TED Talks Daily A bold plan for transforming access to the US social safety net | Amanda Renteria
May 8, 2022
Amanda Renteria, a digital public servant at Code for America, advocates for smarter access to welfare services. She highlights how outdated systems discourage those in need from seeking help. Renteria reveals four key barriers to effective service delivery and unveils a bold plan to implement user-friendly technology that could unlock $30 billion in benefits for low-income families. She also shares successes from California's revamped food assistance app, demonstrating how technology can modernize and simplify public benefits.
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Childhood Poverty
- Amanda Renteria's father taught her the importance of truly seeing people.
- He worked various jobs and had a difficult childhood, scavenging for food in a dump.
Power of Visuals
- The iconic image of the Migrant Mother in 1936 spurred government action by visually revealing poverty's realities.
- This highlights the power of visual evidence in driving social change and policy reform.
Unclaimed Benefits
- Despite existing programs, many Americans still live in poverty, and billions in benefits go unclaimed.
- This reveals a gap between intended social safety net support and actual impact due to systemic issues.