Senior benefits in Sutter 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 Sutter 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 Sutter 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 Sutter County it is delivered by Community Resource Project (CRP) (250 Harris Ave, Suite 3, Sacramento, CA 95838), which covers Sacramento, Sutter and Yuba 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 Sutter County — including Adventist Health and Rideout in Yuba City — 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

Sutter County General Relief is a county-funded program that provides cash assistance as a LOAN to indigent adults in Sutter County who are not eligible for other federal, state, or local aid 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 an adult without dependent children with no other means of support, meet restrictive income and property limits, and have been a Sutter County resident for at least 15 calendar days with intent to remain. Employable applicants must register with Cal-JOBS, complete work registration, and conduct an active job search; incapacitated applicants must actively seek medical treatment. Applications are accepted Monday-Friday 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. at 190 Garden Highway, Yuba City. For information call Sutter County Customer Service at 1-877-652-0735.

In this county: Sutter County GR is a LOAN — assistance must be repaid. To qualify you must be an indigent Sutter County adult (15-day residency, intent to remain) without dependent children, with no other means of support, meeting restrictive income and property limits, and either complying with Cal-JOBS + active job search (employable) or actively seeking medical treatment (incapacitated). The sutter.gov GR page does not publish a maximum monthly grant amount. Apply in person at 190 Garden Highway, Yuba City, M-F 8am-5pm; phone 1-877-652-0735.

Yuba-Sutter Transit Dial-A-Ride is the ADA complementary paratransit service for both Yuba and Sutter counties. Passengers with disabilities that prevent them from using the urban fixed-route bus system can apply for ADA status to receive priority Dial-A-Ride service. Senior (65+), disabled, and ADA-eligible passengers pay $3.00 during the day or $2.00 after 6:00 p.m. with a photo ID. Reservations can be made up to two weeks in advance by calling 1-530-742-2877. To request an ADA Paratransit Eligibility Application, call 1-530-634-6880; once approved you must obtain a Yuba-Sutter Transit photo ID card with the ADA-eligible endorsement.

In this county: Yuba-Sutter Transit Dial-A-Ride ADA eligibility is functional (disability that prevents use of fixed-route service) and is determined by Yuba-Sutter Transit after a written application — this check cannot perform that assessment. Request an application by calling 1-530-634-6880; reservations after certification are 1-530-742-2877.

Yuba-Sutter Transit is the joint public bus operator serving both Yuba and Sutter counties from its Marysville-area service area. Seniors 65 and older pay a reduced fare of $1.50 for basic one-way fixed-route trips. Discount eligibility (also for persons with disabilities and ADA-certified riders) is verified with a photo ID card. To apply for discount-fare eligibility or to request a photo ID, contact Yuba-Sutter Transit at its administration office, 2100 B Street in Marysville.

Estimated service value: $150–$400 a year