The Urban Institute's report outlines actionable approaches for state governments and organizations to enhance the accessibility and retention of public benefit programs, focusing on service delivery, policy reforms, and technological advancements.
The article discusses key takeaways from BenCon 2023, highlighting the importance of creating equitable and ethical public benefits technology. It emphasizes the need for tech solutions that address systemic inequalities, ensure accessibility, and promote inclusivity for underserved communities in accessing public services.
The article outlines NYC Opportunity's "Designed by Community" program, which funds and empowers local leaders to create solutions for challenges in marginalized communities. Initially focused on government projects, the program pivoted during the pandemic to support community-led initiatives, with projects ranging from mentorship programs to tech tools for public housing residents.
MyFile NYC is a digital platform that allows New York City residents experiencing homelessness to securely store, share, and manage vital documents with the Department of Homeless Services, streamlining the process of establishing eligibility for public benefits. This pilot, launched in 2022, aims to improve service access by reducing barriers like communication and documentation challenges, while allowing users control over their information.
The NYC Mayor’s Office for Economic Opportunity (NYC Opportunity) developed the NYC Benefits Platform, including ACCESS NYC, to help residents easily discover and check eligibility for over 80 social programs.
The Digital Service Network (DSN) recently sat down with the Maryland Family and Medical Leave Insurance (FAMLI) team to learn more about an exciting role they’re hiring for.
In this presentation, Pia Andrews explores how open source legislation as code can be a public utility to increase transparency, and enable better implementation and testing of government systems.
Government agencies at all levels collect administrative data in the course of their day-to-day operations. While such information has been used to determine effectiveness through program evaluations for many years, program administrators view it increasingly as a valuable resource that can also be used to improve program performance. For example, administrative data from employment and public benefits programs such as Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) can offer insights into families’ unmet needs and ways to improve services.
This webinar addressed the near completion of the Medicaid continuous coverage unwinding, highlighting a net decrease of almost 10.6 million enrollees, including over 4 million children, and discussed next steps for state compliance, best practices, and outreach strategies to reconnect eligible individuals who lost coverage.
Report by the Aspen Institute discussing Benefits21, a multi-stakeholder, multi-faceted initiative to integrate and modernize benefits systems. This paper provides an overview of Benefits21, along with a discussion of the shortcomings of current public and private benefit systems.
This article discusses how Code for America enhanced the CalFresh application process to better assist self-employed individuals in accessing their full benefits by clarifying self-employment definitions and simplifying income verification.