Similarities To The Flu
Adults over the age of 65 are at a higher risk of flu-related complications. Getting your annual flu shot is the most effective way to help protect yourself and others against seasonal flu. The flu shot will help:
- prevent the flu and flu-related complications
- reduce stress on the health care system during the COVID-19 pandemic
You can also protect yourself and those around you from the flu and COVID-19 by following personal preventive practice.
Loans Grants And Waivers
Another option is to get a federally insured loan to help with the cost of repairs and modifications. These low-interest loans are offered by private banks and lenders but insured by the Federal Housing Administration, making them more accessible to people who might not otherwise qualify for credit.
Additional help for seniors’ home repairs is available through the federal government’s Very Low-Income Housing Repair Program . The program provides loans of up to $20,000 and grants of up to $7,500 to fix safety and health hazards in the homes of very low-income seniors. To qualify, you must be over age 62, have an income below a certain limit, live in an eligible area, and be unable to get affordable credit anywhere else.
Home modification help for disabled seniors who served in the armed forces is also available. Disabled veterans may qualify for special grants to cover the cost of home modifications that are deemed to be medically necessary. For instance, the Home Improvements and Structural Alterations grant can be used to pay for things like handrails and roll-in showers. The disability doesn’t have to be service-related, but a Veterans Affairs doctor must stipulate that the modification is necessary.
In many states, a low-income senior who qualifies for Medicaid can get Home & Community-Based Services waivers that cover the cost of home modifications that boost the person’s ability to live independently.
Fuel And Heating Benefits
This scheme is designed to assist pensioners with the ever-increasing costs of heating their homes during the coldest months of the year.
- Winter Fuel Payments may total up to £300, tax-free, if you are eligible the criteria of which changes annually.
- Cold Weather Payments are also available if you are claiming pension credit.
- The Warm Home Discount Scheme is automatically applied to all eligible older individuals by participating providers. This is not a direct payment, but a reduction on your fuel bill.
- The Energy Saving Trust, Save on Energy and Simple Energy Advice websites offer plenty of advice on how to reduce heating bills in the home.
- The Affordable Warmth Obligation ensures that improvements to a property can be made to those that need them most. If you live in social housing, request an Energy Performance Certificate. If your home has a performance rating of E, F or G, you may be eligible for government-financed assistance.
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How Your Snap Benefits Work
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Your state will issue benefits each month on a plastic electronic benefits transfer card. Much like a credit or debit card, you can use your EBT card to buy eligible food items. You must buy them from:
What help is available through Medicaid?
Medicaid provides free or low-cost medical benefits to eligible:
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Adults with a low income
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Children
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People who are age 65 or over
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People with disabilities
Am I eligible for Medicaid?
Check with your states Medicaid office to see if you or your family members are eligible for benefits. In general, it depends on at least one or a combination of:
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Number of people in your family
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If you are pregnant or have a disability
How do I apply for Medicaid?
There are two ways to apply for Medicaid:
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Contact your state Medicaid agency. You must be a resident of the state where you are applying for benefits.
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Fill out an application through the Health Insurance Marketplace.
Am I Eligible For Pension Guarantee Credit
If youre over the pension age, you can claim Guarantee Credit if your weekly income is less than £177.10 as a single person, or £270.30 if youre in a couple. To assess this, the Government looks at all of your income. This includes both your basic and additional state pension, any income from other pensions, income from any jobs or social security benefits you have. As well as any savings and investments above £10,000. If you fill out self-assessment tax returns, youll also need to estimate how much tax you expect to pay this financial year.
If youre an eligible age, but your weekly income is higher than the limit, you can still claim Guarantee Credit if:
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Health Insurance Counseling & Advocacy Program
Advice on health insurance is available from Health Insurance Counseling. The program Hicap offers assistance and information in many states across the country. We usually locate representatives in senior centers and at offices of the Agency on Aging. Similar to SHIP all services and information are provided at no charge.
How Do I Check If I Am Eligible For Carers Allowance
You need to spend at least 35 hours a week caring, which can include care any time of the day or night. You cant average the hours across weeks, but scheduled breaks in care are allowed and wont be counted.The 35 hours should be spent caring for one person, so hours cant be combined if you care for more than one person. If you share caring for someone with another person, only one of you can claim the Carers Allowance.The person you care for doesnt need to be a relative, and you dont have to live in the same property.
