Corralling the safety net: Can a benefit navigator improve take-up and employment?

• In Event: Administrative Burden in the Safety Net: Spillovers and Solutions

Abstract

The means-tested safety net is a complicated landscape of interacting yet uncoordinated programs (de Gregorio et al. 2022; Schmidt et al. 2025). Program complexity and uncertainty around benefit-to-income trade-offs limit participation as well as complicate decisions around work (Herd et al. 2025; NASEM 2023). This study evaluates the effectiveness of a novel caseworker tool — the Benefit Navigator — designed to address information barriers that prevent the optimal use of these programs. 

The Benefit Navigator, developed by Imagine LA, offers three integrated components: 1) a Benefit Information Hub provides standardized details on 11 benefits and 8 tax credits based on federal, state, and local policies in Los Angeles; 2) a Benefits Screener predicts eligibility and benefit amounts; and 3) a Scenario Planner illustrates how changes in earned income affect overall resources, by resource. We study whether this tool increases benefit take-up while supporting transitions toward financial independence.

We conduct two complementary analyses. First, we examine outcomes from a 2023 pilot with 9 social service organizations in Los Angeles. We rely on a roll-out design where some caseworkers were given immediate access to the Navigator while others could receive it later. Although initial implementation showed clear selection patterns in how caseworkers were assigned (by experience), these patterns varied by organization. Focusing on those organizations with no difference in caseworker experience provides promising results after three months: clients working with caseworkers using the Navigator accessed 0.3 more benefit programs on average and increased earned income by 12%.

The second analysis uses data from over 10,000 clients who have used the Navigator in Los Angeles to document the actual inceome-to-earnings gradient experienced by individuals seeking safety-net resources. We analyze patterns in Scenario Planner usage, including which income scenarios were explored and whether clients returned for reassessment after receiving this information. To our knowledge, this dataset provides a new perspective on how individuals seeking safety-net resources are engaged in the process and respond to information about benefit cliffs (and plateaus).

Although more research is needed, our preliminary findings suggest that improving information transparency around benefit interactions can simultaneously increase program participation and encourage steps toward financial independence. This research has implications for how social service agencies support clients in navigating complex systems and making informed decisions about work and benefits — potentially offering a scalable approach to addressing administrative burdens in the safety net.

Authors

• Robert Santillano, Santillano Research
  Presenting Author

• Jaime Thomas, Format Consulting LLC
  Non-Presenting Co-Author