Our safety net lifts tens of thousands of Mainers out of poverty each year. These programs are essential to the health and well-being of Maine people and our state. But the way that help is provided has been deeply flawed, uncoordinated, and inadequate to meet people’s real needs.
In 2020, Maine Equal Justice staff participated in the work of a committee created by the Maine legislature to study how Maine could move towards creating income security through some type of guaranteed income. The Committee – made up of legislators as well as individuals with lived experience – found that “the lack of integration and coordination of our safety net programs is a deterrent to those most in need.” The report also concludes that the “lack of coordination and accessibility undermines the dignity and respect of beneficiaries in Maine, creates barriers to participation, and exacerbates existing inequalities and disparities. The lack of coordination and the barriers in the safety net system have “perpetuated racial inequality and racism in Maine.”
Maine Equal Justice has also been advocating for a more “human centered” online benefits application systems. The Department of Health and Human Services is in the process of redesigning its online application portal, My Maine Connection, where Mainers may apply for SNAP, TANF, MaineCare, and be pre-screened for the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) and WIC.
Maine Equal Justice would like to see the new technology reduce barriers for applicants and enable people to apply for benefits in a more coordinated, integrated way. For example, this new system should pre-fill information that applicants have already provided, to reduce the enormous time burden and ensure more people can access support quickly. It should also be easy for people to use on their mobile phones. Importantly, we are advocating that the process for creating this new system—research, design, development, testing, and rollout phases—have stages that include user testing, in order to make this solution truly meet the needs of Maine users.
In the long run, Maine Equal Justice is advocating for more direct, unrestricted income supports like guaranteed income. Improvements to the existing safety net, while critically important, cannot change its fundamental nature, which too often promotes paternalistic ideas about the “deserving” and “undeserving” over the opportunity to address basic human needs. COVID-19 has exposed gaps in our safety and demonstrated that eligibility for and access to the safety net is not racially equitable and makes existing racial and economic disparities in our state worse. At the same time, aspects of the response to COVID-19 -- including federal $1,200 stimulus payments – illustrate the benefits and inherent value of unrestricted cash.
Maine Equal Justice focuses its work on many of the issues that affect people’s daily lives – access to adequate health care, housing, transportation and childcare; food and income security; and higher education and training. Maine Equal Justice is a 501 c 3 nonprofit organization. Our EIN is 04-3346273. 