Release Notes

1. Language Edits - Burmese, Nepali, Russian. Some minor changes were made to the translations for these languages based on user/translator feedback. 

2. Updated income limits for LEAP. In anticipation of LEAP reopening on November 1, income limits for this year have been updated. 

3. Tax Units in MyFriendBen. For users who enter household members as part their MFB screening who fall outside of their assumed tax unit, MFB will now prompt users on their results page that it looks like they may have more than one tax unit in their household. Multiple applications for certain benefits may need to be submitted in order to cover each eligible individual. All eligible benefits, not just those for the main tax unit will now show on the results page. Ex. If you enter an elderly individual who qualifies for OAP, this will now show on the results page, where previously it did not show as the individual was outside the main tax unit entered into MFB.

4. Head Start updated to only show in the results page for specific Colorado Counties. Head Start results have been refined to reflect that some Colorado counties do not offer Head Start programs. Head Start will only appear for the following counties: Adams, Alamosa, Arapahoe, Archuleta, Boulder, Broomfield, Chaffee, Conejos, Costilla, Delta, Denver, Eagle, El Paso, Fremont, Garfield, Huerfano, Jefferson, La Plata, Lake, Larimer, Las Animas, Lincoln, Logan, Mesa, Montezuma, Montrose, Morgan, Otero, Pueblo, Rio Grande, Saguache, Summit, Teller, Washington, and Weld.

5. Update Step 8, existing benefits question. Updated formatting and wording on the list of current benefits an individual going through MFB can choose from. These changes were made for clarity on the programs and consistency in formatting. 

6. API endpoints cleanup. Deactivated endpoints and programs that we no longer use. 

7. New Near-Term Benefit - The Colorado ID Project. The Colorado ID Project can help you get documents like a state ID, driver's license, or birth certificate. Program partners may also be able to give you a voucher to cover the cost of these documents. Income and eligibility rules may vary by partner. This program is available to U.S. citizens, green card holders, and other qualified noncitizens.

1. Expanded messages functionality for benefits pages. We have added functionality to our backend that allows for multiple warning messages to come up for a specific benefit. This will allow users to only see important messages about a benefit that is relevant to them. 

2. FPL API from Health and Human Services. MyFriendBen is now pulling FPL levels directly from HHS' FPL API. 

3. Updates to benefits that show up for users who input rent or mortgage as an expense. 

Users who do not input rent or mortgage as an expense that they pay will no longer see the following benefits on their results page as they will not be relevant unless the users are renting or own a home:

Long-Term benefits:

• Weatherization Assistance Program
• Temporary Rent and Utility Assistance Program
• Denver Recycling and Trash Service Rebate
• Colorado Property Tax/Rent/Heat Credit Rebate
• Colorado Utility Bill Help Program
• Colorado Emergency Rental Assistance Program
• Denver Property Tax Relief Program
• Colorado Low-Income Energy Assistance Program

Near-Term Needs:

• Energy Outreach CO Bill Payment Assistance
• Community Economic Defense Project
• Emergency Assistance
• Rewiring America

4. Bug Fix for Medicaid / CHP+ / Connect for Health. The MyFriendBen team has fixed a bug where Medicaid and Connect for Health both appear in results, and a bug where CHP+ and Connect for Health both appear in results. Users who are eligible for Medicaid or CHP+ would not be eligible for Connect for Health.

1. MyFriendBen logo updated to differentiate states. Users will see that the MFB logo in the top left of the screener has been updated to denote which state's version of the screener they are in. 

2. WIC Values update. The MFB team has updated WIC values for pregnant individuals and children 1-5. New values: Pregnant individuals - $104/mo; Children 1 -5 - $79/mo.

3. New Benefit Added - Nurturing Futures (Boulder County). Applications for this direct cash assistance program is open between August 6 and August 27.

4. Bug Fixes on Zip Code/County Question. The MFB team has fixed an issue where the header was not visible on the zip code and county question. The team has also fixed an issue where if a user selected to edit zip code/county from the confirmation page, they were not being taken back to the confirmation page directly after changing the input and clicking continue. Users will now be redirected back to the confirmation page again.

5. Colorado Community Insight Group White Label. As part of Gary Community Ventures' CCIG program, MFB now has a white-labeled version in partnership with CCIG. 

1. Bug Fix - Progress bar step numbers. The team has resolved an issue where the Step #s by the progress bar were not updating as the user progressed through the screener. 

2. Linking to Translated Privacy Policy and Consent to Contact Links. Links in the screener for the privacy policy and consent to contact have been updated to go directly to their respective languages for French and Vietnamese. 

3. Backend field addition for navigator languages. This is step one in a feature where users will be able to see what languages a navigator can support. 

4. Bug Fixes - 211 Cobrand. The team has resolved two issues on our cobranded site with 211 Colorado. We have fixed the menu from scrolling as the user goes down the page. We have also resolved a bug with the share icon in the top right. 

1. Translation Updates for Somali, Burmese, Nepali, and Russian. The MyFriendBen team have made changes to the translations for these 4 languages based on feedback from native speakers. 

2. Accessibility Updates to 211 menu. The MyFriendBen team have made updates to to the white-labeled 211 version of MFB to improve accessibility. 

3. State configurability updates. The MyFriendBen team have made changes so that the public charge link and the more help list (on the results page) can now be configured by state. This change is made as MyFriendBen expands to North Carolina. 

