SNAP and food help for older adults in Colorado

SNAP for people 60 and over

SNAP (once called food stamps) puts money for food on an EBT card each month. Your county human services office runs it.

Who qualifies

If someone in your home is 60 or older or has a disability, you only have to meet the net income limit. Net income is what is left after allowed costs are taken off.

What counts and what can be taken off

• Counts as income: Social Security retirement or disability, pensions, and other money you get. Bring the award letter.
• Medical costs: If you are 60 or older or disabled, medical costs you pay above $35 a month (and that insurance does not pay) can be taken off your income. This is a big help that many older adults miss. Keep proof, such as your Medicare card showing Part B, bills, itemized receipts, and the miles you drive to medical visits.
• Housing costs: For households with someone 60 or older or disabled, all shelter costs above half of your income can be taken off, with no cap.

Colorado SNAP Produce Bonus

This is extra help on top of SNAP. When you buy eligible fruits and vegetables at a participating store, farm stand or farmers market, the same amount goes back on your EBT card, up to $60 a month.

• You do not need to sign up. If you got SNAP in the last 90 days, you can use it.
• Fresh fruits and vegetables count, plus frozen ones with no added salt, sugar or fat, and dried beans. At farmers markets, plant starts and seeds count too.
• The bonus goes into your regular SNAP balance, so you can spend it on any SNAP food.
• The monthly limit resets on the 1st. Unused bonus does not carry over.
• It is offered only at some locations. Check the map on the CDHS SNAP Produce Bonus page.

Double Up Food Bucks is a separate program at some markets and stores. It doubles SNAP dollars spent on fruits and vegetables and does not count toward the Produce Bonus limit. See doubleupcolorado.org.

Everyday Eats: a free monthly food box for people 60 and over

Everyday Eats is Colorado's name for the federal Commodity Supplemental Food Program. You get a box each month with items such as cereal, canned goods and dairy. Many items are low in salt or good for people with diabetes. A 2023 state law also set up state grants to add more food to these boxes.

Who qualifies

You must live in Colorado, be 60 or older, and have household income at or below these limits:

How to apply

1. Find a pickup site on the map on the CDHS Everyday Eats page, or call 303-866-5106 or toll-free 888-467-0418.
2. Bring a photo ID to the pickup site.
3. Fill out the application there, or print it ahead of time from the CDHS page.
4. If you cannot pick up the box yourself, list a family member, friend or neighbor on a proxy form (in English, Spanish and Russian).

Local partners include Food Bank of the Rockies, Care and Share Food Bank for Southern Colorado, Weld Food Bank, Pueblo County and Conejos County.

How to apply for SNAP

1. Apply online at co.gov/peak, with the MyCOBenefits app, or on a paper application you mail, fax or bring to your county human services office. Large-print forms are available in English and Spanish.
2. Interview: Most interviews are by phone. You can ask for an in-person interview.
3. Send proof of income, housing costs and medical costs.
4. Decision: Your county has 30 days to decide. If you have very little money, you may get benefits within 7 days.

Free help applying: Hunger Free Colorado at 855-855-4626, Benefits in Action at 888-496-4252, or the SNAP line at 800-816-4451.

After you apply

• Report changes in income, address or who lives with you as your county tells you.
• Appeals: If you disagree with a decision, ask your county human services office for a fair hearing, in person, by phone, or in writing. You can also ask first for a county Dispute Resolution Conference. If you still disagree after it, you have 10 calendar days from the written decision to appeal. To keep getting your current benefits during the appeal, ask before the change takes effect. You can also contact the CDHS SNAP Hearings Unit at 303-866-7285 or toll-free 833-847-0345, by email at [email protected], or by mail at 3550 W. Oxford Ave., Denver, CO 80236.

Things people often miss

• Not reporting medical costs. People 60 and over can deduct them.
• Not using the Produce Bonus. It is automatic at participating stores.
• Not knowing about Everyday Eats. It is a separate program from SNAP with its own income limit and its own application at the pickup site.

Free help

• Aging and Disability Resources for Colorado (ADRC): 1-844-265-2372 for free help finding local services. CDHS also posts a map of Colorado's Area Agency on Aging regions with contacts, where you can ask about senior meals near you.
• Colorado SHIP: 1-888-696-7213 for help with Medicare, including Medicare Savings Programs that can free up money for food.

See all benefits in Colorado.

Phone numbers: Free help lines for Colorado agencies

Check what you may qualify for