BOSTON – Following years of advocacy by more than 150 anti-poverty and public health organizations, on February 15, 2022, the Baker Administration announced their plan to allow low-income households the right to apply for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits at the same time they sign-up for MassHealth. This implements a legislative directive included in both the FY21 and FY22 state budgets, representing a significant step toward a streamlined application process for means-tested benefits that has widespread bipartisan support in the legislature, impacting roughly 600,000 MassHealth recipients who likely qualify for SNAP.

Closing the “SNAP Gap” is one of three core goals of An Act to Streamline Access to Critical Public Health and Safety-net Programs through Common Applications (S.761/H.1290), legislation filed by State Senator Sal DiDomenico (D-Everett) and State Representative Jay Livingstone (D-Boston). The bill aims to help Massachusetts residents meet their most basic needs by: 1) closing the “SNAP Gap” for MassHealth applicants and recipients, 2) closing the  “Family Income Gap” so that families without incomes can access critical cash assistance benefits, and 3) paving the way for a true “common application” to let residents in need seamlessly apply for all critical public health and safety-net programs. The bill was heard by the Health Care Financing Committee in July and received a favorable report in November.

“For too long, Massachusetts households in need have faced bureaucratic obstacles in order to access benefits they need to make their rent payment or put food on the table. For anyone seeking assistance, times are already trying for them. We should be doing everything we can to ease the burden,” said Patricia Baker of the Massachusetts Law Reform Institute. “We are deeply grateful to both the Massachusetts Legislature and the Baker Administration for their efforts to break down silos and allow healthcare applicants the right to apply for nutrition benefits at the same time. It’s time to finish the job, break down the remaining barriers with a simple, accessible common application for all means-tested benefits available to our lowest income households.”

“The Administration’s announcement is an important step toward a true common application and will have a significant impact on hunger and food insecurity in our state,” said Jamie Klufts of the National Association of Social Workers – MA Chapter. “We truly appreciate the amazing work of Senator DiDomenico, Representative Jay Livingstone, and the more than 70 bill co-sponsors in the House and Senate who have kept the pressure on the Administration to take steps to close the ‘SNAP Gap.’ They’ve proven that hunger is a non-partisan issue that must be urgently addressed as a key part of our state’s pandemic recovery, but the work is not over.”

On December, 13, 2021 President Biden issued an Executive Order calling on federal agencies to take concrete steps to rebuild trust in government, improve customer service, and remove bureaucratic barriers to federal benefits by embracing a “no wrong door” approach for low-income Americans. The Common App Coalition is committed to breaking down access barriers and “de-siloing” state agencies that serve low-income households in the Commonwealth. The Commonwealth administers a wide range of federal and state needs-based benefits, but thousands of otherwise eligible residents struggle with accessing core benefits, often due to administrative burden. The Coalition hopes to build on the Legislature’s longstanding commitment and the Baker Administration’s recent announcement to make this national vision a permanent reality in Massachusetts by passing S.761/H.1290 into law, once and for all. It is time to solidify our state’s commitment to a common application for all critical public health and safety-net programs.

The Common App Coalition is a coalition of more than 150 organizations across Massachusetts committed to reducing hunger and alleviating poverty and is led by the National Association of Social Workers – Massachusetts Chapter (NASW-MA) and the Massachusetts Law Reform Institute (MLRI).

Members of the Common App Coalition

AARP Massachusetts

Abby’s House

About Fresh

Action for Boston Community Development,

Inc. (ABCD)

Action Inc.

Allston Brighton Health Collaborative

American Red Cross of Massachusetts Bay

Amherst Survival Center

ARISE for Social Justice

Atrius Health

Backyard Growers

Baystate Health, Bay Path, MACHW and

CTC Ma contact tracking team

Beverly Bootstraps

Boston Area Rape Crisis Center

Boston Children’s Hospital

Boston Public Health Commission

Brigham and Women’s Faulkner Hospital

Cambridge Economic Opportunity Committee

Center for Health Law and Policy Innovation

Central West Justice Center

Children’s HealthWatch

CISA (Community involved in Sustaining

Agriculture)

City of Boston

City of Somerville

Coalition for a Better Acre

Coalition for a Healthy Greater Worcester

Coalition for Social Justice

Commonwealth Care Alliance

Community Action Pioneer Valley

Community Health Network for North

Central Mass

Community Servings

Dana Farber

Disability Policy Consortium

DotHouse Health

DOVE (DOmestic Violence Ended), Inc.

Economic Mobility Pathways (EMPath)

Eliot Community Human Services

Fenway Health

Food For Free

Greater Boston Legal Services

Groundwork Lawrence

Health Care For All

Health Law Advocates

Health Leads

Helping Our Women

HomeStart, Inc.

Island Grown Initiative

Jewish Family & Children’s Service

Justice Center of Southeast MA

Loaves and Fishes Food Pantry

Lowell Alliance

Mass Home Care

Massachusetts Coalition for the Homeless

Massachusetts Councils on Aging

Massachusetts Food System Collaborative

Massachusetts Law Reform Institute

Massachusetts Public Health Association

Massachusetts Senior Action Council

Merrimack Valley Food Bank, Inc

Metropolitan Area Planning Council

Mill City Grows

National Association of Social Workers – MA

Chapter

Northampton Senior Services

Northeast Justice Center

Operation ABLE of Greater Boston, Inc.

Parenting Journey

Pembroke Public Schools

Pleasant Street Neighborhood Network Center

Project Bread

Rosie’s Place

Seven Hills Foundation

Sodexo

Somerville Homeless Coalition (Project SOUP)

Springfield Dementia Friendly Coalition

Springfield Partners for Community Action, Inc.

St. Anthony’s Pantry

Sustainable CAPE – Center for Agricultural Preservation & Education

Temple Sinai of Sharon

The Food Bank of Western Massachusetts

The Food Project, Inc.

The Greater Boston Food Bank

The Open Door

Tufts Friedman Food Policy Action Council

UMass Memorial Health Care

UMass Memorial Medical Center

Veterans Legal Services

WHEAT Community Connections

Worcester Community Action Council

Worcester County Food Bank, Inc.