4. Refactored zip code question into its own file. This change was made so that it will be easier to add, edit, remove, and troubleshoot questions in the future.

5. Pell Grant Calculations Update. Pell Grant has been updated to reflect that the program now uses the Student Aid Index as a measure of eligibility. This replaces the Expected Family Contribution.

6. Updated database for seasonal benefits for the website's list of active benefits. This change will allow for seasonal benefits that MyFriendBen screens for to display on the website's list of active benefits, even during times when the benefit itself may be inactive. LEAP is an example of one of these benefits. 

7. Investment income updated to be treated as unearned income in the income calculations.

8. FPL updates for National School Lunch Program and WIC. Both programs have been updated to calculate income eligibility using 2024 FPL.

9. Bug Fix - UUID. The MyFriendBen team discovered and resolved an issue where a screener's UUID was removed if a user went back to the select language page. This resulted in a new, duplicate screen being created if you tried to continue again after changing the language. 

10. New Benefit - Denver Property Tax Relief. The Denver Property Tax Relief Program gives Denver homeowners a partial refund of their property taxes. Renters may get an equivalent amount in rent. Eligibility guidelines include a combination of income, age, and/or disability.

11. Citizenship Filter Updates. The filter on the results page is now labeled as Filter Results by Citizenship. Help text has also been added that reads: Household members may have mixed immigration status. This means that some people in your home may qualify for benefits even if others do not. Use this filter to see how a person's status affects their ability to qualify.

12. Logo and icon alts translated. In an effort to continue making MFB more accessible, logo and icon alts have all been translated.

1. Update Mortgage and Rent conditions for certain benefits. In an effort to always show our users the most accurate and relevant benefits available to them, the MyFriendBen team has added mortgage and rent as conditions for certain benefits. Moving forward, users will only see The Foreclosure Financial Assistance Program and Colorado Emergency Mortgage Assistance if they indicate they pay a mortgage as one of their expenses. Similarly, users will only see Emergency Rental Assistance Program (ERAP) if they indicate rent as one of their expenses. 

2. Reorder organizations in referral dropdown. We have reordered the options in the referral source dropdown so that our partners are at the top of the list.

1.  Placement of FIRC Summit Resource Center Updated on Referrer Dropdown. We have moved FIRC Summit Resource Center to appear above Test / Prospective Partner on the referrer dropdown list. 

2. Cobrand with Denver Human Services. As part of a partnership with MyFriendBen and Denver Human Services, a cobranded version of MFB will be available to users coming from DHS. 

3. Benefits Category Type Updates. We have normalized the long-term and near-term benefits' category types default language in our code in an effort to prevent errors whenever these are entered incorrectly or are out of date

1. Updated Current Benefits Page for Colorado. We have updated the list of current benefits MyFriendBen screens for. The new page can be found here. 

2. New Benefit: Denver Recycling & Trash Service Rebate. Recycling and trash services rebate (Denver County only)

3. CCCAP Eligibility Updates. We have made 2 changes to the CCCAP eligibility calculation. If a parent in the household lists child support payments as an expense, MyFriendBen now deducts the amount of the child support payment from the household income for purposes of determining eligibility. We have also added a resource limit of $1M (i.e. a household who has $1M in resources, is not eligible for CCCAP).

4. Bug fix. We have resolved an issue where partial snapshots were created on MyFriendBen's backend if a screener had an error, resulting in users seeing the "New Benefit" flag for all benefits on the results page. 

1. Copy Update: We have changed "Finding a job" on Step 9 ("Is anyone in your household in immediate need of help with any of the following?") to "Job Resources". 

2. Household member cards update when changes are made. The MFB team has fixed a bug where the household member's card at the top of the screen was not updating if edits were being made to the relation , age, and/or income for an individual hh member. 

3. New Footer. We have updated the screener's footer to match the footer on the new www.myfriendben.org. 

4. "New Benefit" Flag fixed in other languages. The team has resolved a UI issue where the "New Benefit" Flag on the results page was wrapping the text if longer than the English copy instead of extending the flag width for another language's copy width. 

5. Visual update to the "Required Documents Checklist" box. The team has updated the UI on this box inside individual benefits' pages so that the text is no longer all bold and in caps. 

6. New near-term benefit: SNAP to Success Employment Program. Job resources for people receiving SNAP or eligible for SNAP (Denver only)

7. New near-term benefit: Denver's Emergency Assistance.Emergency Assistance: Emergency help for certain housing and utilities costs (Denver only)

8. Benefit Update: Early Intervention Colorado. We have updated the eligibility criteria for this program to show in results only if a child in the household is 0, 1, or 2. The program is available up to a child's 3rd birthday.

9. Co-brand partnership with FIRC Summit Resource Center. 

1. 5% income disregard added for CHP+. If a HH income exceeds the applicable FPL, the 5% disregard is applied to determine eligibility. If an individual's MAGI-based countable income is above the income threshold for CHP+, the 5% disregard will be applied as the last step to determine eligibility. 

2. Colorado Early Childhood Mental Health Support Line added to near-term benefits. The Early Childhood Mental Health Support Line offers behavioral and social-emotional support for families with children under 6.

3. Home Instruction for Parents of Preschool Youngsters (HIPPY) added to near-term benefits. Home Instruction for Parents of Preschool Youngsters (HIPPY) helps families prepare their children ages 2 through 5 for school.

