Modernizing Benefit Access

​​Unified Benefits Scre​ener and One Application—Each Used Over 230,000 Times—Remove Barriers to Benefits for Marylanders

The Challenge

Historically, Marylanders who are seeking food, cash, or emergency assistance have had to confirm their eligibility and apply separately for each assistance program, spending hours—and sometimes days—completing redundant paperwork and traveling to government offices to submit forms. These hurdles often prevent Marylanders from accessing the benefits they need.

Our Solution

In December 2024, the Moore-Miller Administration launched the Unified Benefits Screener, a digital tool allowing Marylanders to check their eligibility for Medicaid; Supplement Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP); Emergency Assistance; Women, Infants, and Children (WIC); and Home Energy Assistance Program (OHEP) benefits all in one short, online form. Instead of having to navigate to three different websites and interpret rules for various benefits, Marylanders can now enter their information into one single form to determine their eligibility—improving the experience of Marylanders and modernizing state government services. On average, users complete the form in under five minutes.

Users can then apply to these benefits simultaneously through the One Application, which was unveiled in July 2025. Marylanders no longer need to juggle complex, duplicative forms or schedule in-person appointments. In 28 minutes, on average, users can complete the One Application directly from their cellphone.

The One Application and Unified Benefits Screener stemmed from robust collaboration between the Maryland Departments of Information Technology, Health, and Human Services, which have delivered both tools through Maryland Benefits—the State’s online benefits access platform. By launching the screener and application through the Maryland Benefits portal, the Moore-Miller Administration has been able to advertise both tools to the 1.3 million Marylanders currently receiving food, cash, or emergency assistance.

Results of Our Work

Since its launch in December 2024 through December 31, 2025, the Unified Benefits Screener has been completed over 236,000 times. And since One Application’s launch in July 2025, 2,800 applications per day, on average, have been started using the tool. In total, as of December 31, 2025, over 248,000 ​​applications have been submitted via the One Application.

Chart showing total unified benefits screener completions by month
Note: Unified Benefits Screener was publicly launched on December 13, 2024. November data and partial December data are from a soft launch prior to that date.
Chart showing total one application submissions by month
Note: The One Application was publicly launched on July 15, 2025. June data and partial July data are from a soft launch prior to that date.
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The Maryland Benefits team has added additional agency programs to the Screener, including the Department of Housing and Community Development’s Energy Savings Program in addition to Maryland Access Point and medication assistance programs from the Maryland Department of Aging. The team also added support for the MAGI Medicaid program in One Application in January 2026.

These application numbers signal an improvement in benefits access, a trend that Maryland Benefits customers have reaffirmed. In a survey of more than 3,600 Maryland Benefits customers, 65% said that the One Application was easy to use. This usability distinguishes Maryland’s digital, centralized benefits platform from those available in most other states. We also estimate that, as of December 31, 2025, the One Application has saved approximately 165,000 hours total across all users since its launch in July.