Implementing Benefits Eligibility + Enrollment Systems: A Review of State Practices

Integrated eligibility and enrollment systems allow people to apply for multiple public benefits—such as Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, Medicaid, childcare assistance, and Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF)—through a shared process rather than separate applications. This Digital Government Network webpage offers various publications which examines how states build and maintain these systems, including the technology, staffing, policy decisions, and coordination required to make them work. The research draws on interviews with government employees in seven states and offers guidance for agencies and partners involved in system design and implementation. TANF administrators can use the findings to consider how their state’s benefits systems could make applications easier to navigate, coordinate program rules more effectively, and respond to policy changes while minimizing unnecessary administrative burdens for staff and families.