Washington — Senior citizens across the country probably are eligible for federal and state benefits they're not getting.
The reason: They don't know what benefits they're eligible for or how to apply for them.
That's the finding from nearly 500,000 responses to a Web site designed to solve the problem. The National Council on the Aging put up the site six months ago, www.benefitscheckup.org, to help older Americans determine at no charge their eligibility for federal and state benefits such as food stamps, help with utility bills, transportation services, Medicare, Medicaid and property tax abatements.
Of the 485,200 people who've completed the Web site questionnaire, 26 percent were eligible for food stamps, although they weren't getting them, according to the Council on Aging, a nonprofit alliance of seniors' groups based in Washington. Seventeen percent qualified for Supplemental Security Income they weren't getting. The benefit missed most by 38 percent was federal aid for insulation and other home energy-efficiency upgrades.
About 17 percent appeared to qualify for Medicaid they weren't getting, and another 14 percent appeared to meet eligibility standards for Medicare. About 22 percent appeared to be missing out on federal nutrition programs.
In addition to listing the benefits for which the respondent is eligible, the Web site provides the local phone numbers, addresses and Web sites of the agencies that offer the assistance. Completing the questionnaire takes about 15 minutes and requires information about job history, living expenses and arrangements, medical condition, pension benefits and ZIP code.
"Up until now, if a person wanted to find out what they're eligible for, they had to go to 20 different offices and fill out 30 different forms. It's such a confusing, frustrating, time-consuming process that most people just give up," said James Firman, president of the council.
To protect confidentiality, the site does not require a user's name or Social Security number. Within four months, Firman said, it will include information on low-income prescription drug-assistance programs for seniors that various pharmaceutical companies offer.
A Spanish version of the site will make its debut later this year, he said.
The council wants 5 million to 10 million seniors to use the site in the next four years. About 70 percent of those who visited the site in the first six months were seniors, Firman said; the rest were relatives or friends of seniors.
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