Before the pandemic, some of you may have had to cut back on the amount of food on your tables and the medicine in your cupboards just to keep a roof over your head. You've worked hard all your life, these types of decisions shouldn’t weigh on your heart. With the pandemic expected to push between 1.4 and 2.1 million older adults into poverty, you need a lifeline to help you weather the storm and regain your financial footing.

Helping Seniors Pay for Daily Expenses

NCOA’s Boost Your Budget® Week helps older adults who are living on a fixed income find the resources they need to age well—regardless of gender, color, sexuality, income, or zip code. From April 12-16, 2021, we’re encouraging you to explore the thousands of federal, state, and private benefit programs available that can help you pay for daily living expenses, such as food, medicine, rent, utilities, and more.

You may not know what benefits are available or even how to apply. As a result, billions of dollars in benefits go unclaimed simply because older adults like you don’t submit your application. NCOA is hoping to change that.

How BenefitsCheckUp® Can Help

If you’re unsure of where to start, NCOA has a free, confidential, and easy-to-use tool that can help. BenefitsCheckUp® screens for more than 2,500 benefits, including the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), the Medicare Low-Income Subsidy, Medicare Savings Programs, and tax relief.

Since 2001, 9.4 million people have used the tool to find more than $39.5 billion in benefits. 

Boost Your Budget Week is a reminder for older adults like you that the path towards financial resiliency can be achieved with the help of tools like BenefitsCheckUp. Use it for yourself, or if you're a loved one reading this, a neighbor who knows of an older adult that needs help, or a benefits counselor that's helping client—BenefitsCheckUp is ready and waiting. A benefits screening only takes a few minutes—and there’s no sign-up or registration required.