Benefits Cliff

Mother and child speaking with advocate
By Fed Communities Staff
Explore Benefits Cliff from the perspective of employers, the Federal Reserve, and community leaders who help families navigate public assistance programs and plan for career advancement opportunities. Watch or listen on demand.
By Gabriella Chiarenza
A benefits cliff can make a family feel like their hard work really isn’t paying off or helping them get ahead. Why is the benefits cliff issue so hard to address? And what are some communities doing to tackle it?
Marsha Edwards in the Martha O'Bryan Center
By Gabriella Chiarenza
Find out how a pilot program in Nashville, Tennessee plans to help 900 families overcome the benefits cliff.
Mackeisha Jenkins
By Gabriella Chiarenza
In this 3-minute documentary, get to know people participating in a pilot program in Nashville, Tennessee that expects to help 900 families navigate benefits cliffs.
By Gabriella Chiarenza
Experts and policymakers reveal steps they’re taking in Maine to effect change within a challenging system with help from those who’ve navigated benefits cliffs.
Kandie Cleaves
By Gabriella Chiarenza, Steve Osemwenkhae
Facing a benefits cliff can make accepting a new or better job surprisingly difficult. Hear from three advocates in Maine who are using their own experiences to change things for the better.
Deonne Luacaw
By Gabriella Chiarenza
Losing public assistance benefits when their income goes up incentivizes some workers to stay in low-paying jobs. It discourages others who are willing to work from joining the workforce. Explore the issue and what's being done.
Playdate Illustration
By Gabriella Chiarenza
Families with a lower income are more likely to use certain public benefits—and lose them with a small raise or higher-paying job. Here are some of the most common benefits people can lose when they go over a benefits cliff.
Cafe worker, like those at risk of going over the benefits cliff, assists a customer
By Fed Communities Staff
Landing a better-paying job is the dream of many Americans. But what happens when a higher salary makes it harder to pay the bills?