4. Parents as Teachers (PAT) added to near-term benefits. Parents as Teachers (PAT) offers school readiness activities, developmental and health screenings, and connections to local resources for families with children from birth to kindergarten.

5. Bug Fix - Medicaid showing up in results when already selected as an insurance provider. Our team has fixed a bug where Medicaid was showing up in results for families who had already indicated they receive Medicaid. 

6. Translated aria labels. MyFriendBen's team has translated our aria labels so that users going through MFB with a screen reader and in a language other than English will be able to read those labels in the selected language. 

7. New PolicyEngine API. We have migrated our PolicyEngine API to new endpoints for a more stable connection.

8. New field added to MyFriendBen's backend for website description. This field will be used to for a website description of each benefit on the new current list of benefits MFB is screening for page.

9. Updated UI for Django backend. Not seen by users, but we have implemented an upgraded interface for our backend administrative portal so that our team can navigate a little easier as we continue to add new benefits/update translations. 

1. Message added to benefits if users input a household member who is not part of their tax household. For applicable benefits, if a user goes through MyFriendBen and adds additional household members who are not considered a part of their taxable household, they will now see a corresponding message on benefits where those individuals may need to fill out MyFriendBen on their own to see if they qualify for the benefit. 

2. Results page categories re-ordered in descending order of value. Users will now see categories with the most value at the top of their results page. 

3. New Benefit: Nurse Family Partnership. The Nurse-Family Partnership partners first-time parents with a free personal nurse.

1. Foreclosure Financial Assistance Program Added to Near-Term Resources. Program that offers financial support to Denver homeowners who are at risk of foreclosure

2. Child First Added to Near-Term Resources. In-home program that helps with a child's development, social skills, and mental health

3. Income and Resource Limits Updated for Medicare Savings Program.

Updated income limits:

• Individual: $1715 / month 
• Married Couple: $2320 / month

Updated resource limits:

• Individual: $10,930
• Married Couple: $17,130

4. Can't find what you need button updated. We have changed the "More Help at 2-1-1" button at the bottom of the results page for individuals who need additional help/can't find the resource they are looking for. This button now says "More Help" and takes users to a page where 2-1-1 is an option in addition to family resource centers. 

5. My Spark Age Limits Update. My Spark Denver now accepts applications from 11 - 14. 

6. CCCAP bug fixed. The MyFriendBen team found a bug where CCCAP was returning in the results for single-parent households, a child outside of the age range for CCCAP, and $0 income in the household. The CCCAP result showed a value of $0. Our team has fixed this issue so that CCCAP does not appear in the results as the household is not eligible. 

7. Benefits Results Listed in Order of Dollar Value. Within each category of the results page, benefits that households may be eligible for are now listed in descending order with the highest estimated value benefit at the top of the list. 

8. Help Text Added for Income Frequency. Help text has been added to the "How often are you paid this income?" question if a user indicates an individual in the household has income. The help bubble specifies that if a user chooses "every 2 weeks" this means they are paid every other week, and if a user chooses "twice a month" this means they are paid twice a month on the same dates each month. 

9. Users who opt into follow-up from the MFB team will now also automatically receive a copy of their results when they submit the screener. 

1. New Language - Arabic. MyFriendBen is now available in Arabic. 

2. VA Health Insurance added as insurance option. Users can now indicate if a household member has VA Health Insurance. As part of this change, "I don't know" and "I don't have health insurance" have been combined into one selection/option. 

3. Low Confidence Flag. On the results page, users may begin to see some benefits added in with a "Low Confidence" flag. This flag indicates that MyFriendBen does not have enough information to provide a benefit estimate which we are 90% confident about for the estimated value. For more information on a benefit and why we have marked a particular benefit as "low confidence" please click the "More Info" button to read more about the specific benefit. 

4. New Benefit - Colorado Temporary Rental Assistance Grant. The Temporary Rental Assistance Grant may help Coloradans pay past due rent. This program helps households that have had financial hardship due to a major life event.

1. Removed pregnancy as an eligibility condition for Emergency Medicaid / Reproductive Healthcare. With input from a health care partner, we have removed the pregnancy eligibility factor to show this benefit to non-pregnant individuals who otherwise meet the eligibility criteria. 

2. "Foster Child" update in relationship drop down. We have changed this dropdown menu line to read "Foster Child / Kinship Care. 

3. TRUA (new benefit). The Temporary Rent and Utility Assistance Program has reopened applications in a new online portal. We have added this back in as a benefit that MyFriendBen screens for. 

1. New Results Page. Users who complete MyFriendBen will now see an updated results page view. Note that there are still two tabs (but labels have changed) - one for long-term benefits and one for near-term benefits. For additional information on each program, users can now click on "More Info" for individual program pages. 

2. Minimum age condition added to Family Planning Limited Health First Colorado. While no age limit applies to gthis benefit, it covers family planning only. We have added a minimum age condition of 12 years old to exclude very young children. 

3. Condition update to Family Planning Limited Medicaid. A condition has been added to screen for individuals who are not pregnant in order to qualify for this benefit. 

1. White Label with Get Ahead Colorado. In a partnership with Get Ahead Colorado, MyFriendBen now has a white labeled version with our cobranded logos. 

2. Income limits for Property Tax Credit rebate updated. Income limits have been updated - $18,026 for single filers and $23,234 for married filers. 

3. Updated mobile visuals for cards. Questions that involve a tile with an icon in the response selection have been updated for mobile view. The cards now take up the full width of the screen on a mobile device. 

