The transition to adulthood is a crucial period of development. Public benefits are key supports for many young people who have limited access to familial or other resources as they move into adulthood. But young people face unique challenges to accessing these important benefits. Due to systemic inequities, Black and Latinx young people; those who have experienced the justice system, homelessness, or foster care; or those who are young parents, are especially likely to have insufficient access to resources. Public benefits can be crucial in filling resource gaps and providing the stable foundation young people need as they move into adulthood.

This report summarizes existing evidence on what works or is promising for increasing young people's access to public benefits. The scan of the literature revealed limited rigorous research identifying interventions proven to support young people's access to public benefits, but included many promising practices. Strategies for improving young people’s benefits access fell into five types: targeted youth outreach, benefit navigation, cross-organizational partnerships, simplifying or expanding eligibility, and enhancing administrative efficiency and effectiveness.

Based on the scan, the report also recommends next steps for policy, practice, and further research.

Next steps for policy:

• offer a comprehensive set of supports for transition-age young people
• prioritize easing restrictions on eligibility for public benefits, including making requirements easier to understand and verify, and
• smooth the process of applying for benefits, including federal action to support waiver requests and other flexibilities

Next steps for practice:

• think comprehensively about enacting human-centered business practices that ease burdens on public benefit applicants and staff, with special emphasis on youth-centered practices, and
• prioritize promising types of benefits access supports designed with young people’s needs and developmental stage in mind

Next steps for research:

• consider impact evaluation to establish evidence of effectiveness of approaches to increase benefits access for young people, examining carefully if this approach is appropriate for a given intervention, and
• consider the appropriateness of other research designs and approaches to obtaining evidence, including implementation studies, case studies, and participatory approaches that include young people with lived experience