U.S. Department
of Justice
Executive Summary: Legal Aid Interagency Roundtable 2022 Report
Access to Justice through Simplification: A Roadmap for People-Centered Simplification of Federal Government Forms, Processes, and Language
The 2022 Roundtable Report highlights strategies to simplify government forms and processes so the American people can access federal programs, services, and benefits without the need for legal help. People are often discouraged by the process of seeking government services for a number of reasons: long, complex, and repetitive forms; confusing policies and processes; inaccessible websites; long wait times for customer service; and unnecessarily burdensome documentation requirements. In many instances, legal help is needed to navigate the complex processes federal agencies employ. The public should not need, and often is unable, to rely on or afford a lawyer to access government programs, services, and benefits.
This report identifies a three-step simplification roadmap to help agencies expand access to federal government programs and services:
- Understand the Problem. Agencies should meaningfully engage with the communities served and impacted by government programs to understand the barriers to access.
- Implement Strategies. Agencies should incorporate feedback from that engagement to simplify their forms and processes.
- Evaluate Outcomes. Agencies should evaluate the impact of the simplification efforts to determine whether they have meaningfully expanded access, or if further improvements are possible.
The report also highlights how federal agencies are using the simplification roadmap to make programs, services, and benefits easier to access. In particular, Roundtable member agencies are making programs and services more accessible by:
- simplifying government forms
- partnering with state, local, and Tribal government-administered programs to simplify processes
- eliminating unnecessary requirements
- using plain language
- offering information in multiple languages
- making default options favorable to beneficiaries
- providing assistance through trusted organizations
- allowing non-lawyers to assist where appropriate
- providing self-help information that is easy to find and understand
Finally, this report shares future initiatives and commitments by member agencies to expand access to federal programs and services. Agencies are planning new ways to engage with legal aid providers, advocacy organizations, and historically underserved and marginalized communities to better understand the problem and inform simplification efforts. Agencies have also committed to specific initiatives that will simplify processes, promote the use of plain language, simplify government forms, expand the use of self-help resources, and more.
The Roundtable will continue to refine and improve strategies to simplify federal forms, language, and processes. Through these efforts, we further our mission to expand access to the promises and protections of the federal government.