4. Language Requests. MyFriendBen will now only request the selected language in order to reduce page load time in the application. If a user changes their language selection, they may see the loading icon for 1-2 seconds while the application fetches the new language translations. 

5. Help Bubble Feature. MyFriendBen will begin adding in help bubbles throughout the application for additional helpful/clarifying information on various questions. The first help bubble can be seen on the user income question. If a user clicks on the question mark icon, the help text will appear. 

1. Updated Referral Dropdown List. We have removed "TV" and "Jeffco Prosperity Partners" from the referral dropdown. We have added "Tax Assistance Site (VITA/Tax Help Colorado)". This option was previously available in the dropdown last year during tax season. 

2. Income question copy edit. We have changed the wording of the question "How much do you receive each pay period for:" to "How much do you receive before taxes each pay period for:"

3. New benefits. MyFriendBen now screens for:

• Colorado TABOR Refund: Colorado taxpayers who lived in the state for all of 2023 qualify for a $800 TABOR refund. You must meet state tax filing deadlines to get this refund. If you do not owe state income taxes for 2023 or you are not claiming a refund of wages withheld in 2023, you must file a state tax return on or before April 15, 2024. If you owe state income taxes for 2023 or claim a refund of withheld wages, you must file your tax return on or before October 15, 2024.  
• Colorado Utility Bill Pay Program: The Colorado Utility Bill Help Program is a pilot program run by the state to help households pay utility bills. To qualify, a household must have been denied LEAP and must be receiving certain other public benefits. Only customers of specific energy providers can participate.

4. Colorado Emergency Mortgage Assistance Program has been added to immediate needs. Eligibility is based on county-specific area median income. The Colorado Emergency Mortgage Assistance Program may help homeowners with past due bills. To qualify, you must have experienced financial hardship as a result of COVID-19. This program may help pay housing or mobile home payments, property taxes, insurance, and utilities. In some cases, you may need to work with your lender to create a plan to avoid foreclosure.

5. RTD LiVE Value Update 2024: The RTD LiVE benefit value in estimated savings has updated from $750/year to $732/year. This change in value is due to the new monthly pass that covers local and regional travel. This pass costs $88/month without RTD LiVE, and $27/month with RTD LiVE. Estimated savings is calculated to be $61/month or $732/year. 

6. Ability to assign assisters based on county. Our team will now be able to offer more curated navigation options based on county. 

7. Bug Fix: SSI The team has fixed a bug where some users were seeing SSI in the benefits result even if their income did not qualify. 

1. Added Standard Footer: We have added a footer to the bottom of MyFriendBen. Updated content for the footer to come. 

2. New Benefit/Benefit Update: We have replaced Energy Resource Center with the Weatherization Assistance Program. The Weatherization Assistance Program is a statewide program that helps make a person's home more energy-efficient. This can help lower a household's energy bills. This program is replacing the Energy Resource Center in MyFriendBen, as Energy Resource Center falls within Weatherization Assistance.

3. Bug Fix - Snap: We have updated expense details that are sent to our partners at Policy Engine for more accurately calculated SNAP benefit values. 

1. Updated income limits and values. SSI, SSDI, Aid to the Needy Disabled - Colorado Supplement income limits have been updated for 2024. Colorado EITC and Expanded EITC values have been updated for tax year 2023 (filed 2024). LEAP values have been updated for the current season.

2. Update to the 2-1-1 Colorado Cobrand. The language selector has been updated to match MyFriendBen's updated default. 

3. Resolved bug for editing household members. Previously, if a user clicked to edit a household member they had already entered information for, the current household member they were on was not saving. The information for the latest household member will now save if a user clicks the edit button on a previous household member.

1. Branding Update. MyFriendBen has received a branding update. Throughout the screener, you should now see a new logo and updated colors. 

2. Additional Languages. MyFriendBen is now available in 5 new languages: Somali, Russian, Nepali, Burmese, and Chinese.

1. Browser language default will set MyFriendBen's language. If your default browser language is one that is supported by MyFriendBen, the screener will now default to your preferred language. If your default browser is not a language currently supported by MyFriendBen, the screener will default to English. 

2. Referral Source Dropdown Updates. MCOA at Anschutz has been removed from the referral source dropdown. Social media, mail, and TV have been added as referral source options. 

3. Header fix. Previously when we updated the header on Step 3 of MyFriendBen, the header was mistakenly updated on other steps (4, 6 & 7). We have updated those steps back to the original header which says "Tell us about your household."

1. Updated Citizenship filters. We have expanded the citizenship filters to include "Other lawfully present noncitizens". Subcategories in this new filter include those with permission to live or work in the U.S., and individuals younger than 19 or whom are pregnant who need health care benefits. Previously, the health care benefits were listed as a sub bullet under green card holders. 

2. Update SNAP monthly/annual value. Due to updated SNAP values in October, and a change from our partners at PolicyEngine, we have implemented a change in how we are calculating are SNAP's annual value as viewed on a user's result page. We are now calculating for one month of SNAP and multiplying by 12 to indicate SNAP's annual value on the results page. 

3. Household assets defaulting to "0". Currently, on the household assets question, the answer defaults to $0. If a user removes the $0 value on the question, we have updated the backend to default the answer the $0 instead of null. This fix addresses an error the MyFriendBen team was receiving when a user left the answer blank. 

