An observation about public assistance

[Orrex]

The form to renew one's existing Pennsylania state benefits is more complicated than the form to apply for a mortage, to buy a car, apply for college, to obtain an insurance license, or to apply for any job that I've held in my entire life. I am not exaggerating.

The questions are redundant, obscure and vague, and the application is presented in just about the worst visual format I've ever seen in any formal document.

Further, there are pages and pages of information to be reentered, when this could all be pre-filled from the applicant's existing data, since this is a renewal. There is no reason to require the applicant to endure this process each time.

If your answers are incomplete or incorrect, then your benefits can be denied or delayed.


Fortunately, there's an online application to make the process much simpler.

Unfortunately, the site has been 100% inaccessible to me for three days, despite attempting to log in from three entirely separate computer systems. After clicking "log in," the system dumps to a white screen and hangs there indefinitely.

I'm a compute-literate college graduate, and I've dealt with bullshit bureaucratic paperwork for decades, but I still find the process arduous and stressful.

How the hell is a 22 year old single parent who dropped out of high school supposed to handle this?


In going through this process, there is no way to escape the impression that this is a deliberate barrier meant to impede access to public services.

[yourpaljoey]

1. I am certain you are correct. Almost like they get a bonus for denying assistance...

when the assistance is clearly merited.

[Orrex]

2. I don't fault the ground-level agents, who are consistently very helpful

But they're hamstrung by the procedures and regulations foisted on them by the decision-makers up the chain.

I asked one of the agents outright what the hypothetical 22 year old high school dropout is supposed to do, and he said "yes, we do a lot of hand-holding. That's why we're here."

So they recognize their role and they are eager to help, in spite of (because of) the ridiculously arcane forms handed down from on high.

[Odin2005]

3. What browser do you use? some poorly-made sites only work on Internet Explorer and...

don't work on FireFox or Chrome.

[blogslut]

4. Yeah

And one should disable all ad/script blockers plus make sure stupid Java Runtime and FlashPlayer are installed. Government sites are ridiculously slow to adopt current technology.

[Orrex]

5. That was my thought as well

I initially tried on Firefox, but then I used IE10 & still no luck.

I should add that the process for resetting a password is incredibly difficult, much more than on any other site I've ever used. In order to process the reset, you have to enter pieces of information that you would get (generally) from the website after logging in, which is rather like smashing open a crate with the crowbar that's locked inside.*



*stolen and paraphrased from Terry Pratchett