Benefits for seniors in Texas

Medicaid for people 65 and over

Texas Health and Human Services (HHSC) runs Medicaid for the Elderly and People with Disabilities (MEPD). It is for people 65 and over, and adults with disabilities, who live in Texas and are U.S. citizens or qualified non-citizens.

• Income (living at home): For programs that use SSI limits, income is at or below $994 a month for one person, or $1,491 for a couple. If you get SSI, you usually get Medicaid too.
• Savings and other assets: $2,000 for one person, or $3,000 for a couple.
• What it covers: Doctor visits, medicine, hospital care, specialists, vision and hearing care, and mental health care. It also covers long-term care, such as help at home and nursing home care.
• STAR+PLUS: Most adults on MEPD get their care through STAR+PLUS. You pick a health plan in your area. Some people stay in traditional Medicaid instead.

Long-term care Medicaid. Nursing home care and home care waivers use a higher income limit, called the special income limit: $2,982 a month for one person. The asset limit stays the same. If you live in a nursing home, you keep $75 a month for personal needs. If your spouse still lives at home, they can keep between $32,532 and $162,660 in assets, and may get a monthly allowance of up to $4,066.50. If your home equity is over $752,000, you may not qualify for long-term care.

Estate recovery. After death, Texas may seek repayment from the estate for certain long-term care services received after age 55; heirs are not asked to pay from their own money, and a hardship waiver form is available.

Help paying Medicare costs

Texas has the standard Medicare Savings Programs (MSPs). You must have Medicare Part A. Texas uses the federal limits.

• QMB (Qualified Medicare Beneficiary): Pays your Medicare premiums, deductibles and coinsurance. Income up to $1,350 a month for one person, or $1,824 for a couple.
• SLMB (Specified Low-Income Medicare Beneficiary): Pays your Part B premium. Income up to $1,616 a month for one person, or $2,184 for a couple.
• QI-1 (Qualifying Individual): Pays your Part B premium. Income up to $1,816 a month for one person, or $2,455 for a couple.

Asset test: Yes. Savings and other assets must be under $9,950 for one person, or $14,910 for a couple.

Texas lists its income limits after taking off the first $20 of monthly income that is never counted, so the numbers on state pages look a little lower. They are the same limits. Some income is not counted, so apply even if you are a little over.

If you get any MSP, you also get Extra Help with drug costs automatically.

Prescription drug help

The main help with drug costs in Texas is the federal Extra Help program. It lowers your Part D premium and copays. You can get it if your income is below 150% of the federal poverty level, about $23,940 a year for one person in 2026. If you have full Medicaid or an MSP, you get it without a separate application.

Extra state payment with SSI

Texas does not add a state payment to SSI for people living in their own home. The state supplement goes only to SSI recipients living in a nursing home or similar care facility. If you live at home, your SSI is the federal amount, up to $994 a month for one person.

Food help

SNAP food benefits in Texas are run by HHSC.

• Simpler rules for older adults: Households with a member 60 or older, or with a disability, do not have to pass the gross income test. They can also deduct medical costs over a small monthly amount and their full shelter costs above half of their income.
• Texas Simplified Application Project (TSAP): If everyone in your home is 60 or older or gets disability payments, and no one has job earnings, you can use a shorter application. You are approved for three years instead of six months, and you do not need an interview at renewal.
• Senior Farmers Market Nutrition Program: The Texas Department of Agriculture gives some low-income seniors vouchers for fresh produce at farmers markets. It is not offered statewide. Call 877-TEX-MEAL (877-839-6325) to ask.
• Meals: Your Area Agency on Aging can tell you about home-delivered and group meals for people 60 and over. Call 800-252-9240.

Help staying at home

• STAR+PLUS Home and Community Based Services (HCBS): For people who would otherwise need nursing home care. It pays for services that help you live at home. You must meet the medical need rules, the special income limit, and need at least one waiver service. You may have to wait for an open slot.
• PACE (Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly): For people 55 and over who need nursing home level care but can live safely at home with support. It is only offered in some parts of Texas.
• Where to start: Call an Aging and Disability Resource Center (ADRC) at 855-YES-ADRC (855-937-2372). ADRCs work in every county and can help you find and apply for long-term care.

Property tax and housing help

Contact your county appraisal district to apply. Use Form 50-114, the Residence Homestead Exemption Application.

• School tax exemption: Every homeowner gets $140,000 off the home's value for school taxes. If you are 65 or over, or disabled, you get another $60,000 off. You can get the 65 or disabled exemption, not both.
• School tax ceiling (freeze): Once you qualify for the 65 or over exemption, your school taxes on your home cannot go up above what you paid that year, as long as you own and live there. Taxes can go down. Major improvements can raise the ceiling. You can move part of the ceiling to a new Texas home.
• Local exemptions and ceilings: Cities, counties and junior college districts may give an extra exemption of at least $3,000 for people 65 and over, and may also freeze their taxes. Ask your appraisal district what your area offers.
• When to apply: In the year you turn 65. The exemption covers that whole year. The general deadline is before May 1, and late applications are accepted for up to two years.
• Surviving spouse: If your spouse had the 65 or over exemption and you were 55 or older when they died, you may keep it.
• Tax deferral: If you are 65 or over, you can put off paying property taxes on your home. Interest of 5% a year adds up while the taxes are deferred. Penalties do not start while the deferral is in place.
• Pay in parts: You can split your home's taxes into four payments with no penalty if you tell the tax office with the first payment.

Help with energy bills

The Comprehensive Energy Assistance Program (CEAP) is Texas's version of LIHEAP. The Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs (TDHCA) runs it through local agencies in all 254 counties.

• Who qualifies: Income at or below 150% of the federal poverty level. For 2026, that is $23,940 a year for one person or $32,460 for two.
• What it pays: Help with utility bills and fuel, including propane. Crisis help if your service is cut off or about to be. Some heating and cooling repair.
• Priority: Homes with a vulnerable member or very high energy bills can get help for more months.
• How to apply: Find your local CEAP agency on the TDHCA "Help for Texans" page at tdhca.texas.gov/help-for-texans. Agencies must take applications in more than one way, and must help people who are homebound.

Free help and counseling

• HICAP (Texas Health Information, Counseling and Advocacy Program): This is Texas's State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP). Counselors give free help with Medicare, Medicaid, MSPs and long-term care. Call 800-252-9240.
• Area Agencies on Aging: Help for people 60 and over and their caregivers. Call 800-252-9240.
• Aging and Disability Resource Centers: 855-937-2372 for long-term care questions.
• 2-1-1: Dial 2-1-1 to find local services and ask about state benefits.

How to apply

Check what you may qualify for