Senior benefits in Solano 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 Solano 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 Solano County Area Agency on Aging directly at 707-784-8960, 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 Solano County it is delivered by the local CSD-contracted service provider; find yours with the CSD 'Find Services in Your Area' locator or the online application portal. 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 Solano County — including NorthBay Health in Fairfield and Kaiser Permanente (Vallejo/Vacaville) — 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

Solano County General Assistance (GA) is a county-funded program that provides short-term cash assistance and supportive services to adults age 18 or older without children. The cash assistance is a LOAN that must be paid back. 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 — Solano County HSS also runs an SSI advocacy program that helps individuals with disabilities and significant employment barriers pursue SSI. Employable GA recipients participate in employment services and repay loans. Apply by phone at 1-707-553-5000 (Vallejo / GA program line) or 1-800-400-6001 (toll-free Information line), or in person at any County office: Fairfield (275 Beck Avenue), Vacaville (1119 E. Monte Vista Avenue), or Vallejo (365 Tuolumne Street), Monday-Friday 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.

In this county: Solano County GA is a LOAN — cash assistance must be paid back to the County. To qualify you must be an adult (18+) without dependent children, a Solano County resident, and not eligible for other categorical aid programs. The solanocounty.gov GA page does not publish a maximum monthly grant amount. Apply by phone 1-707-553-5000 (Vallejo/GA line), 1-800-400-6001 (toll-free), or in person at the Fairfield, Vacaville, or Vallejo HSS office.

SolTrans ADA Paratransit is a shared, origin-to-destination bus service by advance appointment for people with disabilities that prevent them from using regular SolTrans fixed-route service for some or all trips. It serves Vallejo, Benicia, and the SolTrans fixed-route service area. Eligibility is functional, not age-based: you must be certified, case-by-case, as unable to board a regular SolTrans bus, access a SolTrans stop, or otherwise navigate the fixed-route system due to a disabling condition as defined by the Americans with Disabilities Act. To reserve an eligibility appointment, call the ADA Paratransit Eligibility Center for Solano, run by Solano Mobility, at 1-707-541-7184; you fill out an application and may have an in-person assessment. For questions about eligibility, call the Solano Mobility call center at 1-800-535-6883 (Monday-Friday 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.). For questions about riding SolTrans Paratransit, call SolTrans customer service at 1-707-648-4666 (Monday-Friday 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.).

In this county: SolTrans ADA Paratransit eligibility is functional (disability that prevents independent use of regular SolTrans fixed-route service) and is determined case-by-case by Solano Mobility after a written application — this check cannot perform that assessment. Start by calling 1-707-541-7184 to reserve an eligibility appointment.

SolTrans is the public bus operator for southwestern Solano County, serving Vallejo, Benicia, and connections to neighboring counties. Riders 65 and older, riders with disabilities, and Medicare cardholders qualify for the reduced fare. On a Senior Clipper card, after spending $2.25 on local rides in a single day the rest of the day's local rides are free; the out-of-county Express daily cap is $5.00. Apply for the Senior Clipper card at clippercard.com or in person at the SolTrans Ticket Office; you can also use a Regional Transit Connection (RTC) Discount Card for people with disabilities. Drivers may ask to see proof of eligibility (photo ID showing age, Medicare card with photo ID, or your RTC/Senior Clipper card). For help, call Solano Mobility at 1-800-535-6883.

Estimated service value: $200–$600 a year