Civic Tech Field Guide
Sharing knowledge and productively growing the fieldThe Tech > Govtech > Access social benefits - (75)
Systems that assist individuals in identifying government or community provided benefits and services.
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Does reducing stigma increase the take-up of rental assistance?
Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USARenters that received an informational postcard were 52% more likely to request an application for rental assistance and 24% more likely to submit an application than renters that did not receive a postcard.
Improving Delivery of the Social Safety Net: The Role of Stigma
United States of America (the)Article in Journal of Public Administration Research and Theory by Jessica Lasky-Fink and Elizabeth Linos
Deep learning for social services for the Barcelona City Council
Barcelona, SpainWith the collaboration of Universidad Pompeu Fabra (Barcelona), Eticas carried out an audit of the natural language processing (NLP) system from the Social Services area from the Barcelona City Council.
Inescapable AI
Los Angeles, CAEmploying a broad definition of AI, this report represents the first known effort to comprehensively explain and quantify the reach of AI-based decision-making among low-income people in the United States.
Mutual Aid NYC
New York City, NY, USAA network of neighborhood groups and network builders organizing to provide aid and support to New Yorkers.
TechTonic Justice
Los Angeles, CAA multidimensional, community-based effort to strengthen local justice movements and build long-term power among the people and communities that AI is leaving behind.
WorkMoney
United States of America (the)Connects Americans to public resources that help them lower their bills
Building a Digital Ecosystem for Refugees
"Nevada plans to launch a generative AI system powered by Google that will analyze transcripts of unemployment appeals hearings and issue recommendations to human referees about whether or not claimants should receive benefits."
Give Food
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (the)We're a UK charity that uses data to highlight local and structural food insecurity then provides tools to help alleviate it.
The Advocacy People
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (the)The Advocacy People support people in advocating for themselves with the NHS, or who are in care, under section in a hospital, secure unit or in the community, among other self-advocacy groups.
Asegura tu Derecho
Lima, PeruAsegura tu Derecho es una herramienta web que permite revisar información en un lenguaje accesible y elaborar el documento que se necesita presentar ante la Superintendencia Nacional de Salud (SuSalud) para la formulación de un reclamo.
Digital Identity in Public Benefits Research
Georgetown University, Washington, DCThe National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), the Digital Benefits Network (DBN) at the Beeck Center for Social Impact + Innovation at Georgetown University, and the Center for Democracy and Technology (CDT) are collaborating on a two-year-long collaborative research and development project to adapt NIST’s digital identity guidelines to better support the implementation of public benefits policy and delivery while balancing security, privacy, equity, and usability.
Find Local Help
200 Independence Avenue, S.W. Washington, D.C. 20201"Find Local Help is a tool from CMS, which runs HealthCare.gov, that connects people to in-person, one-on-one help signing up for health insurance. Users can enter their location and get a list of local experts who can help them complete the process for free." - Ad Hoc
New Practice Lab
Washington, DCThe New Practice Lab's theory of change is deceptively simple: we should design public goods and services the same way we design the most successful private goods and services— in partnership with the people who use them, and suited to the digital age in which we live.
Miracle Messages
San FranciscoWe offer family reunification services, a phone buddy program, and basic income pilots for people experiencing homelessness
Digital Benefits Hub
Georgetown University, Washington, DCA dynamic, open-source reference library for practitioners who are working through complexity to improve access to public benefits and services.
USAID One Window for Citizens
Cambodia (Kampuchea)USAID launched IVR and Facebook chatbot tools that will provide Cambodian citizens clear, transparent information on public services available to them through the Royal Cambodian Government’s One Window Service Offices (OWSO).
Digital Authentication and Identity Proofing in Public Benefits Applications
Georgetown University, Washington, DCCreated and published by the Digital Benefits Network, this open dataset and analysis documents identity proofing and authentication practices in online public benefits applications across the US, contributing to field-wide understanding about the digital identity landscape in public benefits, an important issue for equitable benefits access.
