Benefits Data Trust’s closure should prompt us to rebuild the flawed public benefits system

When Benefits Data Trust answered the last call at its center in Philadelphia on Thursday, July 25, we lost an important player in the effort to make public benefits more accessible to the Philadelphians who need them.

But the truth is, the nonprofit (which provided live help in navigating a complex patchwork of benefits programs) never should have had to exist in the first place. Although BDT isn’t shutting down the entirety of its operations until Aug. 24, the call center closed last week, and while its work is likely to be picked up by others, its closure marks an opportunity to reexamine — and improve — the benefits system.

More than $450 million in public benefits — that can help people afford food, utilities, health care, housing, childcare, and more — go unclaimed by eligible Philadelphians each year. These benefits can improve health outcomes and quality of life and provide the stability people need to achieve economic mobility.

There are many reasons why these benefits are left on the table: people don’t know they are eligible or feel shame enrolling; applications are complicated and time-consuming; varied eligibility requirements mean that even if a household is enrolled in one benefit, it’s not connected with other benefits.

All of these issues share a common cause: the current benefits system was designed to prevent waste and fraud, not for efficiency, ease of use, or to preserve the dignity of those who access it.

This has led to a parallel system in which both public and private dollars are spent to help people get the benefits to which they are entitled by law. My colleagues and I identified more than 35 local nonprofits that provide benefits assistance as one of their core services.

And this help is essential.

In Poverty, by America, sociologist Matthew Desmond reports that two-thirds of claims for Social Security disability benefits are initially denied. When rejected, applicants appeal — which can typically take more than a year — and more than half eventually receive benefits. According to Desmond, more than $1.2 billion was spent on claimant legal representation in 2019.

Philadelphia has taken recent strides toward a more efficient, accessible system. The city’s Water Department made enrollment in its discount program for low-income households automatic. The city’s Office of Community Empowerment and Opportunity supports BenePhilly, a network of five organizations that serve as trusted, community-based sources for benefits access assistance.

At the national level, the Social Security Administration last month updated its database of jobs for the first time in 47 years so that disability claimants can no longer be denied benefits based on their ability to do jobs that have become obsolete in the U.S. economy — like pneumatic tube operator or nut sorter.

But there’s still plenty more to be done.

The Pew Charitable Trusts recently convened local providers, public officials, and other stakeholders to identify promising approaches for improving access. Three primary recommendations emerged: The first is promoting a “no wrong door approach” to accessing benefits. Nonprofit organizations and public agencies should collaborate more closely so that applicants, regardless of where they enter the system, have a seamless experience accessing multiple benefits.

Another recommendation is that local, state, and federal agencies improve how they share data to enhance outreach, enrollment, and recertification efforts.

And finally, it’s essential that service providers and public agencies build a shared vision to coordinate action and accountability and to combat the stigma and social barriers that prevent people from receiving the benefits to which they’re entitled.

We must seize this moment to reenergize our efforts to rebuild the system to work efficiently and treat people with dignity. When all who are eligible can readily access needed assistance, more Philadelphians can thrive — which contributes to a healthy, vibrant city, and benefits us all.

Kristin Romens is director of the Pew Charitable Trusts’ Fund for Health and Human Services in Philadelphia. More information can be found at pewtrusts.org/pewfund.