1.Updated assumptions sent to Policy Engine - Household members over the age of 18 who do not have a disability will no longer be counted as a dependent. Previously, this was incorrectly assuming the 18+-year-old was a dependent and raised the estimated dollar value for Child Tax Credit calculations. 

2. $ sign added to dollar value inputs. Any input that is expecting a dollar value will now show a $ sign in the box.

3. Node version updated to be 20.9.0.

4. Sentry mode added to log errors for non 500 errors.

5. Copy Edits. 

• "Tell us about your household" on Step 3, has been changed to "Tell us where you live"
• On Step 5 (number of individuals in your household), the description text has been updated from "This is usually family members who you both live and share important resources like food and bills." to "This is usually family members whom you live with and share important resources with like food and bills."
• On household member conditions, the description text has been updated from "It's OK to pick more than one." to "Choose all that apply"
• On household member conditions, "Student at a college, university, or other post-secondary institution" to "Student at a college, university, or other post-secondary institution like a job-training program"
• On the Optional Sign up for benefits updates and/or feedback page, we have replaced mention of "screener" or "benefits calculator" with "MyFriendBen"
• On the confirmation page, the heading has been updated from "Ok, here's what we've got:" to "Is all of your information correct?"

1. MyFriendBen is now available in French and Amharic.

2. Users who now select SSI or SSDI as an income source will no longer see that respective benefit in the results page. This will occur even if users do not indicate it as an existing benefit in Step 8. 

3. Expanded first accordion of current benefits (Step 8). If a user selects "yes" they currently have benefits, the first accordion of benefits categories will be expanded for users to select which benefits they currently have. 

4. Added condition on household member(s) pages. Users can now select if they have "Any medical or developmental condition that has lasted, or is expected to last, more than 12 months." This selection impacts Medicaid buy-in programs.

5. Refined Property Tax Credit Rebate Rules. This rebate is available to individuals with disabilities so long as, among other things, they cannot be declared as a dependent on someone else's tax return. This benefit will no longer come up on the results page if a household member is under 18 and disabled.

6. Fixed translations under apply with assistance buttons. "Link" and "Phone Number" were previously not translating to other languages for navigation partners. This issue has been resolved. 

7. Colorado Coalition for the Homeless White Label. In partnership with CCH, MyFriendBen now offers a white labeled version of the screener for individuals going through the screener coming from CCH. 

8. Page title tags updated. Titles on each page have been updated to bolster google analytics capabilities. 

9. New Benefit: Medicaid Buy-In for Children with Disabilities. The Health First Colorado Buy-In Program for Children with Disabilities defines disability broadly. This program may let you buy into Colorado's Medicaid program. Your family may qualify if your child has a health or developmental condition even if you earn too much to qualify for standard Medicaid. Your child must be under age 19. If you qualify, you will pay a monthly premium based on your income. Premiums are waived until May 2024. 

10. Corrected SSI calculation. MyFriendBen team has corrected a calculation error for SSI with regards to couples. 

1. Users will now select health insurance for each individual household member. Previously, MyFriendBen asked for all types of health insurance the household has with instructions to select all that apply. We have updated this question to be part of the individual household member flow so that users can specify what type of health insurance each member of their household has at an individual level. 

2. New Benefits have been added. 

• Basic Cash Assistance for Households Program: The Basic Cash Assistance for Households Program may make a $1,000 cash payment to Denver residents affected by COVID-19. This is a one-time payment. To qualify, you must have an immigration status that makes you ineligible for federal benefits. Also, you must have at least one child under 18 living with you, and you must have lived in Denver for at least 60 days. Other program rules apply. In some cases, you may receive an extra $500. This program is first come, first served. You must complete a contact form and apply through an authorized organization. You may be placed on an application waitlist. There is no cost to apply.
• Medicaid Buy-In for Adults with Disabilities: The Health First Colorado Buy-In Program for Working Adults with Disabilities defines disability broadly. This program lets adults with a health condition buy into Colorado's Medicaid program. You may be eligible even if you earn too much to qualify for standard Medicaid. If you qualify, you will pay a monthly premium based on your income. Premiums are waived until May 2024. You must be working to qualify.
• Medicaid Buy-In for Children with Disabilities: The Health First Colorado Buy-In Program for Children with Disabilities defines disability broadly. This program may let you buy into Colorado's Medicaid program. Your family may qualify if your child has a health or developmental condition even if you earn too much to qualify for standard Medicaid. Your child must be under age 19. If you qualify, you will pay a monthly premium based on your income. Premiums are waived until May 2024.
• Emergency Medicaid / Reproductive Health Care: Emergency Medicaid (Health First Colorado) covers reproductive health care. You may be eligible if your immigration status prevents you from getting standard Medicaid. This program pays the cost of labor and delivery. Prenatal and postpartum care are not covered. This program may also cover emergency health care and family planning. If you need emergency care, you may apply for this program at the hospital or up to 90 days after the emergency.
• Family Planning: Family Planning Limited Health First Colorado (Medicaid)
• Medicare Savings Programs: Medicare helps people 65 years or older pay their health care costs. People with limited income and resources may also qualify for a Medicare Savings Program. These programs may offer extra savings on Medicare premiums, deductibles, co-pays, and prescriptions. Savings vary among programs. You must qualify for Medicare to be on a Medicare Savings Program. This means you must meet all Medicare rules, including work history requirements.
  

