Living with children and food insecurity in seniors

In 2019, more than 7% of seniors (ages 60+) lived with a child under the age of 18. We examine how the presence of children in senior households relates to food insecurity and Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) participation. We find that seniors living with children are more food insecure and have higher SNAP participation than other seniors, even after accounting for poverty status and other observable characteristics. The prevalence of multi-generation and skip-generation households explains, statistically, a small share of race/ethnicity gaps in food insecurity and SNAP. Changing living arrangements are an important consideration in addressing food insecurity among seniors.