Maryland is deepening its collaboration with Anthropic through a new agreement that will bring the Claude model into several core government workflows.
The partnership aims to improve how residents access benefits and how state workers manage the large volume of documentation tied to public-assistance programmes.
According to Anthropic’s announcement, Maryland processes more than 150,000 documents each month related to SNAP, Medicaid, WIC and cash-assistance applications. Case-workers spend much of that time verifying documents, checking eligibility requirements and reviewing policy details for more complex cases.
Using Claude, the state plans to automate parts of this review process while keeping final decisions in the hands of human staff. Officials expect this to reduce delays that often slow benefit delivery for families.
The partnership will also introduce a Claude-powered virtual assistant that helps residents apply for benefits, explains requirements in plain language and reduces common errors that trigger application rejections.
Maryland says the aim is not only efficiency but also a smoother experience for residents who often navigate several programmes at once.
Building On Earlier Claude Pilots
This agreement follows a pilot launched earlier this year in which Maryland used Claude to support the SUN Bucks nutrition programme. That chatbot, available in English and Spanish, helped more than 600,000 residents apply without relying heavily on call-centre support.
State officials said the early results showed that AI tools could handle high-volume questions while maintaining clarity and accuracy.
The new partnership goes further by placing Claude inside back-office operations. Maryland will use the model to summarise documents, surface policy guidance, assist case-workers with eligibility reviews and analyse community-level data to identify local service gaps.
The state will also run an up-skilling programme to help early-career professionals learn to use AI tools responsibly across fields such as education, healthcare and infrastructure.
These expansions reflect Anthropic’s push into public-sector work. The company has been building government-focused safety materials and working with federal and international agencies on structured deployments.
Maryland’s adoption now becomes one of Anthropic’s most substantial state-level engagements to date.
What Maryland Hopes To Achieve
Maryland wants to cut processing delays, improve the accuracy of benefit approvals and support case-workers who manage heavy caseloads. The state emphasises that Claude will not make final decisions but will prepare summaries, organise information and reduce manual repetition.
That balance between automation and oversight will be central to evaluating whether the partnership improves outcomes.
Residents may also see faster responses to questions, fewer application mistakes and clearer guidance across multiple benefit systems. Local governments may gain better visibility into needs such as childcare, food access or transportation by using Claude-based data tools.
What To Watch Next
The coming months will show how Claude performs in areas where accuracy and fairness are important. Maryland will track how quickly case-workers adopt the tools, how much time is saved on document work and whether residents receive benefits faster.
Other states are monitoring the rollout closely as they consider similar partnerships.
