Overview
OVC and the U.S. Department of Justice are committed to ensuring that older Americans have access to victim services so that they can experience a sense of security, peace of mind, and the support of their community.
OVC manages the following programs that provide services for victims of elder fraud and abuse.
Victims of Crime Act Victim Assistance and Victim Compensation Formula Grants
OVC administers two Victims of Crime Act formula grant programs that support crime victim assistance and compensation—the cornerstone of support for victims throughout the Nation.
Victim Assistance formula grants are awarded to states that fund state/local agencies and local service providers through subgrants.
These subgrants support direct services to crime victims in every state, territory, and Washington, D.C. More than 6,000 VOCA-funded organizations provided services ranging from individual advocacy, crisis intervention, and therapy to civil legal assistance, transportation, and emergency shelter to over 275,500 victims ages 60 and older in Fiscal Year (FY) 2024.
Victim Compensation formula grants provide funding to supplement state compensation programs that provide financial assistance and reimbursement to victims for crime. In FY 2024, there were 13,000 individuals aged 60 and older who applied for crime victim compensation benefits.
In 2016, the Victims of Crime Act Formula Victim Assistance Rule clarified and expanded states’ allowable uses of victim assistance funding. With this clarification, states were able to identify more ways to support all victims, including victims of elder abuse. View examples of state and local elder abuse programs supported with Victims of Crime Act formula funding.
Field-Generated Innovations in Addressing Elder Financial Exploitation
In collaboration with the U.S. Department of Justice's Elder Justice Initiative, OVC funded six national organizations around the country under the Field-Generated Innovations in Addressing Elder Financial Exploitation program. The grantees developed a series of resources to help elder justice professionals to optimize their response to elder abuse, neglect, and financial exploitation. Visit the Resources for Elder Justice Professionals section of the U.S. Department of Justice's Elder Justice Initiative website to view these videos, training guides, and other resources.
Transforming America’s Response to Elder Abuse: Enhanced Multidisciplinary Teams (E-MDTs) for Older Victims of Abuse and Financial Exploitation
In collaboration with the U.S. Department of Justice's Elder Justice Initiative, in FY 2019 OVC funded 13 organizations totaling $4.9 million dollars under the Transforming America’s Response to Elder Abuse: Enhanced Multidisciplinary Teams (E-MDTs) for Older Victims of Abuse and Financial Exploitation solicitation. The focus of these awards is the development and/or enhancement of E-MDTs to better identify and respond to cases of abuse and more comprehensively serve and support victims of elder abuse and financial exploitation.
OVC provided and an additional $2.2 million in funding to support the development of the National Elder Abuse Training and Technical Assistance Center to help strengthen the capacity of these E-MDTs.
In FY 2023, OVC funded seven organizations totaling nearly $3 million under this program, including six project sites and the Weill Medical College of Cornell University to expand the reach and scale its training and technical services.
National Elder Fraud Hotline
To help combat fraud against older Americans and provide services to victims, OVC manages the National Elder Fraud Hotline. If you or someone you know is a victim of elder fraud, we encourage you to call the hotline at 833-FRAUD-11 (833-372-8311).