Senior benefits in Placer 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 Placer 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 Placer County Area Agency on Aging directly at 1-800-211-4545, 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

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 Placer County it is delivered by Project Go, Inc. (801 Vernon St., Roseville, CA 95678), which covers Nevada and Placer counties. Households generally qualify at or below 60% of the state median income; Local providers give extra priority points to households with someone age 60 or older or a person with a disability. 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 Placer County — including Sutter Roseville, Kaiser Permanente Roseville, and Adventist Health in Auburn — 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

Placer County General Relief (also called General Assistance) is temporary cash aid for single adults or couples without dependent children who are not eligible for federal or state cash programs. For a low-income senior it is mainly a bridge while a Supplemental Security Income (SSI) or Cash Assistance Program for Immigrants (CAPI) claim is pending. To qualify, you must be at least 18 years old and a resident of Placer County; all income is counted in the month it is received and deducted from the grant. If you are eligible for Unemployment Insurance, you must apply for it first. All applicants are interviewed by an Eligibility Specialist — interviews can be by phone or in person. For information or to apply, call the Placer County HHS Call Center at 1-916-787-8859; mailing address is P.O. Box 20400, Auburn, CA 95604.

In this county: Placer County GR has conditions this check cannot confirm for you: you must be a Placer County adult (18+) without dependent children who is not eligible for federal/state cash programs, all income is counted in the month received, and you must apply for Unemployment Insurance first if you're eligible for it. The placer.ca.gov GR page does not publish a maximum monthly grant amount. Apply by phone at 1-916-787-8859.

Placer County Transit's Dial-A-Ride is the ADA complementary curb-to-curb paratransit service for people whose disability prevents them from using the regular PCT or TART fixed-route bus system. Eligibility is functional, not age-based, and falls into one of three ADA categories: (1) unable to independently board, ride, or disembark from a lift-equipped bus, including inability to navigate the fixed-route system without help; (2) able to use accessible fixed-route service when available but the specific route is not lift-equipped; or (3) unable to travel to or from a bus stop because of the disability. You must be certified through the PCT ADA eligibility process, which may include a phone call, in-person interview, or assessment. The PCT Transit Services office is at 3091 County Center Drive, Suite 220, Auburn, CA 95603; for ADA certification and information call 1-530-745-7500 or email publicworks@placer.ca.gov.

In this county: PCT Dial-A-Ride eligibility is functional (disability that prevents independent use of PCT/TART fixed-route service) under one of three ADA categories, and is determined by PCT after a written application plus possible phone, in-person, or functional assessment. This check cannot perform that assessment. Start by calling 1-530-745-7500.

Placer County Transit (PCT) is the public bus service for western Placer County, run by the County's Public Works Department — it serves Auburn, Lincoln, Newcastle, Loomis, Penryn, Granite Bay, and connections south to Sacramento. PCT defines 'senior' as age 60 and older — earlier than the typical 65+ threshold on most California transit systems. Seniors and Medicare cardholders pay half fare on fixed-route buses (Social Security recipients get the half fare on PCT Dial-a-Ride / Go South Placer On-Demand). Riders can pay cash on the bus, buy passes and ticket books from the driver or at the PCT office, or use a Connect Card (the reloadable Sacramento-area transit card honored by 7 regional agencies). For information, call PCT at 530-745-7570.

Estimated service value: $150–$450 a year