Still Working, Still Contributing: The Senior Community Service Employment Program

For millions of older Americans, retirement is not a choice but a distant dream. Rising costs of living, inadequate savings, unexpected health expenses, and the loss of a spouse or partner force many adults well past age 55 to seek employment—yet they face an unforgiving job market that too often views age as a disqualification rather than an asset. Age discrimination, skills gaps, health limitations, and the rapid pace of technological change create barriers that can seem insurmountable for older job seekers, particularly those with low incomes and limited formal education.

The Senior Community Service Employment Program (SCSEP), authorized under Title V of the Older Americans Act, directly confronts this challenge. Funded by the U.S. Department of Labor and administered through a network of 18 national grantees and dozens of state grantees, SCSEP provides part-time, subsidized community service employment and job training for low-income individuals age 55 and older. Participants earn wages while gaining work experience and developing skills at nonprofit organizations and government agencies in their communities, with the ultimate goal of transitioning to unsubsidized employment in the private or public sector.

SCSEP is the only federal program specifically designed to help older Americans with limited financial resources re-enter the workforce. It serves approximately 40,000 participants each year across all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and U.S. territories, with authorized positions in virtually every county in the nation. The program not only provides income and purpose to older adults but also contributes millions of hours of community service annually to organizations that serve vulnerable populations—from food banks and senior centers to schools and hospitals.

Opportunity Snapshot

How SCSEP Works

The Community Service Assignment

The core of SCSEP is the community service assignment—a part-time position at a nonprofit organization or government agency where the participant works approximately 20 hours per week while receiving wages paid by the program. These host agency assignments serve a dual purpose: they provide the participant with meaningful work experience, current references, and updated job skills, while simultaneously providing the host agency with valuable labor to support its mission of serving the community.

Host agencies span a wide range of community organizations including senior centers and Area Agencies on Aging, food banks, food pantries, and meal delivery programs, libraries, schools, and educational institutions, parks departments and environmental organizations, hospitals, clinics, and healthcare organizations, Habitat for Humanity and other housing organizations, thrift stores and social enterprises, government offices including courts, public works, and social services, faith-based organizations providing community services, and American Job Centers and workforce development boards.

Participants are matched with host agencies based on their interests, existing skills, career goals, and the types of unsubsidized employment they hope to obtain. The assignment is structured as a training opportunity—not permanent employment—and is designed to build specific competencies that will make the participant competitive in the local labor market.

Wages and Benefits

SCSEP participants receive the higher of the federal minimum wage, the state or local minimum wage, or the prevailing wage for similar work in the area. Wages are paid directly by the SCSEP grantee or sub-grantee, not by the host agency. Most participants work approximately 20 hours per week, though the exact schedule may vary based on the participant’s needs, the host agency’s requirements, and the grantee’s policies.

In addition to wages, participants receive an annual physical examination paid for by the program. Many grantees also provide or arrange for additional supportive services including transportation assistance or reimbursement, work-related clothing or uniforms, tools and supplies needed for the assignment, assistance with obtaining identification documents, referrals to housing, food assistance, healthcare, and other social services, and accommodations for disabilities.

Training and Skill Development

Beyond the on-the-job experience gained through the community service assignment, SCSEP provides additional training to enhance participants’ employability. This training may include computer and digital literacy skills, customer service and communication skills, financial literacy and budgeting, job search techniques, résumé writing, and interview skills, English language instruction, specific vocational skills relevant to local employment opportunities, and workplace safety and professional conduct.

Many SCSEP grantees develop Individual Employment Plans (IEPs) for each participant that identify the participant’s employment goals, the skills and training needed to achieve those goals, the specific community service assignments and training activities that will build those skills, a timeline for transition to unsubsidized employment, and any barriers to employment that need to be addressed.

Transition to Unsubsidized Employment

The ultimate goal of SCSEP is not permanent subsidized employment but rather the participant’s transition to an unsubsidized job—a regular position in the private or public sector where the employer pays the wages. SCSEP grantees work actively to facilitate this transition through direct job placement services and employer outreach, partnerships with American Job Centers and workforce development boards, connections to other employment and training programs, on-the-job experience (OJE) arrangements where employers agree to hire participants after a trial period, and post-placement follow-up to ensure job retention.

The program measures its success in part by the percentage of participants who obtain unsubsidized employment. While older workers face significant labor market challenges, SCSEP has consistently demonstrated that structured training and community service experience can help even the most disadvantaged older adults find meaningful work.

Who Is Eligible

SCSEP eligibility is based on three primary criteria:

Age: You must be 55 years of age or older. There is no upper age limit—participants in their 70s, 80s, and even 90s have successfully participated in and benefited from the program.

Income: Your family income must be at or below 125% of the federal poverty level (FPL). For 2024, this is approximately $18,225 for an individual or $24,650 for a family of two. Income includes wages, Social Security benefits, pensions, and most other sources of income, though certain exclusions apply. Importantly, SCSEP uses family income—not household income—so if you live with adult children or unrelated individuals, only your income and your spouse’s income count.

Employment status: You must be unemployed at the time of enrollment. This includes individuals who are not working at all, individuals working only sporadic or intermittent hours, and individuals who have been laid off, terminated, or retired involuntarily.

Priority of Service

Because SCSEP has more eligible individuals than available positions, the program uses a priority of service system to determine enrollment order. The following groups receive priority consideration:

Veterans and eligible spouses of veterans receive the highest priority under federal law. Within the veteran priority category, additional preference is given to veterans who are also members of other priority groups listed below.

