** 4/24/26 - updated version of CRS report "Connecting Older Adults to Information on Benefits and Services".......................

[Buzz Sawyer]

the report is at link below (both an online version and a pdf file) 

Connecting Older Adults to Information on Benefits and Services
R47605 04/24/2026

https://www.congress.gov/crs-product/R47605?hl=R47605&s=2&r=1

which includes:

"Older adults often contact congressional offices with questions about federal benefits, programs, and services. This report assists Members and congressional staff helping older adults navigate this landscape by connecting them to information from federal agencies and federally funded organizations.

The first section of the report describes federal gateway sites that provide access to, and information about, a range of benefits based on individual needs and circumstances. The rest of the report provides (1) links to federal programs that support older adults seeking assistance with specific needs or (2) links to consumer information provided by the federal government about issues of concern to older adults. Each resource includes a brief description of the site's content.

Specific benefits and services addressed in the report include cash benefits, elder justice and legal assistance, employment and volunteering, food assistance, health and caregiving, housing assistance, personal finance and tax, phone and internet services, retirement, technology support and assistive technology, transportation, and utility assistance.

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Benefits Guides

The following resources cover a broad range of federal government benefits, programs, and services for which older adults may be eligible.

• Benefits Checkup
  https://benefitscheckup.org
  This online tool helps older adults and people with disabilities find benefit programs they might be eligible for. The tool allows users to search by zip code to identify health care, food, housing, and other benefits and services available in a particular locality. This website is partially supported by the Administration for Community Living (ACL).
• Government Benefits
  https://www.usa.gov/benefits
  This page provides information on government assistance and benefit programs that support housing, food, utilities, health care, and other needs. It also links to contact information for social service agencies that administer state assistance programs.
• DIAL: Disability Information Access Line
  https://dial.acl.gov/
  This interactive website and online directory provides information about essential services such as transportation, housing support, and disability rights by providing a one-stop online chat, ASL (American Sign Language) chat, a phone and text option (1-888-677-1199), and a search to identify local resources by entering a specific address, city, state, and/or zip code.
• Eldercare Locator
  https://eldercare.acl.gov/
  This interactive website connects older adults and caregivers with local resources, benefits, and services, including rides to medical appointments, home and community-based long-term services and supports, caregiver training, health insurance counseling, legal services, elder abuse prevention, meals, housing, and adult protective services, through an information and referral service and hotline (1-800-677-1116).