Benefits for seniors in Delaware

Medicaid for people 65 and over

Delaware Health and Social Services (DHSS) runs Medicaid. The Division of Social Services decides who qualifies if you are 65 or over, blind or disabled.

• If you get SSI: You usually get Medicaid too. In 2026 SSI pays up to $994 a month for one person, and savings must be under $2,000.
• What it covers: Doctor visits, hospital care, medicine, and long-term care such as nursing home care and help at home.
• If you have Medicare: Medicaid can fill gaps Medicare leaves, and Delaware's Medicare Savings Programs can pay your Medicare costs (see below).

Long-term care Medicaid. Nursing home care and home and community care go through DSHP Plus. Your income can be up to 250% of the SSI amount, which is $2,485 a month for one person in 2026. If your income is higher, you may still qualify by setting up a special trust called a Miller Trust. Your countable savings must be $2,000 or less. Home equity over $752,000 can block long-term care Medicaid unless a spouse or certain relatives live there. If you live in a nursing home, you keep $75 a month for personal needs. If your spouse still lives at home, special rules protect some of your income and savings for them; ask DMMA for the current amounts. To apply, call DMMA Central Intake at 1-866-940-8963.

Estate recovery. Delaware may seek repayment of long-term care costs from your estate, but only after you and your spouse have both died. It will not take a home where a minor, blind or disabled child lives, and you can ask for a hardship waiver.

Help paying Medicare costs

Delaware has the standard Medicare Savings Programs (MSPs). Medicaid pays some or all of your Medicare costs. You must have Medicare Part A. Delaware uses the federal limits.

• QMB (Qualified Medicare Beneficiary): Pays your Part A and Part B premiums, deductibles and the 20% coinsurance. Income up to $1,350 a month for one person, or $1,824 for a couple.
• SLMB (Specified Low Income Medicare Beneficiary): Pays your Part B premium. Income up to $1,616 a month for one person, or $2,184 for a couple.
• QI-1 (Qualified Individual): Pays your Part B premium. Income up to $1,816 a month for one person, or $2,455 for a couple.

Asset test: None. Delaware's rules say all savings and property of you and your spouse are left out for QMB, and SLMB and QI-1 follow the same rules.

Delaware's own chart shows limits about $20 lower because the first $20 of monthly income is never counted. They are the same limits. Apply even if you are a little over.

If you get any MSP, you also get Extra Help with drug costs automatically.

Prescription drug help

The Delaware Prescription Assistance Program (DPAP) helps older and disabled Delawareans pay for medicine.

• Who qualifies: Delaware residents 65 or older, or people 19 to 64 who are disabled and get Social Security disability benefits. You cannot have other drug coverage except Medicare Part D.
• Income: Up to 200% of the federal poverty level, which is $2,660 a month for one person in 2026. You may also qualify if your drug costs are more than 40% of your income.
• What it pays: Up to $3,000 a year toward prescriptions and Part D premiums. At the pharmacy you pay 25% of the cost, with a minimum of $5.
• Rules: If you have Medicare, you must join a Part D plan, and apply for Extra Help if you may qualify, within 90 days.
• How to apply: Call DPAP at 1-844-245-9580 or print the application from the DHSS website. Mail it with proof of income. No office visit is needed.

You should also apply for federal Extra Help. It lowers your Part D premium and copays if your income is below 150% of the federal poverty level, about $23,940 a year for one person.

Extra state payment with SSI

Delaware does not add a state payment to SSI for people living in their own home. Social Security pays Delaware's supplement only to SSI recipients the state has certified as living in an adult residential care home or assisted living facility. If you live at home, your SSI is the federal amount, up to $994 a month for one person.

Food help

SNAP (once called food stamps) is run by the Division of Social Services.

• Rules for older adults: If everyone in your household is 60 or older or disabled and you buy and cook food on your own, the gross income limit is 165% of the federal poverty level. From October 1, 2026, that is $2,195 a month for one person or $2,976 for two. If you get SSI, you do not have to meet an income test.
• How it works: You apply, have an interview, and get a decision letter within 30 days. Benefits come on an EBT card (card help: 1-800-526-9099).
• Senior Farmers Market Nutrition Program: If you are 60 or older with income up to 185% of the federal guidelines, you can get a $50 card for fresh fruits, vegetables, herbs and honey at farmers markets. It runs June through October. Sign up in person at a participating senior center. Cards go first come, first served.
• Meals and other food help: Call the Aging and Disability Resource Center at 1-800-223-9074, or dial 2-1-1.

Help staying at home

• DSHP Plus home and community services: If you need nursing home level care, Medicaid can pay for help at home instead. Services include personal care, adult day services, respite for caregivers, home-delivered meals, assisted living, emergency response systems and home changes. The income and savings limits are the same as for nursing home care. Call DMMA Central Intake at 1-866-940-8963.
• PACE (Programs of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly): For people 55 or older who need nursing home level care but can live safely at home. It covers all Medicare and Medicaid services. You must live in a PACE service area. Call DHSS at 302-255-9040 to ask whether PACE serves where you live.
• Where to start: The Aging and Disability Resource Center (ADRC), run by the Division of Services for Aging and Adults with Physical Disabilities (DSAAPD), can help you find services. Call 1-800-223-9074.

Property tax and housing help

• Senior School Property Tax Credit: If you are 65 or over and own your home, you can get a credit of 50% of your regular school property taxes, up to $500 a year. It applies only to your main home.
• How long you must live in Delaware: 10 years in a row if you moved here in 2018 or later; 3 years if you moved here from 2013 to 2017; no wait if you lived here before 2013.
• Rules: You must pay your property tax bill in full each year to get the credit the next year. Apply by April 30 with a copy of your driver's license or state ID.
• Where to apply: New Castle County (302) 395-5520, Kent County (302) 744-2341, Sussex County (302) 855-7871.

Help with energy bills

The Delaware Energy Assistance Program (DEAP) is Delaware's version of LIHEAP. It is run by the Division of Social Services.

• Who qualifies: Homeowners and renters with income up to 60% of Delaware's state median income.
• What it pays: Winter heating help from October 1 to March 31, for any fuel; crisis help all year if you face a shut-off or run low on fuel; and summer cooling help.
• How to apply: Online through ASSIST at assist.dhss.delaware.gov, or through Catholic Charities: New Castle County (302) 654-9295, Kent County (302) 674-1782, Sussex County (302) 856-6310. You can also call First State Community Action Agency at 1-800-372-2240. Questions: (302) 255-9875.
• Weatherization: DNREC offers free repairs to cut energy costs. Call (302) 735-3480.

Free help and counseling

• Delaware Medicare Assistance Bureau (DMAB): This is Delaware's State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP), part of the Delaware Department of Insurance. Counselors give free, unbiased help with Medicare, Medicare Savings Programs, Extra Help and DPAP. Call 1-800-336-9500 (toll-free in Delaware) or 302-674-7364.
• Aging and Disability Resource Center (ADRC): Help for older adults, people with disabilities and caregivers, statewide. Call 1-800-223-9074. TDD: (302) 424-7141.
• DSAAPD is Delaware's state aging agency, with offices in Newark, Smyrna, Milford and Georgetown.

How to apply

Phone numbers: Free help lines for Delaware agencies

Check what you may qualify for