The study examined relationships among factors influencing utilization of social services by Hispanic elderly, particularly factors categorized as: (1) informal, such as support groups of family, kin, neighbors, friends, and (2) quasi-formal, such as church groups. Thirty-seven variables and data selected from a 1979-80 15-state survey of 1,805 noninstitutionalized Hispanic individuals aged 55 and over were utilized. Data were categorized by the Andersen-Newman model of service use according to three factors: (1) predisposing (demographic, social structure, and beliefs); (2) enabling (living arrangements; family relationships, knowledge of social services, friendships, perceived neighborhood cohesiveness, age, urban/rural residency, church attendance, and family income); and (3) need for care (health status, functional ability, perceived need). Knowledge of formal social services was found to have the strongest direct effect on use of services. Informal and quasi-formal factors affected use of services by contributing to the development of awareness of service availability and information about use. Findings suggest a need for the formal social service system to integrate its programs into existing social organizations and support groups within the Hispanic community, to train staff to refer clients to appropriate community-based services such as church groups, and to use mass media which are bilingual and focus on the Hispanic community to disseminate information about social services. The study emphasizes the importance to policymakers and service providers of understanding the correlates and predictors of formal social service use by Hispanic elderly. (LFL)