Promoting Equity and Dignity in Benefits Access: Supporting North Carolina and Washington in Advancing Statewide Change

Social safety net programs that provide children, older adults, and families access to food, medicine, and other critical assistance have been an invaluable part of America’s COVID-19 response and remain equally vital in the face of persistent inflation. Yet antiquated technologies and practices continue to present monumental challenges to connecting people easily and efficiently to benefits like SNAP, Medicaid, and WIC. What would the country’s response to these emergencies have looked like if our systems were designed to help every eligible person quickly and easily receive assistance? And how could modernizing the benefits system today enable states to recover from the pandemic while strengthening health, education, and economic outcomes tomorrow?