Code for America and Anthropic build AI tools to help SNAP caseworkers process benefits faster

The partnership deploys Claude-powered integrations that ground every caseworker response in verified federal, state, and county policy, with plans to scale reusable tools across states.

Code for America and Anthropic partner on Claude-powered AI tools to help SNAP caseworkers access verified policy guidance in real time

Code for America and Anthropic have announced a partnership to build AI tools for government caseworkers administering public benefits, with the first deployment already focused on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).

The two organizations revealed the collaboration on the main stage at the 2026 Code for America Summit in Chicago on May 8. The initial product, the SNAP Policy Navigator, is a Claude-powered integration that gives caseworkers real-time access to verified federal, state, and county SNAP guidance when processing individual cases.

Amanda Renteria, CEO of Code for America, says: "This partnership with Anthropic underscores our shared belief that responsible AI is a transformative tool, capable of easing caseworker burden, streamlining processing, and, ultimately, delivering benefits more quickly and accurately."

First tool targets SNAP policy complexity across jurisdictions

SNAP caseworkers interpret eligibility rules that vary across federal, state, and county levels and change frequently. The Policy Navigator is designed to return case-specific answers drawn from current, verified policy rather than requiring workers to search across multiple documentation sources manually.

The tool is built on Anthropic's Model Context Protocol (MCP), an open standard now widely adopted across the AI industry that enables secure, two-way connections between AI applications and trusted data sources. In benefits administration, this means every response a caseworker receives is traceable to a specific policy source.

Elizabeth Kelly, Head of Beneficial Deployments at Anthropic, says: "Technology is most impactful when it reaches the people with the deepest needs. SNAP caseworkers carry an enormous load, interpreting complex rules under tight timelines for the families who depend on the safety net. With Code for America, we're putting Claude in their hands so more eligible families get help quickly and accurately."

Full suite of Claude integrations planned beyond SNAP

The partnership extends beyond the initial pilot. Code for America and Anthropic plan to develop reusable Claude integrations that can be adapted across states and counties, covering tasks including eligibility document review, policy queries, and drafting plain-language communications to benefit recipients.

The announcement also followed the release of Code for America's second annual Government AI Landscape Assessment, which tracks state-level AI adoption across four stages: readiness, piloting, implementation, and impact.

Code for America worked in 27 states and Washington, D.C. in 2025, helping seven million people access $22 billion in benefits. That existing infrastructure across state and county agencies gives the partnership an immediate pathway to pilot and scale the tools in live government environments rather than starting from scratch.