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OPA News Release: [04/29/2002]
Contact Name: Geoff Embler
Phone Number: 202-693-4650

GovBenefits Web Site Officially Launched WWW.GovBenefits.gov Provides Easy Access To Benefit Information; Streamlines Bureaucracy

WASHINGTON – Deputy Secretary of Labor D. Cameron Findlay and Office of Management and Budget Associate Director for Information Technology and E-Government Mark Forman today officially launched the GovBenefits Web site (www.GovBenefits.gov), the first of President Bush’s e-government initiatives to make the government “more citizen-centric.”

“GovBenefits gives people easy access to the information they need about government programs to help them when they need it most,” Findlay said. “This new Web site harnesses the power of e-government to better serve citizens across the country.”

“GovBenefits is a great example of what the President meant when he talked about ‘citizen-centered’ government. In addition to enhancing service delivery to citizens, GovBenefits will help agencies increase the efficiency of their benefit programsThis is a start on reducing the confusion of the welfare bureaucracy. It should not be necessary to wade through the morass of paperwork, forms, and organizations just to get help when in need. Equally important, those who help the needy, whether in government or non-profits, will be able to identify more easily if a Veteran is better served by the Veterans Affairs Department or some other program,in this bureaucracy” said Forman.

GovBenefits is the new government Web site that will serve as a single, online information source for information on government benefits. It will help users access eligibility information through an easy-to-use online screening tool that asks basic questions about items such as income, marital or employment status, and family size. Based on user responses, information is then provided about the programs for which users may be eligible. The site also provides general descriptions and contact information for federal benefit programs.

The site currently offers information on about 55 programs. More programs will be added to the site in the future.

E-government is an integral part of the President’s Management Agenda to make it easier for citizens and businesses to interact with the government, save taxpayer dollars and streamline businesscitizen-to-government transactions.

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