CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — The process to apply for SNAP benefits from the state can be lengthy in general, but the Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program application process can also be difficult for many senior citizens.
Senate Bill 224 is now law in Texas and makes the application process easier for senior citizens and for those with disabilities.
This new law waves the interview for re-certification, it has a shorter application form with simplified verification requirements, and a 36 month enrollment period after each certification or re-certification. This made precipitants like Yolanda Ramirez excited.
"In my case, my daughter is my representative," she said. "So she has to take care of that outside of her own life, you know."
The new law should make access to benefits for senior citizens much easier. Shelby Cook Pena, a community registered dietitian with the Coastal Bend Food Bank, says that Texas has the fifth highest rate of senior food insecurity.
"Eleven percent of our senior population, 60-years and older, do experience food insecurity and are at risk of severe hunger," she said.
If you would like help in filling out your application, you can call the Coastal Bend Food Bank and ask for social services.
