Benjamin Appleton

Ben Appleton is an Assistant Director at the GPL on the Children & Families team. In this role, he oversees the GPL’s work focused on supporting state governments to improve access and delivery of public benefits – like SNAP and Medicaid – so that eligible families receive timely support during moments of financial hardship.

Previously at the GPL, he oversaw projects focused on improving outcomes for children and families by connecting them to prevention services outside the child welfare system. He also led projects as part of the Safety & Justice team’s Alternative 911 Emergency Response (A-9ER) Initiative, included supporting Chicago, Washington DC, and Los Angeles in planning, launching, and scaling A-9ER programs that dispatch unarmed trained professionals to 911 calls.

Prior to joining the GPL, Ben was a Senior Policy and Strategy Advisor for the UK Government, where he worked in a range of social and economic policy roles, including policy interventions to address Covid-19 and cost-of-living challenges. He also previously worked at Deloitte as a consulting analyst. He studied public policy at the Harvard Kennedy School as the 2017-18 Choate Fellow and holds a BA in History from the University of Cambridge with highest honors.

Outside of work, you’ll find Ben exploring the great outdoors with his family and friends – whether backpacking, hiking or rock climbing.