Administrative burden in older adults: A look at SNAP

Abstract An extensive literature has shown that the rules that govern access to social safety net programs create undue administrative burdens for citizens in accessing the programs. In this paper, we contribute to this literature by describing the experience of older adults with one US social safety net program, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. Our study gathered data from a total of 267 older adults through interviews and focus groups. Many of our respondents had recently experienced several financial, health, and life crises which affected their ability to seek information, memorize important details, and plan adequately. The main finding of the study is that older adults often experience multiple challenges whose effects tend to amplify each other, affecting their decision‐making abilities. The findings suggest that policies that simplify eligibility processes, reduce the amount of paperwork, and minimize the number of client‐caseworker encounters, have the potential to facilitate greater program access.