MyFriendBen in Massachusetts

What is MyFriendBen?

MyFriendBen is a free, anonymous online tool designed to help users quickly discover if they are eligible for government benefits, tax credits, and nonprofit programs

MyFriendBen empowers individuals and organizations to quickly and easily understand and access government benefits, tax credits and nonprofit programs. Users answer a set of basic demographic questions about their household and receive a personalized report showing the relevant federal, state and local programs available to them. Julie McCormack, Director of the Safety Net Project (SNP) at the LSC, along with clinical students Cara Sierks ’25 and Jasmine Park ‘25, collaborated with Boston Children’s Hospital Department of Accountable Care and Clinical Integration (DACCI) and the Innovation and Digital Health Accelerator team (among others) to tailor the MyFriendBen application for Massachusetts-specific content. This partnership allowed Massachusetts residents to be some of the first to benefit from MyFriendBen’s capabilities, currently available in only 4 other states.

The goal is to increase participation rates (and thus financial and other markers of wellbeing) by making key information – like eligibility, dollar value and time to apply – more transparent, accessible and accurate.

“These programs provide for urgent human needs such as food, income, and health care”, McCormack points out. “With MyFriendBen, people can quickly learn about and use them.”

McCormack is excited that MyFriendBen is continuing to seek out the on-the-ground partnerships in every state that will ensure eventual access for everyone nationwide – “this kind of up-to-date, targeted and easy-to-use tool has been a dream of mine for decades. I am thrilled that I and my students helped make it a reality here.”

How it Works

MyFriendBen is a first-of-its-kind screener that helps anyone identify state, local, and federal benefits. Free, private, and mobile-friendly.

(1) Answer a Few Questions: Income, family size, housing, and other basic factors

(2) Get a Personalized Report: Programs you qualify for, estimated value of each

(3) Apply Clear Next Steps: How to apply for each program you matched

Questions and More Information?

For questions and more information related to MyFriendBen in Massachusetts and beyond please contact MyFriendBen at https://www.myfriendben.org/ or [email protected].