Author: Elizabeth Bynum Sorrell
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Project Snapshot: Policy Rules Database
The Policy Rules Database (PRD), developed by the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta and the National Center for Children in Poverty, consolidates complex rules for major U.S. federal and state benefit programs and tax policies into a standardized, easy-to-use format. This database allows researchers to model public assistance impacts, simulate policy changes, and analyze benefits cliffs across various household scenarios using common rules and language across different programming platforms.
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Project Snapshot: 18F’s Eligibility APIs Initiative
18F, a consultancy within the U.S. General Services Administration, developed a prototype API and pre-screener to model federal SNAP eligibility rules, aiming to simplify benefits access through open-source technology.
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Project Snapshot: Mes Aides
beta.gouv.fr, a French government incubator, developed Mes Aides, an online benefits simulator launched in 2014 to help residents assess their eligibility for various social programs, addressing the issue of unclaimed benefits. The tool, built with open-source technology, enabled users to quickly estimate their potential benefits but was later integrated into a broader platform in 2020 following internal government disputes over authority.
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Project Snapshot: Comprehensive Careers and Supports for Households (CCASH)â„¢
MITRE developed the Comprehensive Careers and Supports for Households (CCASHâ„¢) tool to help individuals understand and manage federal benefits and employment services, transitioning from a consumer-focused tool to a policy analytics system. By integrating data from sources like the U.S. Census and the Policy Rules Database, MITRE created a model that allows users to analyze and compare benefits eligibility across states, supporting evidence-based policymaking.
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Using Human-Centered Design to Integrate Benefit Applications
This guide illustrates how agencies can use human-centered-design practices to revise and integrate benefits applications.
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Matching and Verifying Client Data Using Linkages Across Benefit
This resource provides examples and practical guides that explain how to use existing regulations and data sharing agreements to transfer client information or eligibility status between benefit programs.
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Making Integrated Benefits Easy to Access Online and on Mobile Phones
This resource describes how different agencies have updated their systems to increase online and mobile access to benefits information and applications, including using text messages to share benefits information with residents.
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Integrating Renewals and Correspondence
This resource highlights strategies for integrating benefits renewals and correspondence, potentially reducing administrative burdens for both clients and caseworkers.
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Incremental Steps to Integrated Benefits
This guide outlines ideas for launching an integrated benefits application in stages, and strategies to pilot new tools.
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Cross Training Government Staff and Community Assisters on Multiple Benefits
The examples in this guide describe how peer-to-peer training and updated interview scripts can help connect residents to the benefits they are eligible for.
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Conducting Outreach for Benefits Cross Enrollment
This resource outlines strategies for cross-enrollment outreach, which can break down silos between programs and reach applicants who may be eligible for under-enrolled benefits programs.
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Building Modular, Reusable, and Flexible Components, Tools, and Formats
This resource contains specific examples that highlight the advantages of designing reusable code components, software tools, or design formats. This guide also illustrates the possibilities for connecting new components to existing system infrastructure.