3. Max width implemented for drop-downs on mobile. Previously, if a drop-down item was too long on mobile, the drop-down menu would run off the page. Constraints have been added so that the drop-down menu will not be wider than the phone screen width. 

4. Family Resource Center Added as a referral source.

1. SSDI and Pell Grant added to list of existing benefits for individuals to choose from. On Step 9, users will now have the option to select SSDI and Pell Grant as benefits they currently have. 

2. Update to results page header. Previously, the results page header read "X programs with an estimated value of $ per year or $ per month in cash or reduced expenses for you to consider. The updated heading removes the annual value and separates out the value of tax credits. It now reads "X programs with an estimated value of $ monthly in cash or reduced expenses, and $ in tax credits for you to consider."

1. Added edit icons to the household member cards. Users can now easily go back and edit individual household members from the cards displayed at the top for the household section by clicking the little pencil icon. This edit also includes an updated visual where the household member you are on/editing's card will be outlined in the main MyFriendBen blue. Please note that the card will still only appear after initial information has been input about an individual. Ex: Yourself only shows up after you fill out the first page and tell us about yourself. 

2. Benefits in Action White Label Logo Update. Consistent with our upcoming branding change, the Benefits in Action white label logo has been updated to reflect the new MyFriendBen logo. 

3. Google Translate API. Moving forward, MyFriendBen will utilize an API with Google Translate for ongoing translation work. Our team will still be having native speakers review the language to ensure readability for each language. 

4. Modified "Child Care, Preschool, and Youth" category to "Child Care, Youth, and Education". Pell Grant is an upcoming benefit and will fall under the updated category label. 

5. New Benefit: Adams County Low-Wage worker COVID-19 Relief Program. $1500 grant to support lost wages as a result of COVID-19 (Adams County residents only)

6. Update/Remove Outdated Referral Sources. BWF - Gary Community Ventures, Aurora Community Connection, and Project Worthmore have all been removed from the referral drop down. 

7. LEAP Income Limits Updated. The new LEAP season begins on November 1, 2023 and household income limits will be different than last year. MyFriendBen has updated the income limits for the 2023-24 season. 

8. Updated Citizenship Filters on Results Page. As a result of feedback from various users, the citizenship filter has been updated so that users can get a better sense of what benefits might be available to them based on their unique situation. Rather than just specifying for citizenship or non-citizenship, the filter now separates out benefits based on: no citizenship or lawful U.S. presence, green card holders, and refugees or asylees. Green card holders also have a subset of filters they are able to use based on their age and duration of time that they have had a green card. 

1. CHP+ has been integrated with PolicyEngine. We have moved our benefits rules to our partners at PolicyEngine for CHP+. 

2. "Unemployed" and "Are you serving or have served in the U.S. armed forces, national guard or reserves" have been removed from the household member question(s). These values are currently not being calculated into benefits screened by MyFriendBen and have been removed from the screener for the time being. 

3. Updated language on the results page header. The header now reads "[X] programs with an estimated value of [$$$] per year or [$$$] per month in cash or reduced expenses for you to consider." Previously, the header said "[X] programs up to [$$$]. . .".

4. Fixed typo in the expand for eligibility details. For RTD LiVE, CHP+, PTC, and Everyday Eats, there was a typo in the "Expand for Eligibility Details" portion of the results page. The text previously read that the household makes [$$] per month, and has been updated to accurately reflect that the household makes [$$] per year.

5. Users must now attest they are 13 years of age or older in order to use the screener.

6. Removed duplicate "Are you a full-time student?" question from the household members information. Previously, Student or prospective student at a college, university, or other post-secondary institution was added to the "Do any of these apply to you" section of the household member question. The "Are you a full-time student?" question was missed in being removed, and has now been taken out of the question as it is duplicative of the checkbox field.

1. Jeffco CYFAP has been removed from the referral source list. MyFriendBen has partnered with Jeffco Human Services on a cobranded version - Jeffco Human Services will now show on the referral list instead.

2. Combining Step 0 & Step 1. MyFriendBen has combined what was previously Step 0 and Step 1 together. Users will now see an updated box with what to know before they begin. The attestation checkbox has been updated to include our Privacy Policy and the Additional Terms & Consent to Contact.

3. 2-1-1 outbound links from the results page and the immediate needs tab of the results page have been updated with analytics tracking.

1. MyFriendBen is now screening for SSDI. Financial aid for people with disabilities. Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) helps people who cannot work because they have a disability. The requirements are complex. The disability must be serious and long-term. You must have a recent work history. The benefit amount will be based on your lifetime average social security earnings. If someone becomes disabled before they turn 22, their parents' work history determines the benefit. 

2. Jefferson County Human Services has been added as a referral source.

3. Error Message Fixes. Previously on step 2, if a user did not select a zip code, the error message would show for both the zip code and county input. The county error message will now only show if a user tries to continue without inputting a county. Previously, if a user did not enter a household member's age, the error message showed, but the user was not taken back to the top of the page. Users will now be taken back to the top of the page if that error message appears so that they can address the issue. 

4. "Spouse" in Spanish has been re-translated for clarity. The drop down now says "esposo/a".

1. Error Messages Refactored. We have updated error message handling to include an error message for each component/field. Instead of seeing one error message in a bar at the bottom of a step, users will now see error messages associated with each missing field. 

