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Nov 13, 2003
GovBenefits.gov Adds New State Programs and Redesigns Homepage; Site Now Includes Information on 48 State and 419 Federal Programs
WASHINGTON -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 website
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 important upgrades:
Homepage Redesign - Includes new look and feel, and more ways for visitors to
obtain Federal and State benefit information.
More Streamlined Questionnaire - Results in significantly fewer questions for
visitors to answer and allows visitors to stop at any time while completing questionnaire
and see what benefits are available up to that point.
Greater Access - Provides additional ease of use for those who employ screen
readers or other assistive devices.
GovBenefits.gov Survey - Helps measure customer satisfaction and guide future
improvements.
To view all of these the new site features, visit: http://www.govbenefits.gov/.
"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 President's 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.
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