Larimer County rolls out My Friend Ben benefits screener; officials cite faster, anonymous access and local data for outreach

Larimer County human services officials on May 5 demonstrated a new online benefits-screener called My Friend Ben and said the free tool can help residents find federal, state and local benefits more quickly and anonymously than the state’s PEAK application portal.

Heather O'Hare, human services director, and Jill Mosch, division manager for operations and organizational development, showed the tool at a Board of Social Services meeting and described how residents can use it from home or in county welcome centers. "This is a completely free tool to us," Mosch said. She demonstrated that the screener takes “about 6 minutes versus about 45 minutes to complete something through PEAK.”

County officials said My Friend Ben lists programs (federal and local), gives estimated dollar values and provides direct application links. Mosch walked the commissioners through a demonstration household that produced 14 matching programs, an "estimated monthly savings of $3,450" and an "annual tax credit of about $21,000" in the test results. The results page shows program-specific links and…