If you’re 55 or older and struggling to find work, there’s a federal program that could pay you while you build new skills and prepare for your next job.
It’s called the Senior Community Service Employment Program, or SCSEP.
SCSEP provides paid, part-time community service assignments for eligible unemployed adults age 55 and older. Participants can train at schools, hospitals, senior centers, nonprofits, government agencies, and other community organizations while receiving help finding regular employment.
And with changes to work requirements affecting some older SNAP and Medicaid recipients, this program may be especially worth knowing about.
Why SCSEP Matters Right Now
Recent federal changes expanded SNAP work requirements to additional older adults, including some people through age 64.
New federal Medicaid community engagement requirements will also affect certain adults ages 19 through 64, although implementation dates, exemptions, and individual requirements are different from SNAP.
That doesn’t mean everyone between 55 and 64 who receives SNAP or Medicaid has to work.
Both programs have exemptions, and the rules that apply depend on your circumstances.
If you are subject to a SNAP or Medicaid work requirement, participation in SCSEP may help you complete qualifying work or activity hours. However, don’t assume SCSEP automatically satisfies your individual requirement.
Ask your SNAP or Medicaid agency how SCSEP participation would be counted in your specific case.
You can also read our guides to SNAP work requirements and Medicaid work requirements for more information.
Who Qualifies for SCSEP?
SCSEP is specifically designed to help older adults with limited income who are having trouble finding employment.
Generally, you must:
- Be 55 or older;
- Be unemployed; and
- Have family income at or below 125% of the federal poverty level.
However, SCSEP has its own rules for determining what counts as income, so don’t assume you’re over the limit just by looking at your total household income.
For example, certain types of income and benefits may be excluded when SCSEP determines eligibility.
If you have a disability, SCSEP rules may also allow you to elect to be treated as a family of one when determining income eligibility.
Your local SCSEP provider can review your situation and determine whether you meet the program’s income requirements.
Who Gets Priority?
SCSEP has limited positions, so meeting the basic eligibility requirements doesn’t guarantee immediate enrollment.
Federal rules give enrollment priority to certain applicants.
That can include eligible veterans and qualified spouses who also meet applicable priority criteria, as well as people who:
- Are age 65 or older;
- Have a disability;
- Have limited English proficiency or low literacy skills;
- Live in a rural area;
- Are homeless or at risk of homelessness;
- Have low employment prospects;
- Have been formerly incarcerated; or
- Have been unable to find employment after using services through the American Job Center system.
Your local program can tell you whether positions are currently available or whether there’s a waiting list.
What Do You Actually Do in SCSEP?
SCSEP participants are placed in what’s called a community service assignment.
You could train at a:
- School;
- Hospital;
- Senior center;
- Daycare center;
- Nonprofit organization;
- Government agency; or
- Other qualifying community organization.
Participants generally serve an average of about 20 hours per week.
This isn’t unpaid volunteering.
SCSEP participants must be paid at least the highest applicable federal, state, or local minimum wage for compensable time, including qualifying orientation, training, and community service assignment hours.
Is SCSEP a Permanent Job?
No.
SCSEP is designed as a temporary training program and bridge to regular employment, not a permanent subsidized job.
While you’re enrolled, the program develops an individual employment plan with you and helps you build skills that may improve your chances of finding unsubsidized employment.
The program can also help with your job search.
There’s no guarantee that you’ll receive a permanent job at the end, but helping participants move into unsubsidized employment is one of SCSEP’s main goals.
If you’re already job-ready and don’t need SCSEP’s community-service training, you may instead be referred to an American Job Center or another employment service that can help connect you directly with available jobs.
How Long Can You Stay in SCSEP?
SCSEP isn’t intended to provide permanent subsidized employment.
Federal rules generally establish a 48-month lifetime participation limit.
There are circumstances in which an authorized extension may be available, but participants shouldn’t assume they’ll be able to remain in SCSEP indefinitely.
The program also rechecks participant eligibility periodically, generally at least once every 12 months.
