Building Verification Systems that Work: Technology’s Role in the Reciprocal State
When 18.5 million people must document 80 hours of activity monthly, system design becomes social policy.
As millions of people face the requirement of documenting 80 hours of activity each month, verification system design becomes a matter of social policy just as much as technology. Traditional monthly reporting models, built for paper-based administration, often create unnecessary barriers that lead to coverage losses and high administrative costs. While the technology to track hours and verify activities exists, the real challenge lies in balancing integrity, efficiency, and equity.
Rather than treating compliance as a rigid monthly checkpoint, the concept of always-on verification can reframe it to a continuous, supportive process. By leveraging credentialed networks and automation, this system reduces barriers while maintaining integrity through targeted audits. Real-time tracking and proactive alerts help members stay on track long before coverage is at risk, turning enforcement into empowerment. Building on this foundation, integrated opportunity matching connects people to jobs, training, and volunteer roles within the same portal, supported by a streamlined interface that makes choices simple and actionable. Together, these elements shift work requirements from a bureaucratic burden to a system designed to help people succeed.
As states face a 14-month deadline to launch verification systems by December 2026, success depends on rapid decisions, pragmatic design, and integration that feels supportive rather than punitive. Core functions like credentialing, submission interfaces, compliance portals, audits, and appeals must come first, while advanced features can follow. Beyond technology, integrating verification with opportunity systems requires breaking silos among agencies, employers, and community partners through hybrid models and open APIs, shifting the focus from enforcement to helping people succeed. Ultimately, whether these systems are experienced as partners or obstacles will hinge on flexibility for real-world challenges and design choices that embed trust, autonomy, and fairness.
Examine Syam Adusumilli’s in-depth perspective on how states can design verification systems that balance compliance, equity, and innovation under tight deadlines.