2. New Immediate Needs Categories. In addition to the existing categories, we have added the following immediate needs categories: Job Resources, Legal Services, and Dental Care

3. New Benefit: My Spark Denver (DPS Students Only). Debit card for after-school programs for DPS middle school students. My Spark Denver increases access to afterschool and extracurricular programs for DPS middle school students whose families qualify for free or reduced lunch. During the 2023-2024 school year, 4,000 eligible students and their families will receive a $1,000 debit card to enroll in participating programs.

4. New Immediate Need "Job Resources": BetterOffer. BetterOffer makes it easier for Coloradans to find job-training programs that put them on the path earning at least $40,000 a year. Job-training programs featured on BetterOfferCO.org all have high completion rates, partnerships with local employers, and high job placement rates in careers that start paying at $40,000 a year.

1. Alt-Text added to edit icons on the confirmation page. For users using a screen reader, we have added/updated alt-text on the edit icons for the confirmation page. 

1. 2-1-1 Colorado has been added as a referral source.

2. NSLP income eligibility limits have been updated.

3. WIC values and income limits have both been updated.

4. Users will no longer see the "So far you've told us about" heading when they tell us about themself. Users used to see the heading even if we did not have any household member tiles to display. This heading has been removed as it does not make sense until a member tile is visible.

5. The edit buttons on the confirmation page can now be tabbed for accessibility.

6. Mobile users with a phone width lower than 400 px will now continue to see the header bar as one line. Previously, the right navigation icons wrapped under the logo if your phone width was lower than 400 px. We are now lowering the size of the logo and icons to accommodate for lower screen width to keep the header to one line.

7. Cobranding with 2-1-1 Colorado is partially completed to reflected their brand colors.

8. Typescript has been partially implemented across the application.

1. Jeffco CYFAP is now a referral source option.

2. We have added in messaging linking to Colorado 2-1-1 for users who may not qualify for benefits included in MyFriendBen at this time, or if they would like to browse additional immediate needs. Screener heading if there are no benefits found now says "No Benefits Results Found". 

1. Error message display on the referral source question. Users who click continue without selecting a referral source will now get prompted by an error message for selection prior to moving on in the screener. Previously, no error message showed up. 

1. Ability to navigate to the next page by hitting enter. Users are now able to continue to the next question in the screener by hitting "enter" on their keyboard. 

2. Confirmation Page Redesign. MyFriendBen's confirmation page has been redesigned with an updated look/feel. Additionally, if a household member does not have any of the conditions listed in MyFriendBen, the confirmation page will now say "none". Previously, this displayed a blank after "Conditions" for the household member.

3. Lowered Heading Size (Mobile). For screens under 630 px in width, the heading size on the results page will now be slightly smaller. 

4. Updated subtext under income question. The description text under income questions now reads "This includes money from jobs, alimony, investments, or gifts. Income is the money earned or received before deducting taxes."

1. Refactored Error Messages. Previously, error messages would show on every page of MyFriendBen prior to any information being entered. These have been refactored to only show up if an individual clicks continue without filling in every required field. 

2. Updated meta tag. The meta tag for MyFriendBen now reads "MyFriendBen, a Colorado public benefits and public assistance screening tool."

1. Ability to easily edit household members from confirmation screen. Users can no easily go back to edit details for individual household members from the confirmation page. 

2. Seeing the last household member whom you entered information for if you click "Prev". Users who hit "Prev" from the household expense question (Step 6) will now be taken to the last member of the family whom they entered information for. Previously, this button took the user back to the first individual (themselves) in the household. 

1. Removed "burial resource" from immediate needs. Users will no longer see burial resources on Step 9. 

2. Bug Fix: Deleting "0" from referral source. We previously found a bug on the "Other" field of the referral source (Step 10) where users were unable to delete the "0" that came up if you started to type an answer but deleted it. This bug has been resolved.

1. Error message for server errors. Users will now see an error message if MyFriendBen experiences any server issues while trying to load screener results. Users will be prompted to go back to the confirmation screen and make sure all questions have been filled out before trying to load results again. If the error persists, please reach out to myfriendben@garycommunity.org.

2. Copy Edit: Self employment. In the income dropdown, "Self Employment" has been updated to say "Income from freelance, independent contractor, or self-employment work"

3. Updated tab views on the results page. Users who do not indicate they have any immediate needs (Step 10) will no longer see a "Benefits Programs" and "Immediate Needs" tabs on the results page. Individuals who indicate they have immediate needs will still see the two tabs on the results page. 

4. Updated copy and ability to copy results link. We have updated the language to send/save your results link. When a user clicks the "save" icon in the top right of their results page, they will now see a pop-up that says "Save my results" with an option to copy the results link to your clipboard, email the results link, or text the results link. 

5. We have removed the tax question from the screener.

6. Tax Assistance Site (VITA/Tax Help Colorado) has been removed from the referral drop down as that programming has ended for this year.

7. Ability to go back and edit your screener responses. Users will now see a button at the bottom of the results page that will guide them back to edit any responses in their screener for updated benefits results. This button currently takes users back to the confirmation page. Users can review previous responses and edit any that need to be updated/changed.

7. "Test / Prospective Partner" referral source. Moving forward, partners, prospective partners, and users who are just interested in testing/playing with MyFriendBen and entering made up data for screener results, please use the "Test / Prospective Partner" referral source in the drop down. 