Form more information on Carers Allowance eligibility, take a look at our guide.
Your earnings
Carers Allowance is not means-tested but, to apply,theres a maximum earnings limit of £128 per week from paid employment. This is after deductions, which can include Income Tax, National Insurance, business expenses, and half of any pension contributions.
Earnings do not include personal or occupational pensions. However, if you receive a State Pension, you wont be eligible for full Carers Allowance.
The amount you earn is usually calculated over a typical year. If your earnings arent stable, for example, youre self-employed, earnings may be taken as an average.
Dont think youre eligible?
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Makes Your Home Accessible
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Mobility Aid Help For Seniors
Being able to move around inside your home or out in your community is essential for maintaining independence. Older adults are increasingly relying on devices like canes, walkers, and motorized scooters to help them stay mobile. In fact, according to a study in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, around a quarter of Americans over age 65 use mobility aids, and a third of those use more than one type of device.
Canes and walkers are relatively inexpensive, ranging from about $15 for a basic cane to $150 for a deluxe rollator walker. Manual wheelchairs can cost anywhere from $100 to $750. And electric scooters and power wheelchairs typically cost well over $1,000.
Medicare Part B can help cover the cost of mobility aids if a qualified healthcare provider determines that such items are medically necessary for you to move around inside your home. So, for instance, if you have a health condition that impairs your mobility within your home, and that condition can’t be helped with a cane or a walker, you may be approved for a manual wheelchair. If you lack the strength to operate a manual wheelchair, you may receive approval for an electric scooter.
If your claim is approved, Medicare will cover 80 percent of the cost. If you have supplemental insurance, the other 20 percent may be covered as well.
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Senior Housing Assistance And Rental Help
Finding affordable housing can be a major challenge for older Americans. The Department of Housing and Urban Development offers a number of programs that provide rent help for seniors and are designed to help low-income people secure decent and safe housing.
It’s important to note that demand for government-assisted housing far outstrips supply. Wait lists of two to five years or more are not uncommon, so try to plan ahead as far as possible.
Other Types Of Benefits And Programs For The Unemployed
Educational Help
Federal agencies offer many unemployment education and training programs. They are generally free or low cost to the unemployed.
Self-Employment Help
Self-employment assistance programs help unemployed workers start their own small businesses. Delaware, Mississippi, New Hampshire, New York, and Oregon offer this program.
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Learn About The Childrens Health Insurance Program
If your income is too high for Medicaid, your child may still qualify for the Childrens Health Insurance Program . It covers medical and dental care for uninsured children and teens up to age 19.
Is my child eligible for CHIP?
CHIP qualifications are different in every state. In most cases, they depend on income.
How do I apply for CHIP benefits?
You have two ways to apply for CHIP:
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Fill out an application through the Health Insurance Marketplace.
What else do I need to know about CHIP?
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You can apply for and enroll in Medicaid or CHIP anytime during the year.
What Grants For The Elderly Are Available
Many pensioners don’t claim the benefits they are entitled to, it’s good to know what grants for the elderly are available
Following retirement, youre still feeling young and the word elderly isnt something we can yet associate with. However, once the milestone age of 65 is reached, there are certain financial benefits, its good to know what grants for the elderly are available either for yourself, or for a loved one.
It might be that you have an elderly relative who has not realised what financial help they can receive. This is often the case, and we have over £3.5bn worth of elderly benefits and grants going unclaimed each year in the UK. Many elderly people struggling to pay for winter fuel and the like, so its something that we should be trying to inform them of. Its worth checking in with your older relatives to find out if they are claiming all that they are able to.
Pension Credit
Pension Credit is an income based benefit that tops up your income if you are under a certain threshold. It comes in two parts
- Guarantee Credit this tops up your income if you are below the weekly income threshold
- Savings Credit provides a top up to your weekly income if you have saved some money, or your income is higher than state pension
This video from Age UK gives a quick overview of the Pension Credit that you can share with your ageing relative:
Housing Benefit
Council Tax
Carers Allowance
Attendance Allowance
Television Licence
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Discounted And Free Travel
Older people are eligible for lots of discounts on public transport including buses and trains. In England, you’ll qualify for a free bus pass when you reach the women’s State Pension age . In Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland, you’ll be eligible for a free bus pass from the age of 60.
