Benefits Data Trust Recognized for New Streamlined Application Process That Assures Delivery of State and Federal Benefits to Deserving Low-Income Sen

PHILADEPHIA--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Benefits Data Trust (BDT), a Philadelphia-based, non-profit organization, was recently featured in Governing Magazine for its successful retooling of the state and federal benefits application process for low-income seniors. In the article “Mending Safety Nets with Technology”, Feather O’Connor Houstoun, President of the William Penn Foundation, says that the organization’s streamlined application process is a “stunning breakthrough” that lessens the burden for low-income seniors who no longer have to deal with the “cumbersome inefficient system” that once deterred them from their deserved benefit funds.

Since its inception in 2005, BDT has assisted low-income seniors in their effort to receive state and federal benefits. The new application process, which is motivated by the overall goal to make a positive impact in the lives of low-income senior citizens across the nation, features an innovative outreach and application model that uses list strategies, direct mail and call center technologies. This new approach has revolutionized the siloed eligibility determination process that stretches across multiple federal and state agencies and is laden with paperwork for both the applicant and social worker.

According to William Penn Foundation President, Feather O’Connor Houston, while technology enabled this process integration, “human vision is what turns the process from vertical hurdles into a client-centric safety net.”

To date, BDT has contacted more than 2.1 million seniors by mail and spoken with 226,000 by phone. BDT has successfully completed more than 155,000 applications for public benefits and enrolled more than 115,000 seniors in benefits programs. This one-time enrollment effort on the part of BDT benefits and enrolls more than 115,000 seniors in a variety of benefits programs. To date, there has been a total of nearly $350 million in annual benefits delivered to seniors in need.

“BDT is dedicated to making a positive impact on the lives of low-income senior citizens by assuring they receive the benefits they deserve,” said Warren Kantor, founder, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Benefits Data Trust. “Our organization is proud that our efforts have been recognized but more so because we know they are working to help better quality of life for seniors in PA and across the country.”

BDT strives to locate, contact and apply thousands of limited-income seniors for multiple state and federal benefits. To ensure successful enrollment, BDT partners with public, private and government organizations and utilizes list information. This information allows BDT to effectively target low-income seniors most likely eligible for benefits.

Partners include Pennsylvania Department of Aging, The City of Philadelphia, The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid, and AARP among others. These alliances have not only allowed for more successful enrollments for the non-profit organization, but have also helped to decrease costs.

BDT has identified more than 1.2 million additional seniors in Pennsylvania eligible for one or more benefits; that includes 313,000 in the five county region of Philadelphia alone. Using the innovative strategies they have honed, BDT looks forward to continuing to help low-income seniors gain access to the benefits they are qualified to receive and so desperately need.

For more information on BDT, visit http://www.bdtrust.org.

for Benefits Data Trust
Keith Hardy-Merritt, 215-790-7837