New Brookings research finds that streamlining the benefits application process increases WIC application and enrollment rates

We’ve all been there: waiting on hold with customer service, or in line for hours at the DMV. Being stuck in a bureaucratic morass is frustrating and time-consuming; known as administrative burden, this phenomenon is unfortunately a regular feature of modern life.

For some, however, administrative burden is more than an annoyance; it’s an obstacle to getting essential government benefits and assistance. Because the process can be so confusing, opaque, and difficult, many people end up not signing up for the help they need for themselves and their children, even though they are eligible.

New research by two Brookings scholars has found that giving people clear information about the in public assistance application process and helping them apply can significantly increase the number of people who apply, as well as the number who ultimately enroll. These findings highlight an important (yet simple) solution to the longstanding problem of under-enrollment in programs designed to support people in poverty.

Researchers, activists, and citizens have long realized that enrolling in benefits programs often requires applicants to complete a series of complex and often inflexible steps. In many cases, a single small mistake—an incomplete form or missed deadline—can land the applicant back where they began.

Researchers Jon Valant and Lindsay Weixler examined innovative strategies to streamline the application process. Valant, a senior fellow in the Brookings Governance Studies program, and Weixler, co-director of the New Orleans Collaborative for Early Childhood Research at Tulane University, focused on administrative burden in Louisiana, a state with a substantial population of low-income families who need assistance for  a range of needs, including childcare, food insecurity, and education.

Valant and Weixler examined sign-up rates for free early childhood education and WIC, the federal food assistance program for women, infants, and children.

The process of enrolling in government benefits programs is rife with issues. That’s partly due to the fragmented nature of these programs. Often, different agencies administer programs like SNAP (food stamps), Medicaid, and WIC. As a result, applicants may need to submit applications to each agency. Furthermore, each application may have different deadlines and requirements.

Valant and Weixler partnered with several government agencies in Louisiana to experiment with innovative ways to increase applications and enrollment. They used a randomized controlled trial to test if providing SNAP applicants with information or support about other programs—WIC and early childhood education (ECE) programs—could lead more individuals to apply and enroll in these programs.

The trial consisted of three groups:

• A control group that got no help with applications;
• An “information” group was notified of their likely eligibility for these other programs and provided with links to their applications;
• A group that, in addition to receiving information, could click a button on the SNAP application to transmit information to the agencies administering WIC or free ECE.

Valant and Weixler found that those who got information and those who got support were significantly more likely to apply and to enroll in the programs. About 29% of those in the control group applied for WIC. By comparison, 38% of the information group and 37% of the support group applied. The results are consistent with the researchers’ previous work, which has also found that simplifying processes helps more people apply and enroll.

The effects on application rates were especially large for certain subgroups of applicants. This includes families with children older than one year; the researchers hypothesize that these parents may not have been aware of the WIC benefits extend to non-infant children. They also saw particularly large effects for Hispanic applicants.

The new approaches had a more modest effect on enrollment. The control group rate was a little over 23%, while the information group was just under 28% and the support group was 28%. The researchers say that even with the changes, families still face significant barriers to enrollment.

The authors also note that some of these administrative burdens aren’t accidental; they are deliberate attempts to keep people from accessing benefits. Some interviewees expressed concern that if policymakers want to increase the difficulty in applying, a more unified application process could actually end up making it harder for people to apply for all programs. If this were to happen, families could find themselves locked out of programs that were previously easier to access.

“We need to be very aware of the obstacles that keep people from accessing resources they need,” Valant said. “I’d like to see more policymakers look at the programs they administer through the eyes of the potential beneficiaries—and work with them to remove those obstacles.”

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