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By: FEDweek StaffPotentially tens of billions of dollars in financial help and other benefits to retirees are not being claimed because eligible persons don’t know about them, are reluctant to apply for them or find the application process too daunting, says a blog posting on the Kaiser Family Foundation site.
Much of that involves assistance programs for people with low income and/or assets such as food stamps and assistance with Medicare costs, “but that isn’t always the case,” said the foundation, which conducts research on health policy issues and is not affiliated with the Kaiser medical provider company.
“Programs funded by the Older Americans Act, such as home-delivered meals and legal assistance for seniors facing home foreclosures or eviction, don’t require a means test, although people with low incomes are often prioritized. And some local programs, such as property tax breaks for homeowners, are available to anyone 65 or older,” it said.
It suggests that retirees contact an Area Agency on Aging to look into potential benefits from federal, state or other programs for assistance with food, housing, transportation, health care, utility or other costs. Some of those agencies are able to perform an assessment while others may make a referral for that purpose to another organization.
Those resources often also can help with gathering necessary documentation and filling out applications, it added.
In addition, it suggests that veterans get a similar assessment of their potential eligibility for benefits related to their military service that they currently are not receiving.
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