GovBenefits.gov Adds State Programs

The U.S. Department of Labor, in conjunction with the Office of Management and Budget, today announced the launch of a new version of GovBenefits.gov, a Web site developed to serve citizens as the first government-wide resource for citizen benefit information and eligibility screening. In addition to all citizen-focused federal benefit programs, this new version of GovBenefits.gov also includes state benefit programs from: Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Georgia, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, New Mexico, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, South Dakota and Utah. The state benefit program information that can now be found on the site includes: Food Stamps, Medicaid, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families and State Children's Health Insurance Programs. With these enhancements, GovBenefits.gov has taken concrete steps toward providing a single place for both federal and state benefit program information.

GovBenefits.gov has also undergone a homepage redesign, has a more streamlined questionnaire, features improved access for assistive devices, and includes a survey to help measure customer satisfaction and guide future improvements.

"GovBenefits.gov is dedicated to making government benefit information easier for citizens to obtain," said Patrick Pizzella, assistant secretary for administration and management and chief information officer at the Department of Labor. "One important way the site has done that is by exploring the previously uncharted territory of providing a single place for both federal and state benefit program information."

GovBenefits.gov is one of 24 key initiatives that comprise the E-Government Strategy, an integral part of President Bush's management agenda, which focuses on: creating a more accessible government, saving taxpayer dollars, and streamlining citizen-to-government transactions. GovBenefits.gov is the collaborative effort of 10 federal agencies including: Departments of Labor (managing partner), Agriculture, Education, Energy, Health and Human Services, Housing and Urban Development, State, Veterans Affairs, Homeland Security, and the Social Security Administration.