Simplify! Reducing administrative burden to improve access to social benefits

Description

Many people in Switzerland do not claim social benefits they are legally entitled to. A key reason lies in language and administrative barriers: complex forms, difficult-to-understand official documents and opaque application processes prevent those affected from accessing the support they are owed.

The research project Simplify! addresses exactly this problem. In collaboration with practice partners from the Canton and City of Zurich, we investigate which barriers impede access to social benefits and develop AI-powered solutions to translate administrative documents into plain, understandable language. We then scientifically evaluate the effectiveness of these measures.

Our approach follows three steps. In the first step – understanding barriers – we analyse forms, websites, brochures and specific counselling and application processes. We complement this with qualitative interviews and focus groups with affected individuals and welfare staff to systematically identify linguistic, administrative and structural barriers.

In the second step – reducing barriers – we co-develop revised and more comprehensible information and application materials together with our partner institutions. At the core of this effort is a generative translation tool that converts complex administrative texts into plain language. The focus lies equally on reducing linguistic complexity and on simplifying process workflows.

In the third step – evaluating impact – we deploy the revised materials in everyday practice and systematically examine their effects. Through field experiments, we analyse whether comprehension, decision-making behaviour and actual take-up of social benefits improve. The results provide our partner institutions with an evidence base for the long-term adoption of the new materials and generate scientific evidence on how simplified documents and administrative processes can improve access to social benefits.

Simplify! is a project of the University of Zurich (Department of Political Science) and ZHAW (School of Social Work), funded by the Digitalization Initiative of the Zurich Higher Education Institutions (DIZH). Practice partners include the Cantonal Social Welfare Office of Zurich, the Supplementary Benefits Office (AZL) of the City of Zurich, the Social Services of the City of Zurich and the City of Dietikon, and Pro Senectute Canton Zurich. The project runs from 2025 to 2028.

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