Accessible identity verification and benefits enrollment is ‘more important than ever,’ expert says

States are facing a changing public benefits landscape as the federal government moves to alter rules for public assistance programs like Medicaid and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program under H.R. 1. The changes call for states to adopt new payment models and work requirements, which one expert says could require beneficiaries to engage more with benefits systems to enroll or stay enrolled. 

“State agencies are very likely to require additional consistent touch points with beneficiaries in coming years to make sure that they have accurate and up to date information,” said Elizabeth Bynum Sorrell, senior research and engagement manager for the Digital Benefits Network at the Beeck Center for Social Impact and Innovation. 

Too much friction or burden throughout the process of applying for or verifying one’s identity for benefits enrollment could push some people to “seek alternative paths, delay application or forgo applying altogether,” according to a new research released today from the Beeck Center for Social Impact and Innovation in partnership with the Public Policy Lab. 

To help reduce people’s loss of public benefits, “it’s really imperative that the process of interacting with agencies in those moments — for example, reaccessing portals and accounts — is as easy and straightforward as possible,” Bynum Sorrell said. “Getting that front door right, in this moment, is actually more important than ever.” 

The report offers strategies for benefit officials to help ensure access to benefits systems remains simple and usable for beneficiaries, based on interviews from subject matter experts and recipients of Medicaid, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program and unemployment insurance programs across Arizona, Massachusetts and New York. 

Distrust and skepticism toward governments’ use of personal data for digital identity management remain obstacles to residents applying for public assistance, according to the report. Some participants, for example, expressed concern regarding how their data was being stored or for how long, or they were confused as to why they had to submit the same personal information for separate enrollment forms. 

To help reduce friction during the digital identity proofing process, state agencies can improve communication about data collection or verification requirements, the report stated. 

For example, officials can promote messaging that explains to beneficiaries which personal data users will need to provide and why, helping users better understand forms they are completing or why they may need to interact with a third-party verification site at some point during the process, Bynum Sorrell said. 

Communication and transparency can also help agencies get beneficiaries on board with emerging digital identity management tools, like passkeys, which are authentication credentials that leverage public-key cryptography, according to the report. Passkeys are considered more secure than traditional passwords, experts say. 

“In our research, it was clear that folks want to be able to access their benefits and manage services online, but they do want their information to be secure and to remain private,” Bynum Sorrell said. By explaining why certain authentication methods are available, such as passkeys or multifactor authentication, and how they keep users’ information secure, the identity verification process could be smoother and more comfortable for beneficiaries, according to the report. 

Researchers also flagged that agencies may want to approach newer verification technologies, like biometrics or mobile driver’s licenses, with caution. Such solutions could further complicate the identity proofing verification process, and they pose unique accuracy and data privacy risks, the report stated. 

Biometric technology, for instance, has historically had higher rates of errors among people of color, and such data is harder to change in the event of a data breach, Bynum Sorrell said. Similarly, a mobile driver’s license can pose risks to users’ privacy, and create concern among residents regarding surveillance. 

Before implementing such strategies for identity verification, officials should consider developing stringent legislative and technical requirements for data protections and user privacy. 

Amid tech advances for benefits enrollment and verification, agencies should also not underestimate the public’s reliance on or preference for human support, according to the report. 

Research found that, even though contacting human staff often takes extra time, beneficiaries sometimes prefer speaking with staff directly to resolve issues like a question about their application or regaining access to their account. As the report stated, “human support might be the difference between accessing benefits and going without.” 

“In spite of me being a very tech-savvy person … I still find it more comfortable to go in person,  because when I do it online there’s that blockade that pops up,” one beneficiary told researchers, according to the report. “At least when I go up in person, even though I used to have to wait 3 to 6 hours at the [agency], it was worth it because I got some type of direction, or I got a little bit closer to being able to apply.”

For beneficiaries who are comfortable engaging with online tools, if “that service works well, is clearly explained and doesn't come with access issues — like logging back in or creating an account, or verifying who they are — that is very likely to reduce burden on the state agency as well,” Bynum Sorrell said. For example, she explained, “if you can design [digital identity processes] right up front the first time, think about the number of people who might not have to call the agency to ask questions or get help dealing with, [for example], a password reset issue.” 

“We do believe that investing in making that strong front door, both from like the digital identity piece of it, and also the overall application experience, is beneficial, not just to the client but to the state agency as well,” Bynum Sorrell said.