8. Updates to Step 9 "Does your household currently have any benefits?"

•  "Prefer not to answer" is now an answer choice for Step 9
• Universal Pre-K and Colorado Tax Credit have been added as options for benefits a user may already have
• Reproductive Health Care and Family Planning Services have been removed as they are included as part of MyFriendBen's immediate needs services for individuals who indicate they need "family planning or birth control" services

9. MyFriendBen is now tabbable. Users can now use the "tab" button on their keyboard to navigate through MyFriendBen.

10. Ability to save a screener and complete it later. Users are now able to save their progress and return to complete their screener at a later time. In order to save the screener, click the "Save" button in the top right, and copy, email, or text a copy of the screener link to yourself to complete the screener at a later time.

11. Invalid zip codes error message. If a user enters an invalid zip code, they will be prompted to enter a valid CO zip code. Users will be unable to continue on MyFriendBen until a valid zip code has been entered.

12. "None of these apply" removed from household members' multi-select. If none of these conditions apply (see screenshot), users no longer have to select "None of these apply" and are able to just continue with the screener. 

13. Filter for benefits programs. The filter has been moved to the right side of the page. 

1. Vietnamese Translation. MyFriendBen is now available in Vietnamese. To change the language, click the globe at the top of the page and select Vietnamese.

1. The Send me a copy of my results button has been relocated to the main navigation bar on the results page. Users are still able to send a copy of their results to themselves. However, the button can now be found at the top of the results page with a new pop-up window for actually sending the results. 

2. We've added in ways users can share MyFriendBen as a resource with family and friends so that they can use it to. Users will now have the option to post about MyFriendBen via social media or easily copying a link to MyFriendBen on their device. This can be done via the new share icon at the top right of the main navigation bar. A pop-up will then allow users to choose which method they would like to share MyFriendBen through.

1. We've incorporated icons to make the tool easier/more fun to use. See example below.

2. Mixed-status households: We have added language to SNAP and Health First Colorado results to indicate that the estimated value of the benefit may be affected if a household is a mixed-status household.

3. Weekly release notes of improvements and changes to MyFriendBen can now be accessed on the site's home page (myfriendben.org).

4. Family Planning Services and Reproductive Care benefits have been moved over to be classified as "Urgent/Immediate Needs" within results.

5. Filtered results: We've improved the filter button so that families can see distinct categories of benefits: Eligible benefits, Ineligible benefits, and "Benefits I already receive".

1. We've streamlined and reordered questions for an easier/faster experience. The total number of screener steps has now trimmed down from 21 steps to 13 - we anticipate time required for the screener to decrease considerably.

2. Universal PreK has been added to the screener (total benefit count now 41💥!).

Universal PreK provides 15 hours of state-funded preschool for all Colorado children in the year before they are eligible for kindergarten. Children with qualifying factors may get an additional 15 hours of preschool so they are in preschool full-time. Also, 3-year-old children with qualifying factors are eligible for 10 hours of preschool programming.

3. Users can now see their progress via a Progress Bar at the top of the screen. 

4. The "Apply for Assistance" links to navigation supports will now open up in a separate tab.

5. We've fixed some Spanish language issues 

6. We've fixed bugs related to health insurance results, and updated age restrictions for certain benefits.

7. The filter on the results page now has an "X" box to enable you to easily exit the filter. When reviewing your results, you can filter by benefit category - or filter to see only benefits/programs that do not require a citizen or qualified non-citizen in the household.

1. Households can now enter hourly wages (no need to calculate monthly income for hourly workers). See screenshot below of revised income question.

2. HelpKitchen - a locator for Aurora-area families - has been added to the screener (total benefit count now 40💥!).

HelpKitchen is a local Colorado company that matches the food insecure with a free meal from a partner restaurant near them, all via text/SMS. This program keeps restaurants alive (and their employees working), injects funds into the local community, and eases the burden food banks and the rest of the food security system are experiencing.

If a household indicates they live in Aurora and wish to be connected with food resources, HelpKitchen will appear as a resource in results.

3. Some additional language about Public Charge has been added to the landing page in both English and Spanish:

• Non-U.S. citizens planning to apply for legal permanent residency or a visa should consider how applying for any benefits on this site may affect their immigration status. For more information, please review the Colorado Department of Human Services Public Charge Rule.
• Ciudadano no estadounidense que planea solicitar la residencia permanente legal o una visa deben considerar como la solicitud de cualquier beneficio en este sitio puede afectar su estatus migratorio. Para más información, consulte la Regla de Carga Pública del Departamento de Servicios Humanos de Colorado.

1. Users can now receive a link to return to their results page at a later point. Based on partner feedback, we've added this functionality as an alternative to sending a .csv file of results to themselves. Users can now return to their results page by:

• Copying the unique url of the results page
• Pasting the URL into a browser to access results

Of note, as MyFriendBen adds additional benefits, those new benefits will be displayed when revisiting the results page. 

2. Users will have the option to receive results via text.

When users select "Send Results" on the final page, they'll have the option to provide either a phone number or email address so that they may receive their link via preferred method.

3. The question about current benefits received has been redesigned for ease and moved to later in the screener (now Step 14).

Users are asked about benefits they currently receive as a way to get improved results ("benefits received" can be separated out from benefits users are eligible for). 

Users will see benefits by category for easier selection - see screenshot below.

4. If users indicate they receive Medicaid or CHP+, we've fixed results so that Health First Colorado and CHP+ (as applicable) will not appear as an eligible benefit. Users have indicated they prefer to not get results for benefits they already receive.