers.usda.gov/publications/pub-details/?pubid=107550.
Lovinger, Julie. “SNAP Cuts Would Hurt Older Americans.” AARP, AARP, 11 July 2024, www.aarp.org/advocacy/snap-benefit-cuts-hurt-older-adults.
Manansala, Maria. “Disabled Workers Paid Less than $7.25? Time to Change That.” National Partnership for Women & Families, National Partnership for Women & Families, 26 July 2023, https://nationalpartnership.org/disabled-workers-paid-less-than-725-time-to-change-that.
Siddiqi, Sameer M., et al. “Food Insecurity Among Aging SNAP Participants and Eligible Nonparticipants in Two Predominantly Low-Income Black Neighborhoods: Implications for SNAP Enrollment and Outreach for Older Adults.” Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, vol. 124, no. 6, Elsevier, June 2024, pp. 747–756.e3, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jand.2023.12.011.
Sweeney, Elizabeth. “Millions of Older Adults Are Missing Out on SNAP Benefits.” AARP, AARP, 8 May 2024, www.aarp.org/advocacy/older-adults-not-claiming-snap-benefits-2025.
Sweeney, Elizabeth, and Julie Lovinger. “SNAP Benefits Help Reduce Food Insecurity oofor Older Adults.” Public Policy Institute, AARP, Mar. 2024, www.aarp.org/ppi/topics/health/food-insecurity/snap-older-adults.