What is it Like to Apply for SNAP and Other Work Supports?

“Research shows that access to food, health care, and child care helps families not only while they are receiving assistance, but decades later. The rest of society benefits as well, through the families’ increased tax revenue….Applying for assistance, though, can be daunting. Because application and recertification are complex processes in many states, among other reasons, some eligible individuals and families do not receive support or only receive some benefits for which they are eligible” (p.2-3).

“In this brief, [the authors] first look at the typical process of applying for work supports, then discuss clients’ reports of what they would do to improve the application experience, and finally examine how the experience differs for different groups of clients” (p.3).

Work Support Strategies (WSS) “was a multiyear, multistate, foundation-funded initiative to help low-income families get and keep the package of work supports for which they are eligible. Colorado, Idaho, Illinois, North Carolina, Rhode Island, and South Carolina were selected competitively to participate in WSS, first in a planning and design year in 2011 and then in the implementation phase, from 2012 to 2015.

Through grants, expert technical assistance, and peer learning, the initiative helped states reform, modernize, and align the systems delivering work support programs intended to increase families’ well- being and stability, particularly [the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program] SNAP, Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program, and child care assistance through the Child Care and Development Block Grant. Through WSS, states sought to streamline and integrate service delivery, use 21st-century technology, and apply innovative business processes to improve administrative efficiency and reduce the burden on states and working families, all toward the goal of increasing participation and retention to support work and well-being.

Findings from the WSS evaluation are based on analysis of hundreds of individual and group interviews conducted during annual site visits to the six states over the four years of planning and implementation; hundreds of quarterly reports, planning documents, and other written materials submitted by the states; other documents obtained through secondary sources; state administrative data tracking key outcomes over time; and additional data from client experience surveys and client focus groups conducted by the evaluation team in selected states” (p.4).

(Abstractor: Author and Website Staff)

“When people applying for work supports share their thoughts on how to improve the process, three areas rise to the top: faster benefit receipt, better interactions with staff, and clearer information…. [The] survey asked clients what customer service improvements related to timeliness and process were most important to them. `Getting benefits sooner’ was their most frequent response. Faster benefit delivery was the top priority of 40 percent of SNAP applicants surveyed in South Carolina, 36 percent of applicants in Illinois, and 29 percent of applicants in Colorado….State and county workers in [the] focus groups were also concerned about clients’ delays in receiving benefits, especially when backlogs developed and clients were waiting beyond the maximum 30 days for SNAP or 45 days for Medicaid” (p.5). “Clients’ experiences with staff tend to be associated with other aspects of the application experience, including the office environment and the length of time they spend waiting there….When asked which customer service improvements were most important to them, `being treated more respectfully’ was the top priority for 15 to 17 percent of survey respondents. An additional 7 to 11 percent identified `improved privacy and confidentiality’ as their top priority. Clients in [the] focus groups also spoke of their desire to be treated respectfully” (p.7). “Understanding the application process is also vital to clients. About three-quarters of SNAP applicants reported that the clarity of information was good or excellent, but this response varied by type of client” (p.7). “Clients of different ages and work status reported different levels of satisfaction with the application process, possibly indicating different expectations. Clients who were not working and at either end of the age spectrum reported higher levels of satisfaction than those who were working or middle aged” (p.8). “[Clients’] state social service agency and local social service office can help them access these supports by using fast, efficient processes, interacting with them respectfully, and providing clear information on how to apply for and maintain supports. For straightforward applications, the social service agency could aim to provide clients with benefits on the same day they apply. The office can also improve access by offering a range of options for how to apply” (p.10). (Abstractor: Author and Website Staff)

• Last Updated:
• Created:
• Resource Publication Date: 2017
• Author(s): Hahn, Heather; Katz, Michael; and Isaacs, Julia B.
• Organizational Author(s): Urban Institute
• Funding Source: Annie E. Casey Foundation, Ford Foundation, Open Society Foundation, Kresge Foundation, JP Morgan Chase
• Resource Availability: Publicly available
• Posted by: Wesley Peterson
• Posted in: Workforce System Strategies