Additional priority groups (in no particular order among themselves) include individuals who are 65 years of age or older, individuals with a disability, individuals with limited English proficiency, individuals with low literacy skills, individuals who reside in a rural area, individuals who are homeless or at risk of homelessness, individuals who have low employment prospects, individuals who have failed to find employment after using services through the American Job Center system, and individuals who are formerly incarcerated.

SCSEP Grantees and How to Apply

SCSEP is administered through two types of grantees:

National grantees are organizations that receive funding directly from the Department of Labor to operate SCSEP in designated areas across multiple states. The 18 current national grantees include AARP Foundation (the largest SCSEP grantee), National Council on Aging (NCOA), Goodwill Industries International, National Able Network, SER-Jobs for Progress National, National Indian Council on Aging (NICOA), Associates for Training and Development (A4TD), Center for Workforce Inclusion, Easter Seals, National Asian Pacific Center on Aging (NAPCA), National Caucus and Center on Black Aging (NCBA), National Council of La Raza (UnidosUS), National Urban League, Senior Service America, Experience Works (now part of CWI), and several others.

State grantees are agencies designated by each state governor to operate SCSEP within their state. These are typically state agencies on aging, workforce development agencies, or their designees.

How to Apply

To apply for SCSEP, you can take several approaches. Contact your local American Job Center (find one at careeronestop.org) and ask about SCSEP enrollment. Contact your Area Agency on Aging (find one by calling the Eldercare Locator at 1-800-677-1116). Contact one of the national grantees directly—for example, AARP Foundation SCSEP at 1-800-747-1471. Contact your state’s SCSEP grantee through your state agency on aging. Or visit the Department of Labor’s SCSEP website at dol.gov/agencies/eta/seniors for program information and grantee contacts.

The enrollment process typically involves completing an application, providing documentation of age, income, and employment status, participating in an assessment of your skills, interests, and employment goals, and developing an Individual Employment Plan.

Duration Limits and Re-enrollment

SCSEP participation is subject to individual durational limits. Under current regulations, participants may remain in the program for a maximum of 48 months (four years). Time spent in SCSEP is cumulative—if you participate for two years, leave, and return, you have two years of remaining eligibility.

Grantees may grant extensions beyond 48 months in certain circumstances, such as when a participant is making progress toward employment goals but needs additional time, or when local labor market conditions are particularly challenging for older workers.

If you have exhausted your SCSEP eligibility but still need employment assistance, your grantee should help connect you with other workforce development programs and services available through the American Job Center system.

The Value of SCSEP

For Participants

SCSEP provides far more than a paycheck. Research and participant surveys consistently show that the program delivers income that supplements Social Security, pensions, and other fixed-income sources, updated job skills and work experience that make participants more competitive, social connections and a sense of purpose that combat the isolation many older adults experience, improved physical and mental health associated with productive activity and social engagement, a structured path back to employment that addresses the specific barriers older workers face, and self-confidence and dignity that come from contributing to the community.

For Communities

The community service component of SCSEP delivers enormous value to local organizations and the people they serve. SCSEP participants contribute an estimated 40 million hours of community service annually—the equivalent of roughly 19,000 full-time workers—at organizations that serve the most vulnerable members of our communities. Without SCSEP participants, many small nonprofits and community organizations would be unable to maintain their current level of service.

For the Economy

Investing in older workers makes economic sense. Older adults who are employed pay taxes, spend money in their local economies, require fewer social services, and delay or reduce their reliance on public benefit programs. The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects that adults age 65 and older will be the fastest-growing segment of the labor force in coming years, making programs that support their employment increasingly important to the national economy.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will SCSEP income affect my Social Security benefits? If you are below full retirement age and receiving Social Security retirement benefits, SCSEP wages could affect your benefits if your total earnings exceed the annual earnings limit. However, SCSEP wages do not affect Supplemental Security Income (SSI) in the same way as regular employment income—SCSEP wages are excluded from SSI income calculations. Consult your local Social Security office for guidance on your specific situation.

Can I participate in SCSEP if I have a disability? Yes. SCSEP actively recruits and accommodates individuals with disabilities. Host agencies are required to provide reasonable accommodations, and many grantees have staff specifically trained to serve participants with disabilities.

What if there are no SCSEP openings in my area? SCSEP positions are limited by funding, and waiting lists are common. If no positions are immediately available, your grantee should place you on a waiting list and connect you with other employment and training resources in the meantime, including services available through the American Job Center system.

Can I choose my community service assignment? Grantees consider your interests, skills, and employment goals when making assignments, and they will try to accommodate your preferences. However, assignments ultimately depend on available host agency positions in your area.

Is SCSEP available in rural areas? Yes. SCSEP is authorized in every state, territory, and the District of Columbia, and funding formulas ensure that rural areas receive their proportional share of positions. National grantees and state grantees both serve rural communities, and the program specifically gives enrollment priority to individuals residing in rural areas.

How to Get Started

1. Visit dol.gov/agencies/eta/seniors for program information
2. Call the Eldercare Locator at 1-800-677-1116 for local SCSEP contacts
3. Contact your American Job Center at careeronestop.org
4. Call AARP Foundation SCSEP at 1-800-747-1471
5. Contact your state or local Area Agency on Aging
6. Reach out to any of the 18 national grantees directly

If you are 55 or older, have a low income, and are looking for a way back into the workforce, SCSEP offers a proven path—one that combines meaningful community service with practical job training, supportive services, and a real pathway to unsubsidized employment. Age is not a barrier. It is an asset. And SCSEP helps you prove it.