European Social Services Awards
BrusselsOrganised by the European Social Network, the Awards shine a spotlight on successful new approaches and the extraordinary ongoing work of public social services managers, funders, planners, providers, and deliverers of social services, as well as providing opportunities for exchange and mutual learning to improve social work policies and practice.
ConsiliumBots
New York CityConsiliumBots uses technology and data to help people make important decisions by turning complex and underutilized information into virtual assistance and personalized recommendations across education, housing, and other areas of government programs.
Indus Action
India (Bhārat)Indus Action helps vulnerable Indians access government entitlements to education, maternity and livelihood support.
Exygy Housing
San FranciscoA housing platform that simplifies, centralizes, and makes it easy for people to search and apply for affordable housing.
The Benefits Enrollment Field Guide
San FranciscoThe Benefits Enrollment Field Guide looks at the landscape of America’s safety net benefits experience in 2023 and tracks the differences from our 2019 assessment based on expanded evaluation criteria.
Customer Experience Projects
Washington, DCThe Biden Administration's approach to human-centered design to re-orient government around a core set of "life experience" personas
Namma Mahiti Kendras
BangaloreIT for Change’s Namma Mahiti Kendras are ICT-enabled information centers that aim to break down the barriers to citizens’ right-claiming processes.
Forage Payments
San FranciscoForage is a USDA approved third-party payment processor (TPP) and a PIN provider that authenticates and processes EBT transactions.
Fraudescorekaart
Netherlands (Nederland, Holland)An interactive scorecard where people can see if they would be flagged for social welfare fraud under the Netherlands' broken system
CCCNY Map of Community Resources in NYC
New York City, NY, USAMapping data on economic security, housing, health, education and more in NYC
"Google is working with non-profit groups like No Kid Hungry and FoodFinder, as well as the US Department of Agriculture, to aggregate 90,000 locations with free food support across all 50 states — with more locations to come." - Andrew J. Hawkins
Benefits Data Trust (BDT) is a national nonprofit that harnesses the power of data, technology, and policy to provide efficient and dignified access to assistance.
Safety Net Innovation Lab
San FranciscoOver the next seven years, building on the work we’ve already done to reimagine safety net services, we will partner with 15 states to reach 13 million people and unlock $30 billion in benefits in the areas of food assistance, health care, and other basic needs through our new Safety Net Innovation Lab.
Research with Code for America on CalFresh, by Donald Moynihan, Eric Giannella, Pamela Herd, and Julie Sutherland finds "hard evidence on the barriers administrative burdens pose."
Single Stop is an online screening tool that can quickly link students to federal, state, and local aid, with questions about household size, income, and location.
1Degree
San FranciscoEmpowering you to find what you need from over 26,000 free, up-to-date resources
Eligibee
BerkeleyEligibee is a free nonprofit tool that helps you find and apply for government assistance, making it easier to get the food, healthcare, and income supports you need today.
Propel
New York City, NY, USAWe build software for low-income Americans who are often overlooked by traditional tech innovation.
The New York Times on civic tech for social benefits
Open Path
BrattleboroOpen Path is a platform to help care providers, governments, hospitals, and insurance companies better serve people experiencing homelessness.
Eligibility API Initiative
GSA (General Services Administration), F Street Northwest, Washington, DC, USAInitiative by 18F to demonstrate the potential for API-enabled benefits eligibility logic services.
We work with government agencies, nonprofits, and communities to shape a social opportunity system that supports and propels the 100 million economically insecure people in the US
Pensa
Mozambique (Mocambique)The Ministry of Health (MISAU), in fulfilling its mandate to provide health services to all Mozambicans, has drawn up the Strategic Health Sector Plan (PESS) 2014-2019 with a view to “helping all Mozambicans, especially target groups vulnerable, to enjoy the best possible health, at an affordable cost
Bringing Social Safety Net Benefits Online
United States of America (the)Comparison of online social benefit platforms for all 50 US states
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