It’s a Catch-22 situation for many lower income senior citizens. Every fall, the Social Security Administration announces its annual cost-of-living adjustment for the upcoming year, only to have it effectively rendered irrelevant by a proportionate rise in Medicare premiums.

For seniors who rely on Social Security as all or most of their retirement income, there are some months when it feels like the money just doesn’t stretch as far. Variations in monthly budgetary expenses can account for some of this, but there is also a very real reason why this is true. Social Security payments are made on Wednesdays. According to your birth date, this payment will be on the second, third or fourth Wednesday of the month. Regardless of which Wednesday of the month you get paid, any month that has five Wednesdays in it will mean that your next payment will not be paid for five weeks instead of the usual four weeks. In 2025, those five-Wednesday months are January, April, July, October and December.

Of course, most seniors are accustomed to asking for a “senior discount,” but remember to do so with every vendor or service provider, as not all advertise the discount. Other sources of senior discounts may be available through your AARP or AAA memberships. Just ask. Also, there are a number of programs, rebates and savings tips that will help seniors stretch their budget.

Some programs are income-based, if so, the first step is to see if you qualify. Where applicable, websites with more information will be listed here for online information and applications. Also, you may obtain assistance in applying for programs by contacting the office of your local state representative or your county assistance office. A list of offices will follow at the end of this article.

Vehicle insurance — Have you revisited your vehicle insurance coverage since you retired? A simple phone call to your insurance broker letting them know of your retirement should qualify you for “pleasure” use coverage instead of “work” use coverage, and qualify you for a corresponding reduction in premium cost. Your policy will tell you what use category you are rated at.

Pennsylvania vehicle registration — Individual senior applicants who are retired and receiving Social Security, SSI payments, or retirement benefits, and whose income from all sources does not exceed $29,906, can renew their vehicle registration (less than 9,000 lbs.) for a reduced rate of $12. You will need to submit form MV-371 Application for a Retired Person’s Processing Fee on a Vehicle Registration, along with your regular registration renewal form that you receive in the mail. (pa.gov/services/dmv/apply-for-retired-status-vehicle-registration.html)

Pennsylvania property tax/rent rebate — You can receive up to $1,000 as a property tax or rent rebate, depending on your income. You will need a PA-1000 form, and any supporting documents required. Once you complete the form, you can determine what, if any, rebate you qualify for. Rebates are paid via direct deposit at the start of the new fiscal year. (pa.gov/services/revenue/apply-for-property-tax-or-rent-rebate.html)

Senior Farmers Market Nutrition Program (SFMNP) — This program provides low income seniors 60 or older with vouchers for Pennsylvania-grown fruits and vegetables. Only Pennsylvania farmers authorized by the state may accept and redeem the vouchers. A list of eligible fruits and vegetables will come with your vouchers and a list of over 1,000 approved vendors is available online. This is a win-win program, as seniors get to use the vouchers for nutritious seasonal food, and small local farms, orchards and produce providers are reimbursed by the state for vouchers used at their stands. 2025 income guidelines per household are one person, maximum $28,953, and two people, $39,128. Vouchers must be used by Nov. 30. This year’s program provides $25 worth of vouchers per person, although the amount may vary from year to year depending on available funding. (pa.gov/agencies/pda/food/food-assistance/farmers-market-nutrition-programs.html)

SNAP benefits (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) — This program helps provide low income Pennsylvanians with extra money to buy food at grocery stores, farmers markets, online retailers and more. You can apply online, or download a paper application and either deliver it in person to your county assistance office or mail it. The paper form is called the Pennsylvania Application for Benefits. It can also be used for applying for other benefits. The fat multipage application can be culled down to about five pages relevant to the SNAP program. Read each section before beginning and mark only the sections relevant to SNAP. You will need to supply supporting documents, as detailed on the application. Any funds awarded will be loaded to a dedicated SNAP EBT (Electronic Benefits Transfer) debit card, which will be issued, along with instructions on how to use it. (.pa.gov/agencies/dhs/resources/snap/snap-older-adults.html)

LIHEAP (Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program) — LIHEAP provides low income families with a cash grant to pay their heating bills. The grant is a one-time payment sent directly to your fuel provider/utility company to be credited on your bill, and can range in amount from $200 to $1,000, based on household income and number of people. The 2024-25 heating grant season is closed. The 2025-26 heating grant season will open in the fall of 2025. Applications can be found online in the fall or through your local county assistance office. (pa.gov/agencies/dhs/resources/liheap.html)

St. Luke’s Older Adult Meal Program — St. Luke’s University Health Network offers adults 65 and over a daily weekday dinner meal at some of its locations. The senior meal is offered Monday through Friday from 4 to 6 p.m. Meals include a choice of two entrées, with two hot sides (starch and vegetable), as well as a choice of a side salad or soup of the day, plus dessert and a 12 ounce drink. The price? Just $3.99. Take your debit or credit card; no cash is accepted. Meals are available at the St. Luke’s Anderson campus and the St. Luke’s original Ostrum Street location in Fountain Hill. Menus are available online. The cafeterias may be closed for holidays. There is a bonus if you go to the Anderson location — besides easy parking, there are also four walking trails, starting at the gazebo/pond area and ranging in length from .37 miles to 1.53 miles. Also, if you go a little later in the summer, you can also wander on walking paths laid out through acres of cosmos flowers and sunflowers. Perfect for photo ops and walking off dinner! (nutritics.com/menu/ma5051/)

Applications and forms for the above mentioned state programs are available online. You can also contact your local Pennsylvania representative for assistance with obtaining (and in some cases, transmitting) forms. Always call first with your requests or to schedule an appointment.

Northampton County

• State Rep. Steve Samuelson, 104 E. Broad St., Bethlehem 610-867-3890 (pahouse.com/Samuelson)

• State Sen. Lisa Boscola, 1 E. Broad St., Suite 120, Bethlehem 610-868-8667 (senatorboscola.com/)

• Northampton County Area Agency on Aging, 2801 Emrick Blvd., Bethlehem 610-829-4540

Lehigh County

• State Rep. Jeanne O’Neill, 1080 Schadt Avenue, Whitehall 610-266-1273 (pahouse.com/McNeill/)

• State Sen. Lisa Boscola, 1 E. Broad St., Suite 120, Bethlehem 610-868-8667 (senatorboscola.com/)

• Lehigh County Aging and Adult Services, 17 S. 7th Street, Allentown 610-782-3255