Policy & Practice | Fall 2026

By Melissa Wolf from our partners

Leveraging Verification to Create the Future of Benefits Eligibility: Why Purpose-Built Verification Is the Foundation for Modernizing Human Services Administration

F or 22 years, I sat on the “other side of the table.” As a leader of human services programs like Medicaid and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), I lived the reality that most agency directors face today: the constant pressure of shrinking timelines, the weight of massive case loads, and the persistent, nagging frustration of seeing applicants in moments of genuine need stalled by paperwork that was meant to help, not hinder, them. During my tenure, I reviewed countless technology solu tions that promised to “modernize” service delivery and lessen the pres sures that my team and I faced, but the promises often fell short. The reason is that many of these solutions were developed for use in other industries and then adapted for government. With stakes so high, as human services agencies across the country work to implement the expanded eligi bility requirements mandated by H.R. 1, improve accuracy, and absorb rising workloads, the verification technology they choose, and the genesis of the solution and what it was built to do, and for whom, matters more than ever. Why “Purpose-Built” Verification Is Critical for Human Services Agencies A purpose-built verification solution is one engineered, from the ground up, to address the unique regulatory and administrative complexities of human services, rather than simply adapting verification tools originally built to address other industries for

government use. A purpose-built approach ensures that the tools themselves are designed to reflect the specific realities of public benefit programs and drive outcomes that matter most, including accuracy, program integrity, and timeliness to deliver. By creating technology in deep collaboration with agency leaders, program experts, and applicants with lived experience, purpose-built solu tions speak the language of public services. They are designed to intervene at the most critical points of the eligi bility process, ensuring that agencies can prioritize program integrity and accuracy without creating unnecessary friction for those they serve. A purpose-built approach acknowl edges three key “customer groups” who must be served:

1. The Agency: The human services agency, which needs to maintain program integrity and meet federal reporting standards while regaining administrative capacity. 2.The Applicant: The applicant, who needs to submit income, hours, and employment to prove eligibility without being subjected to burden some “document chasing” that feels like a barrier. 3. The Taxpayer: The broader public, which expects and deserves govern ment efficiency and program integrity. Questions to Ask When Selecting a Verification Partner Choosing a verification partner is a strategic decision that goes beyond pro curement; it is a fundamental choice about how your agency will operate.

Illustration by Chris Campbell

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Policy & Practice Fall 2026