Senior benefits in San Francisco County, California

Every California county is served by an Area Agency on Aging (AAA) and an Aging & Disability Resource Connection (ADRC) — a single point of contact that connects older adults, caregivers, and people with disabilities in San Francisco County to in-home supportive services, home-delivered and congregate meals, transportation, family-caregiver support, benefits and insurance counseling (HICAP), and California's Medi-Cal home- and community-based long-term-care programs. Services are for adults 60 and older, with priority for those in greatest need. Call the San Francisco County Area Agency on Aging directly at 415-355-3555, or reach the statewide Aging & Disability Resource Connection at 1-800-510-2020 to be connected to local services.

Estimated service value: $500–$6,000 a year

In this county: The Area Agency on Aging / ADRC is the entry point to Older Americans Act and California state aging services for adults 60+. Specific services depend on an individual needs assessment and local funding, so this shows as a may-qualify result. Call 415-355-3555 to reach your county's AAA (statewide locator line: 1-800-510-2020).

California's Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) helps income-eligible households pay home heating and cooling bills, with one-time crisis help when service is past due or shut off. It is funded federally and run statewide by the California Department of Community Services & Development (CSD). In San Francisco County it is delivered by Central Coast Energy Services. Households generally qualify at or below 60% of the state median income; older adults and people with disabilities are prioritized. Payments usually go straight to the utility company. Apply online at CaLIHEAPApply or through your local provider.

Estimated bill savings: $94–$1,500 a year

Hospitals serving San Francisco County — including Zuckerberg San Francisco General, UCSF, Kaiser Permanente, Sutter CPMC, and Dignity Health — must provide financial assistance under California's Hospital Fair Pricing Act. Uninsured patients (and insured patients with high medical costs) with household income at or below 400% of the federal poverty level qualify for charity care or discounted payment; many nonprofit systems give fully free care at lower income levels (for example, Dignity Health provides free care up to 250% of the poverty level). Eligible patients are never charged more than the amounts generally billed to insured patients. Ask any hospital's financial-counseling or billing office for its Financial Assistance Policy and application; the state's HCAI publishes every hospital's policy.

Estimated bill savings: $500–$20,000 a year

San Francisco's County Adult Assistance Programs (CAAP) provide cash assistance and employment services to low-income San Francisco residents who have no dependent children — including indigent adults, immigrants, refugees, and people who cannot work. For low-income seniors it is mainly a bridge while a Supplemental Security Income (SSI) or Cash Assistance Program for Immigrants (CAPI) claim is pending. Benefits include a monthly cash benefit of up to $588 issued on an EBT card, a free monthly Muni Fast Pass, options for shelter placement, and access to employment and training services. Eligibility is based on San Francisco residency, income, expenses, and assets. To apply, attend an Initial Intake — start the online application at MyBenefits CalWIN or contact SFHSA at the service center at 1235 Mission Street, San Francisco, or call 1-415-557-5000. SFHSA also helps seniors 65+ and disabled or blind adults apply for the Cash Assistance Program for Immigrants (CAPI) if they do not qualify for SSI/SSP.

Estimated cash: $3,000–$7,056 a year

In this county: CAAP has conditions this check cannot confirm for you: you must be a low-income San Francisco resident without dependent children, meet the program's income, expense, and asset tests, and complete an Initial Intake. Maximum cash benefit is $588 per month on an EBT card plus a free Muni Fast Pass; the actual amount depends on your housing and income. Start the online application at MyBenefits CalWIN, or call SFHSA at 1-415-557-5000, or visit the service center at 1235 Mission Street, San Francisco. If you are 65+ or disabled and do not qualify for SSI/SSP, SFHSA will also help you apply for the Cash Assistance Program for Immigrants (CAPI).

Free Muni for Seniors gives San Francisco residents who are 65 or older free rides on all Muni service — buses, light rail, and cable cars — using a Senior Clipper card. To qualify, your gross annual household income must be at or below 100% of the Bay Area Median Income (for example, $77,700 for a two-person household). Apply online or by picking up a paper application at the SFMTA Customer Service Center, 11 South Van Ness Avenue, San Francisco. If you have a registered Senior Clipper card, enter its serial number on the application; if you do not, upload a copy of a proof-of-age document. Approval typically takes about three weeks for current Clipper card holders and up to four weeks if a new card is needed.

Estimated service value: $360–$1,032 a year

In this county: Eligibility requires San Francisco residency and a gross annual household income at or below 100% of Bay Area Median Income (which varies by household size — for example $77,700 for a household of two). The income test cannot be evaluated from this check alone. Apply online via SFMTA or in person at the SFMTA Customer Service Center, 11 South Van Ness Avenue, San Francisco. For questions, call 311 (or 1-415-701-2311 from outside SF).

SF Paratransit is the ADA complementary paratransit service for residents and visitors of San Francisco whose disability prevents them from using regular Muni buses, light rail, or streetcars some or all of the time, or who cannot get to and from a Muni stop. Eligibility is based on functional ability, not age. To apply, request an application from the Mobility Management Center at 1-415-351-7000, or pick one up at the SF Paratransit office, 68 12th Street, Monday through Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 4:45 p.m. Applications take about 21 days to process; a second-level assessment (phone interview, medical verification, or in-person assessment) may be required.

In this county: ADA paratransit eligibility depends on whether your disability or health condition prevents you from using Muni's accessible buses, trains, and streetcars some or all of the time, or from getting to or from a Muni stop. That is determined by SF Paratransit through an application and (often) a second-level assessment — a phone interview, medical verification, or in-person review. To start, call the Mobility Management Center at 1-415-351-7000 or visit the SF Paratransit office at 68 12th Street, Monday through Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 4:45 p.m.