The goal is to help you gain experience and skills and eventually transition into regular employment.
What Other Support Can SCSEP Provide?
A paycheck isn’t the only potential benefit.
Depending on your needs and the resources available through your local program, SCSEP supportive services may include help with things that could otherwise prevent you from participating or finding work.
That may include:
- Transportation;
- Work shoes or clothing;
- Uniforms;
- Tools required for your assignment;
- Eyeglasses;
- Dependent care;
- Temporary shelter;
- Medical services; and
- Personal or job-related counseling.
These services aren’t necessarily available to every participant, so ask your local provider what assistance is available in your area.
What Protections and Benefits Do Participants Receive?
Federal SCSEP rules also provide important protections for participants.
Participants must receive the appropriate wage for eligible orientation, training, and community service assignment hours.
Programs must also provide workers’ compensation coverage or equivalent protection for injuries related to the community service assignment.
SCSEP rules include provisions involving sick leave and federal holidays as well.
Participants may also be offered a physical examination. A physical exam isn’t something you have to “pass” to qualify for SCSEP.
SCSEP isn’t the same as a regular permanent job, though. Participants don’t receive every benefit that might come with traditional employment, and SCSEP participation doesn’t create a pension or permanent employment entitlement.
Could You Lose Your SCSEP Position?
Participants have responsibilities while enrolled.
You generally need to follow your individual employment plan and program requirements and make progress toward unsubsidized employment.
Federal rules allow programs to terminate participants under certain circumstances, including situations involving refusal of suitable employment opportunities.
That’s another reason to think of SCSEP as a pathway back into the workforce rather than a permanent part-time job.
Who Runs SCSEP?
SCSEP is funded through the U.S. Department of Labor under the Older Americans Act.
Programs are administered locally by state agencies and national nonprofit organizations.
That means the organization running SCSEP in your community may not be your state government.
Depending on where you live, a nonprofit organization may administer the program instead.
How Do You Apply?
The easiest place to start is the U.S. Department of Labor’s SCSEP page.
You can use the resources there to find the organization serving your area.
Your local Area Agency on Aging or American Job Center may also be able to connect you with the appropriate SCSEP provider.
When you contact the provider, ask about:
- Current openings;
- Income eligibility;
- Required documents;
- Available community service assignments;
- Supportive services;
- Waiting lists; and
- How to begin the application process.
Is SCSEP Still Available Right Now?
Yes.
SCSEP remains an active federal program, and the Department of Labor has issued funding and program guidance for the current program year.
However, the number of available positions varies by location.
If your local provider doesn’t currently have an opening, ask whether there’s a waiting list or another employment program that could help while you wait.
What If You Receive SNAP or Medicaid?
Don’t assume earning money through SCSEP will have exactly the same effect for every benefit program.
SNAP, Medicaid, housing assistance, SSI, and other programs can have their own rules for determining what income counts and how work or training participation is treated.
Likewise, don’t assume SCSEP participation automatically satisfies a SNAP or Medicaid work requirement.
Before enrolling specifically to meet a benefits requirement, ask the agency administering your benefits:
“Will my SCSEP participation and hours count toward my work requirement, and how will my SCSEP wages be treated when you calculate my eligibility?”
Getting that answer for your individual case can help you understand both sides of the equation before you enroll.
Relief Recap
If you’re 55 or older, unemployed, and have limited income, SCSEP could give you a way to earn money while gaining work experience and preparing for your next job.
Participants generally train around 20 hours per week in community organizations and receive at least the highest applicable federal, state, or local minimum wage.
You may also qualify for supportive services that help with transportation, work clothing, tools, dependent care, and other barriers to employment.
And if you’re facing a SNAP or Medicaid work requirement, SCSEP may be worth asking about. Just remember that being 55 to 64 doesn’t automatically mean you’re subject to a work requirement, and SCSEP participation doesn’t automatically satisfy one.
Start with the U.S. Department of Labor’s SCSEP page to find the program serving your area.
