Under Work Support Strategies, a major project on improving policy and practice in the delivery of public benefits, provided technical assistance to diverse state and county agencies on federal policies, requirements and flexibilities, best practices from other states, and the use of human-centered design, process mapping, behavioral economics, and rapid cycle testing to improve access to TANF, child care, SNAP and Medicaid. Resulted in increased share of cases with same-day decisions, a critical factor for preventing setbacks from spiraling into crises.

Led project to support learning community of state-based advocates in 15 states focused on administrative advocacy, resulting in policies that reduced administrative burden, more clear client communications, and effective use of technology, increasing enrollment and reducing churn.

Identified opportunities such as improving ex-parte renewals and using presumptive eligibility to streamline enrollment long before “administrative burden” became a common subject of conversation.
 

Related Publications 

• Lower-Basch and Mehta,  Putting the Pieces Together for Families with Young Children: Aligning State HHS, Nutrition, Child Care, and Paid Family Leave, CLASP, 2023.
• Lower-Basch and Fairbanks, Understanding State Contexts for Benefit Administration, CLASP, 2021.
• Lower-Basch, Fight Poverty, Hunger and Health Care Needs by Removing Barriers to Program Access, CLASP, 2020.
• CLASP, Using Administrative Advocacy to Improve Access to Public Benefits, 2020.
• Lower-Basch, Improving Access, Cutting Red Tape, APHSA Policy and Practice, 2017.
• Lower-Basch and Schmit, TANF and the First Year of Life: Making a Difference at a Pivotal Moment, CLASP, 2015.
• Lower-Basch and Dorn, Moving to 21st Century Public Benefits: Emerging Options, Great Promise, and Key Challenges, Coalition for Access and Opportunity, 2012.