This project examines reasons why food insecure older adults in the U.S. are under-enrolled in SNAP and why this pattern varies among older adults of different ages. Conventional wisdom suggests several explanations that discourage participation, ranging from older adults’ preferences to program limitations. We examine the topic with two approaches. First, using an administrative dataset from Oregon (n=95,467) including monthly observations over a five-year period, we analyze SNAP spells for near-old (51 years old in 2014) and older people (60+ in 2014). Second, we interview SNAP outreach workers (n=22) to examine program access barriers and lived experiences of food insecurity among older adults in Oregon. We find that while 43% of near-old and older adults (combined) exit SNAP after a short spell (1-12 months), those with long-term continuous SNAP receipt (>55 months) represent the majority (59%) of the near-old and older adult SNAP population at any given time. Moreover, we find higher proportions of long-term SNAP participation among the older cohort (ages 60-64) compared to the younger cohort (ages 51-55). The probability of exiting SNAP is lower among female and Asian older adults, as well as individuals with a previous SNAP spell. The probability of exiting SNAP is higher among near-old and older adults who are Hispanic, have earnings in the previous quarter, and live in households with more than one person. Preliminary interview results (delayed by COVID) describe program outreach deficits, challenges with web-based enrollment and application delays, gaps in services addressing complex needs, and transportation issues.
