Integrating Social Safety Net Benefits: Options for State and County Agencies Informed by Recent Integration Successes

Millions who qualify for one public benefit program (like SNAP) will also qualify for others, but each program’s complex application and renewal process can make it difficult to enroll in one program, let alone multiple. While many people in government know that it would be less burdensome for residents and caseworkers if benefit applications, renewals, and enrollment outreach were integrated across programs, making this change can seem daunting, and it is difficult to know where to begin.

We created a series of guides to showcase how government agencies in Michigan, Minnesota, Louisiana, and Vermont have worked with organizations like Code for America, Nava, Civilla, and Benefits Data Trust to successfully pilot and scale different ways to integrate benefits that can help make more programs more accessible. We hope that all state and local government agencies can find ways in these guides to take manageable steps that can build upon each other to create large-scale change, especially now with funding from the American Rescue Plan.

Find all of the guides on the Digital Benefits Hub: 

 

Reach out to us if you have questions about these guides or want to share how your government agency or organization is making information about public benefits more accessible: digitalbenefits@georgetown.edu

Associated Projects

Contributing Authors

Sara Soka

Sara Soka

Fellow

Elizabeth Bynum Sorrell

Elizabeth Bynum Sorrell

Project Researcher, Digital Benefits Network