More than 10 million Americans 65 and older fell below the poverty line in 2025 under the Census Bureau’s broader measure, which subtracts taxes and costs such as medical care. That rate reached 15.4%, up from 9.4% in 2020, the largest increase of any age group, the AARP Foundation found in its review of the data.
Social Security still kept 28.8 million people of all ages out of poverty that year, making it the country’s largest antipoverty program, the Census Bureau reported.
Several federal programs for older adults set their cutoffs well above the poverty line, and a few count income in ways that favor the applicant.
1. Medicare Savings Programs can pay the $202.90 Part B premium
The standard Part B premium is $202.90 a month in 2026, more than $2,400 a year. State-run Medicare Savings Programs can cover it.
The most generous level, the Qualified Medicare Beneficiary program, also pays Part B deductibles and coinsurance, with a monthly income limit of $1,350 for an individual in 2026.
The Qualifying Individual program pays only the Part B premium but has higher income limits: $1,816 a month for an individual and $2,455 for a married couple. Resource limits are $9,950 for individuals and $14,910 for married couples.
Some states do not count certain income or resources, so applicants above those figures may still qualify. Your state Medicaid office processes applications.
2. Extra Help comes automatically with a Medicare Savings Program
Anyone enrolled in a Medicare Savings Program, full Medicaid or Supplemental Security Income qualifies automatically for Extra Help, which lowers Part D premiums, deductibles and copays.
Everyone else can apply through Social Security. The 2026 limits are $23,940 in income and $18,090 in resources for an individual, and $32,460 and $36,100 for a couple. In 2027, Extra Help copays top out at $5.80 for a generic and $14.40 for a brand-name drug.
That matters more as average Part D premiums climb in 2027. You can apply online at Social Security or by calling 800-772-1213.
For those over the limits, prescription savings programs may still cut prices at the pharmacy counter.
3. SNAP lets older households subtract medical bills
Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, rules treat households with someone 60 or older differently. Those households only have to pass the net income test, not the gross income test other applicants face.
They can also deduct the older member’s medical costs above $35 a month. Under federal rules, that includes Medicare and other health insurance premiums, prescriptions, dental care, dentures, prescribed eyeglasses and reasonable travel to medical appointments.
A household paying the Part B premium alone clears the $35 threshold several times over.
Older adults participate in SNAP at lower rates than other eligible groups, the U.S. Department of Agriculture has found. Just 55% of eligible people 60 and older were enrolled in fiscal 2022, compared with 88% of all eligible people.
Keeping receipts for medical spending makes the deduction easier to document.
4. Lifeline takes $9.25 off a phone or internet bill
The Federal Communications Commission’s Lifeline program knocks up to $9.25 a month off phone, broadband or bundled service, or up to $34.25 on Tribal lands.
Households qualify with income at or below 135% of federal poverty guidelines, or by participating in SNAP, Medicaid, Supplemental Security Income, federal public housing assistance or the Veterans and Survivors Pension.
One discount is allowed per household, and applications go through the National Verifier, the FCC’s eligibility system.
5. A free screening can turn up state and local help
Many programs that help with heating, rent, property taxes and transportation are run by states and counties, and their rules vary widely. The National Council on Aging’s free BenefitsCheckUp tool asks a series of questions and lists programs an applicant may qualify for.
For help in person, the federal Eldercare Locator connects callers at 800-677-1116 with local agencies on aging, which can often help fill out applications.
Apply even when the numbers look close
Medicare.gov puts it plainly in its guidance on the savings programs: “Even if you don’t think you qualify, you should still apply.”
State rules on what counts as income, and federal deductions like the SNAP medical allowance, can bring a household under a limit that looks out of reach on paper. A single approval can free up room in a retirement budget for the costs nobody plans for.
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