‘Optionality’ could be the key to better customer experience, experts say
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As digital advances have prompted state agencies to innovate their benefits systems, experts say officials should first consider what residents want.
Governments are more likely to meet the needs of their constituents by approaching digital offerings as an option, rather than a replacement, according to a recently released report and open data set.
From the Beeck Center for Social Impact and Innovation at Georgetown University, the new report and open data about 162 benefits applications across the U.S. highlights various identity management strategies adopted by state agencies in 2024. The resource includes applications from six federally-funded and state-administered programs, including Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, Modified Adjusted Gross Income Medicaid, Child Care Assistance, unemployment insurance and Women, Infants and Children.
“Understanding the landscape is the first step to improving how digital identity is used to promote access and security and public benefits applications,” said Elizabeth Bynum Sorrell, senior research and engagement manager for the Digital Benefits Network at the Beeck Center for Social Impact and Innovation.
But while the future of government may be digital, states continue to recognize that digital services aren’t a silver bullet.
“One thing we always try to emphasize is having an online option can be a really important way to increase how folks are able to access services … but online-only is not going to work for everyone,” Bynum Sorrell said.
Many Americans, for instance, lack internet services or internet-enabled devices or the digital skills to navigate complex online forms. Plus, some people may not have an email address or may rely on someone else to help them access technology, said Ariel Kennan, senior director at the Beeck Center.
She added that it’s crucial for agencies to create as few barriers as possible for people looking to initiate their relationship with government agencies to access critical services and assistance they need.
Plus, smoother application and renewal processes are more helpful for agencies when applicants are able to navigate benefits systems without running into barriers, which Bynum Sorrell said “might make call center backlogs less likely to happen.”
In 2024, for instance, researchers found that 42 applications require identity proofing, up from 37 the prior year, but it remains optional for 19 applications.
At least 21 state agencies, according to the report, offer individuals different choices to conduct identity verification requirements for benefits claims, such as at a USPS facility. Researchers also found that 55% of non-UI applications prompt users to select their preferred communication preferences.
The report also found more online benefits applications —19 — are using optional account creation in 2024, up from 14 in 2023. Another 17 applications “do not appear” to require account registration, according to the report.
The “optionality” of presenting applicants with a choice about how and when they interact with benefits applications is a “promising practice” for state agencies looking to improve service delivery and customer experience, Bynum Sorrell said.
While in-person accessibility remains an important path for benefits applicants, the report also highlighted states’ efforts to expand benefits systems’ online availability. Several states made more benefits program applications available online, such as Alaska’s implementation of an online SNAP application and four new WIC applications, the report stated. Six other states have also brought child care program applications online, with some integrating it into their broader benefits portals.
The report found, for instance, that several state agencies using ID.me allow people to proof their identities via video call, document uploads or by submitting live selfies.
“The key here is beneficiaries and applicants are going to have different levels of comfort with access to technology, so building in choice from the beginning makes it more likely that folks using these systems will be able to successfully complete the application process or a renewal process,” Bynum Sorrell said.
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