mRelief is a nonprofit that helps individuals in all 53 U.S. states and territories determine SNAP eligibility and apply using easy-to-use web and text tools. Their simplified, inclusive approach has supported over 2.7 million people and unlocked over $1 billion in benefits, focusing on minimizing barriers and adapting eligibility rules across states.
Across the United States, a number of state and local governments are embarking on digital transformation efforts. This case study is part of the Beeck Center’s Digital Service Teams project, which is learning how leading government digital service units are introducing new approaches to service delivery. Beeck Center researchers are documenting work as it happens, including analyzing challenges and opportunities, and disseminating this information to benefit both the people of New York City and collaborators in other governments.
The team examined how AI, specifically LLMs, could streamline the case review process for SNAP applications to alleviate the burden on case workers while potentially improving accuracy.
The team explored using LLMs to interpret the Program Operations Manual System (POMS) into plain language logic models and flowcharts as educational resources for SSI and SSDI eligibility, benchmarking LLMs in RAG methods for reliability in answering queries and providing useful instructions to users.
The team developed an application to simplify Medicaid and CHIP applications through LLM APIs while addressing limitations such as hallucinations and outdated information by implementing a selective input process for clean and current data.
Teams crafting policy inside and outside government can use the assessment to center their policy-making activities around those most impacted by their proposed programs and policy ideas.
DSN Spotlights are short-form project profiles that feature exciting work happening across our network of digital government practitioners. Spotlights celebrate our members’ stories, lift up actionable takeaways for other practitioners, and put the resources + examples we host in the Digital Government Hub in context.Â
DGN Spotlights highlight innovative digital initiatives transforming how government connects with the public. This story explores Seattle’s Youth Connector—a youth-informed digital platform and outreach strategy that aims to make youth programs easier to find, access, and trust.
The A11y Jam opening session that introduces the April 2026 DOJ digital accessibility requirements and provides practical, plain-language guidance for government teams preparing for compliance.
