MTC links with California Department of Technology to use CalFresh data for discount program verification
The Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC) launched a partnership with the California Department of Technology (CDT) to provide a simplified and automated process for the verification process for CalFresh recipients who apply for the Bay Area’s Clipper START transit-fare discount program to streamline the application process.
CalFresh recipients applying for Clipper START can now use the information already provided to CalFresh to verify their eligibility for the program. By integrating with CDT’s Identity Gateway, new Clipper START customers will be able to apply without the need to wait for their applications to be reviewed and approved by a customer service representative. This will enable many Clipper START applicants to get same-day approval. The MTC notes that nearly 40% of Clipper START customers currently verify their eligibility using their CalFresh benefits.
The agency says that the Clipper START partnership marks the first such integration with CDT’s Identity Gateway, allowing MTC and the CDT to reduce the storage of personally identifiable information. MTC says its Clipper START team will evaluate the integration over the next six months.
If program leaders find the integration successful, MTC says it will consider expanding the partnership to other means-based mobility programs such as the Express Lanes START initiative that provides half-price tolls for qualifying drivers on the I-80 Express Lanes in Solano County and the I-880 Express Lanes in Alameda County, Calif. The technology—which the agency says helps reduce the administrative cost of mobility benefit programs by streamlining the verification process—also may be used in the future to provide benefits for other Clipper customers, such as seniors and people with disabilities.
Qualifying customers can use Clipper START for 50% off travel on many California-based public transit agencies. The full list is available on MTC’s website.