Those who live in London can travel on buses, tubes, and some National Rail services for free from the age of 60. You’ll need to apply for a 60+ Oyster photocard – go to the TFL website for more information. Alternatively, you may be eligible for an older person’s Freedom Pass.
Anyone who travels regularly by train should apply for a Senior Railcard. This will give you a third off the price of all Standard and First Class Anytime, Off-Peak and Advance fares. You can choose to purchase a one-year Rail Card for £30 or a Three-Year Rail Card for just £70. If you know that you are going to continue travelling on trains for the next few years, then we would advise that you go for the three-year deal.
Seniors Are Eligible For The Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program
Energy costs can easily become a major financial burden on low-income households. According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, households spent an average of $117 per month in 2020 on home energy costs, although prices vary by state Connecticut, for example, had an average monthly energy bill price of $162, whereas District of Columbia residents paid $89.
Those prices are even steeper this year. According to the Feb. 2022 CPI report, electricity prices have increased 9% since February 2021.
The Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program is a federal program through the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. It helps low-income households with home energy bills such as heating and cooling costs . Some cities and states have their own programs to cover costs not included in LIHEAP Chicago, for example, has a new water assistance program for low-income residents.
Households that participate in other benefit programs, such as Supplemental
Security Income , may be automatically eligible. Theres a maximum income amount per year of $20,385, before taxes, for one-person households this amount increases depending on how many people live with you.
Not every state has online applications, so you might have to call or schedule an appointment at an agency depending on where you live. Refer to this LIHEAP map to find your states website for more information on eligibility criteria and how to apply.
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Who Is Eligible For Pension Credit
To claim any type of Pension Credit youll need to be over the pension age. Usually, the pension age is 66 years old but it can depend on your gender and date of birth. If in doubt, simply check your State Pension Age.
If youre a couple, both of you need to have reached state pension age to make a claim as a couple, unless you are claiming Housing Benefit.
No savings limit
There isnt a savings limit for Pension Credit, but if you have savings over £10,000 this may affect how much you receive.
How Do I Claim Winter Fuel Payment
If you’ve received it before, you should get your Winter Fuel Payment automatically this year.
If you claim State Pension or another social security benefit , you should also be paid automatically.
If you don’t receive these benefits or you live abroad and you’re eligible for Winter Fuel Payment, you might need to make a claim directly to receive your payment.
Call the Winter Fuel Payment helpline on 0800 731 0160 to get started. You’ll need your National Insurance number and your bank or building society details to hand.
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What Is Council Tax Reduction
Council Tax Reduction is a benefit to help those on lower incomes, including those over retirement age, to pay their council tax bills. Making council tax payments manageable can help older people, or those who have a disability, remain at home.
Council Tax Reduction is worked out differently depending on where you live. It might be a percentage discount of your council tax bill, a fixed discount, or a complete payment of your council tax bill.
It is also sometimes called council tax support or council tax relief.
Employment Assistance Programs For The Elderly
Whats Wrong With People Over 60 Working? Usually, they are more experienced than younger ones and may, in practice, prove to be a valuable resource for businesses. As an added benefit, older adults who work are able to maintain an active lifestyle and social contacts.
Continuing with our discussion, we need to emphasize the Community Services Employment Program for the Elderly or SCSEP. The program is funded by the federal government and administered by the Agency on Aging. Participants in this program can find jobs if they are unemployed and over 55 years old and seeking a new career.
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Discounted And Free Television
The criteria for free TV Licences have changed. From 1 August 2020, in order to receive a free TV Licence, the licence holder will need to be over 75 and they will need to be receiving Pension Credit. This free licence will also cover anybody else who lives in your home with you.
However, you will not receive your free TV Licence automatically. You will have to make sure that you make an application – you can apply from when you are 74.
Those under the age of 75 may be eligible for a discount on their TV Licence if they live in residential care. To qualify for a cheaper licence , you must also be retired and over 60 or disabled.
Alternatively, you could get 50% off your TV Licence if you are registered blind or live with somebody else who is. The blind person will need to be the licence holder.
You can apply for any kind of TV Licence – free, discounted, or otherwise – through the official TV Licensing website.
Tax Credit For Older People And Those With Disabilities
The IRS offers a tax credit if you are older or have disabilities, which is outlined and explained in IRS Publication 524. Basic qualifications include being 65 or older at the end of the tax year, or being retired with a permanent disability and having taxable disability income. There are also income limits that further restrict eligibility.
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