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Programs Available For Out-Of-Work Seniors
Janell Sluga
Question: I am over 65, was working full time, and just got laid off from my job and am overwhelmed with all that I have to change. What if I don't have enough money?
Answer: I wanted to continue to address this issue of losing your job from another perspective. When you are out of work, you also face significant financial changes, so I would like to speak to some of the programs that might help them financially.
A program I would like to highlight is HEAP. HEAP is the Home Energy Assistance Program. This program helps seniors pay to heat and cool their homes. The benefit is between $21 to $900 per year. The income criteria is a current income of $3473 for one person or $4542 for a household of two. There is no resource (asset) test for this benefit, so consider applying if you meet the 2026 income criteria. To apply for this program, you can call the Department of Social Services at 716-661-8103 (Chautauqua County) or 716-373-8065 (Cattaraugus County). An application will be mailed to you and you can complete it and return it to receive this one-time payment.
You can also apply for this benefit online, at myBenefits.nys.gov. This online link can help you find many different types of benefits including HEAP.
There are also some benefits available specifically related to health insurance and even work alongside your Medicare. The first type of benefit is the Low Income Subsidy (also called Extra Help) from Social Security. This benefit is designed to help pay for the premium for your prescription drug coverage and the cost of your medications. The annual income limits are $23,940 for one and $32,460 for two. Resource (asset) Limit is $18,090 for one and $36,100 for two. If you qualify for this benefit, the cost of your Medicare Part D plan may be paid in full, or partially paid and your deductible and co-pays at the pharmacy are also reduced. This benefit is handled by the Social Security Administration.
The last Medicare related benefit I will highlight is the Medicare Savings Program. This will help you to pay your Medicare Part B premium ($202.90). To qualify for this benefit, your monthly income must be below $2494 for one person or $3375 for two people. This benefit deducts health insurance premiums from your gross income, so if you are close to these levels, I would encourage you to apply. If you qualify for this benefit, you automatically qualify for the Low Income Subsidy with Social Security mentioned above. This benefit is handled by the Department of Social Services and that contact information was listed previously, so contact them for further information.
Finally, if you qualify for these last two benefits you may also qualify for Food Stamps, which is now call SNAP. I would encourage you to apply for this benefit. If you are over 60 years old, they do not look at your assets and resources for this benefit. The SNAP benefit could give you from $21 to $298 per month for a single person household to help pay for groceries. The benefit and income standards obviously adjust based on the number of people in your household. This benefit is handled by the Department of Social Services, so contact them for further information.
I know that losing your job is a very difficult position to be in. I hope that some of these programs help you cope in your new situation. There are more individuals like yourself out there than many of us want to think. I encourage you to reach out to friends and family to keep yourself socially connected and involved. We care and want to help!
Janell Sluga is a Geriatric Care Manager helping seniors in our community access services and insurance. To reach her, please email editorial@post-journal.com.