Benefits Access

COVID-19 is a long-lasting and complex disaster situation involving a public health emergency and an economic crisis, with particularly acute impacts for older adults, people with disabilities, and others with certain health conditions. States are responding with changes in policies and procedures to ensure individuals have access to public benefit programs (e.g. Medicare Savings Programs, LIS/Extra Help, SNAP, and LIHEAP). ADvancing States has a new brief highlighting where states are with benefit access and enrollment since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Results in the brief comes from the 2021 ADvancing States Membership Survey: COVID-19 Benefits Access and Enrollment, a follow-up to the 2020 survey.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, health risks and financial burdens for certain at-risk populations can make access to food challenging. This issue brief explores the adjustments that states have made to nutrition programs. The brief highlights examples of opportunities available and changes that states have made to ensure older adults and persons with disabilities have access to food during the pandemic. Data and findings are drawn from the ADvancing States 2020 COVID-19 Membership Survey.

This issue brief explores adjustments that states have made to processing eligibility and enrollment for benefits access, including changes to application and supporting document requirements. Examples of opportunities and adjustments that states have made to ensure older adults and persons with disabilities have access to critical benefit programs during the pandemic are highlighted. Data and findings are drawn from the ADvancing States 2020 COVID-19 Membership Survey.

This report provides a summary of changes that states have made to their systems for connecting individuals to benefits and explores state agency changes, challenges, and opportunities related to benefits access and enrollment during the COVID-19 crisis. Data and findings are drawn from the ADvancing States 2020 COVID-19 Membership Survey.