Streamlining Government Assistance: How The Work Number Supports More Efficient Benefits Determinations

Government programs like the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), Medicaid, Social Security, and others form the backbone of the U.S. social safety net, providing a lifeline to those in need. The agencies that administer these programs face the challenge of ensuring recipients meet all eligibility requirements, including the verification of  income and employment, as efficiently as possible. 

Historically, this process often required applicants to embark on a quest to collect and submit documents like pay stubs and tax returns. Then case workers would have to take on the manual verification process, which is time consuming and resource intensive. Additionally, these verifications occur at multiple points of the process - when someone applies for a benefit or when it comes time to renew benefits and redetermine eligibility. These challenges can easily lead to unnecessary delays in delivering life-changing relief to families and individuals. However, through The Work Number, Equifax offers Social Service Verifications (SSVs) to help government agencies streamline and expedite  determinations at all stages of the process.

What is a Social Service Verification?

A Social Service Verification, or SSV, can play a pivotal role in the lives of eligible individuals and families that rely on social benefits like SNAP, Medicaid, and public housing. When someone fills out a benefits application or renewal form, it is up to the agency to verify the provided information and ensure eligibility. With a SSV, the agencies can leverage instant employment and income information from The Work Number to automate those verifications, helping deliver benefits to eligible applicants faster. And, efficient and effective delivery of assistance is crucial in a world where timely support can mean the difference between stability and hardship.  

How does The Work Number help simplify government benefit determinations?

The Work Number has emerged as the industry leading resource for many social service agencies nationwide when it comes to SSVs. In 2022 alone, 21 million individuals benefited from agencies’ ability to utilize streamlined SSVs through The Work Number, sparing them the burden of gathering and submitting form documentation manually.

The Work Number is a database powered by payroll data from more than 2.8 million employers and payroll providers of all sizes directly contributing data, making it the industry-leading centralized commercial repository of employment and income information available to credentialed verifiers in the United States. So when government agencies turn to The Work Number, they can access current income and employment data returned instantaneously for verification of eligibility for applicants. This not only speeds up delivery of benefits but also reflects the Equifax commitment to helping people live their financial best.

Social Service Verifications serve as a primary resource for government agencies, helping simplify and expedite the benefits determination process through current data, advanced analytics, cutting-edge technology, and industry knowledge. The primary goal is clear: helping ensure crucial resources quickly reach eligible people who need them. Whether verifying applicant information at the time of application or facilitating renewals, Social Service Verifications from Equifax Workforce Solutions can provide needed support. To learn more about how Equifax helps social service agencies provide government assistance quickly, visit our website.