BenefitsNow

The product

Finding out which programs a household may qualify for usually means hours on agency sites. BenefitsNow asks simple questions about household, income and situation, then shows every matched program, an estimated level of support and why it may be relevant, with nothing blurred out. On iOS, a personal AI agent explains eligibility rules in plain English and walks through applications, backed by AI tools: a document scanner, letter generator, deadline tracker and eligibility re-checks. On the web, an optional Application Toolkit adds a plan, checklists and letter drafts.

App Store ↗ · benefitsnow.ai ↗

What we built

iOS app (App Store) and web product
Personal AI agent chat for eligibility & next steps
AI document scanner that extracts key info
Letter generator for appeals, cover letters & responses
Deadline tracker for application & renewal windows
Eligibility re-scan when circumstances change
Quiz flow (minutes, no account)
Rules-based eligibility matching by state & household
Match results with estimated support and reasoning
Direct links to apply with each agency
Application Toolkit: plan, checklists, letter drafts
AI assistant for questions along the way
One-time checkout with money-back guarantee
Privacy-first: no SSN or bank details

The hard parts

Eligibility logic across programs and states

Food, housing and utility programs have different income limits and household rules, and they vary by state. A match is an estimate, never an approval.

How we tackled itEligibility expressed as data rules per program and state, evaluated against the quiz answers, with every result showing why it matched and clear copy that agencies make the final decision.

Asking enough, but not too much

Each question costs completion. The product deliberately avoids Social Security numbers, bank details and document uploads.

How we tackled itA short branching quiz that only asks what the rules actually need, including which benefits the household already receives so they’re factored into the results.

AI that helps prepare, while the person stays in control

Supporting letters and checklists are high-stakes for the user. The AI drafts; it must never look like it is applying on someone’s behalf.

How we tackled itAI drafts are generated from the household’s answers and matches and presented for review and editing; the user submits to the agency themselves (“AI-assisted preparation. You review and submit.”).

Reading real documents

Users snap documents such as letters and forms; the agent needs the key details from them, and this is sensitive personal data.

How we tackled itAI extraction into structured profile fields the user can see and correct, with stored data encrypted and the app positioned as private by default, as stated in the listing.

Keeping the app useful after the first match

Benefits have application windows and renewals, and eligibility changes with life events.

How we tackled itA deadline tracker for windows and renewal dates, plus an eligibility checker that re-scans the profile when the user’s situation changes.

Trust in a category full of look-alikes

Users need to know this isn’t a government site and that applying directly is always free.

How we tackled itFree-first funnel (quiz, matches, estimates and links all free), the paid toolkit clearly optional at a single price, and an FAQ that states independence up front.

Technical approach is described at a product level. Client data and internal metrics stay private.

Outcome

BenefitsNow is live on the App Store (free to download) and on the web, with free matching and paid AI-assisted preparation. No usage figures are published here.