Benefit Cliff Dashboard

COLORADO

Outcomes  

Here’s how these initiatives are already bearing fruit in Colorado: 

• Employers have become more educated on how to support lower-income employees, which helped in retaining employees even if they lost some benefits.  

• The state’s updated family re-engagement processes allow clients to avoid sanctions if they show willingness to re-engage with workforce programs, which helps maintain their benefits and support. 

• The Family Voice Council continues to provide feedback on the policy changes’ impact on families, creating a smooth feedback loop for the state to remain responsive to families’ needs.  

Transitional Assistance 

Colorado is intentional with transitional assistance as families exit various benefits programs: 

• All: The state also provides a low-income childcare program to families across the state.   

• Child Care: Colorado uses a gradual phase-out system via a copayment structure. 
• TANF: Colorado elects the state’s option to provide transitional SNAP benefits when families stop receiving cash assistance. Additionally, if a family’s income exceeds 185% FPL, and they were participating in TANF for 6 consecutive months, they may have an additional 6 months of eligibility for childcare assistance. There is a100% earned income disregard, which can help mitigate the cliff effect. Denver county also offers transitional Medicaid for one year after exit from TANF. Post-TANF payments are also available as a county option. 

Benefit Cliff Mitigation in Colorado >

CONNECTICUT

Outcomes  

Here’s how these efforts are already making a difference in Connecticut: 

1. Expanded Medicaid and Subsidized Health Care: Workers have reported increased stability and access to healthcare, which has allowed them to focus more on their jobs and career advancement. 

2. Universal Free School Lunch and Breakfast: Families have noted that this initiative reduces financial stress and ensures their children are well-fed, contributing to better academic performance and overall family well-being. 

3. Income Disregards in TANF: This policy has helped families transition to work without losing essential benefits immediately, providing a smoother path to economic independence. 

4. CLIFF Tools: The Atlanta Federal Reserve Bank’s benefit cliff tools have been implemented, and families participating in these pilots have reported greater financial stability and confidence in pursuing higher wages. 

5. Childcare Policy Change: Adjustments to the Care 4 Kids program have reduced benefit cliffs for families, allowing them to accept pay raises and promotions without losing child care support.  

Transitional Assistance 

Connecticut is taking a thoughtful approach to transitional support as families move off benefit programs:

• TANF: Families who exit the TANF program due to exhausting the time limit are eligible for additional Safety Net Services for up to 12 months. Safety Net Services provide home-based case management and basic needs support and is designed to promote self-sufficiency and child well-being. Families are referred to the Safety Net program by DSS if they remain income-eligible for TFA but are ineligible due to the time limit. Families exiting TANF due to exceeding the income limit can receive SNAP for an additional 5 months. 

• Child Care: At redetermination, families whose income has increased above the state’s initial income threshold ( >60% SMI) but remains at or below the second eligibility threshold (≤ 85% SMI) will remain income eligible for the program. 
• Medicaid: For those transitioning off of Medicaid, Connecticut provides 12 months of coverage to children and parents/caretaker relatives who exceed income limits due to earnings or spousal support. Connecticut has also implemented a Medicaid waiver initiative (“Covered CT”) that expands no-cost healthcare coverage to adults above the traditional Medicaid income limits up to 175% FPL. 

Benefit Cliff Mitigation in Connecticut >

WASHINGTON D.C.

Outcomes  

This is how these initiatives are delivering results in the District of Columbia: 

• DC’s Career Mobility Action Plan (Career MAP) Pilot is early in its implementation, with the average participant recently completing two of five total years in the program. The program is being evaluated by the Lab @ DC through a randomized control trial that is assessing the program’s impact on jobs, wages, stable housing, education, and family well-being. The program has had a strong focus on helping the 500 previously homeless participants gain more stable housing. Promising early program results include:   

• 66% of participants are either working or participating in other education, training, or workforce activities. 

• 17% of participants are earning enough to have experienced reductions in at least some TANF, SNAP, medical, or child care benefits; with the average participant in this group gaining over $10,500 per year in program benefits that help them keep more of what they earn. 

• DC TANF Education and Employment Program’s (TEP) most recent redesign was launched in October 2024. DC is still assessing program outcomes related to employment and two-generation family well-being as implementation progresses.   

Transitional Assistance 

Washington D.C. is prioritizing smooth transitions for families leaving benefits programs: 

• TANF: Families transitioning off TANF benefits in DC are eligible for 12 months of transitional child care, 6 months of transitional Medicaid, and up to 5 months of SNAP benefits (via the Transitional SNAP program). To help reduce the cliff effect, the District’s TANF program disregards the first $160 of earned income per month and then two thirds of remaining earnings. 

• D.C. Career Mobility Action Plan (Career MAP) pilot: Provides up to 5 years of enhanced rental assistance and/or cash payment to compensate for lost benefits due to earnings (limited to 500 families). The rent discount is applied first, then, if rent drops to $0, the family is provided a cash benefit of up to $10,000 per year to cover combined losses of SNAP, TANF, child care, and medical assistance. 
• Child Care: Initial eligibility is 300 percent of the Federal Poverty Level (FPL), with a sliding fee scale that gradually phases out benefits as earnings increase. Redetermination eligibility is up to 85 percent of the State Median Income (SMI). 

Benefit Cliff Mitigation in Washington D.C. >

MAINE

Outcomes  

See the impact these initiatives are already having in Maine: 

• The increased refundable EITC has provided substantial financial support to low-income working families, helping them to retain more of their earnings and reduce the immediate financial impact of benefit cliffs.
• Implementing a stepwise approach to gradually reduce TANF benefits rather than a sudden cutoff has helped families transition more smoothly from public assistance to self-sufficiency, reducing the abrupt loss of benefits that can discourage work.
• Providing post-secondary education support for families earning below 225% of the Federal Poverty Level (FPL) has enabled many low-income individuals to pursue higher education and improve their long-term earning potential without losing essential benefits.
• Extending post-SNAP closure employment support from 3 to 12 months has provided ongoing assistance to families, helping them maintain employment and avoid falling back into dependency on public benefits.
• Integrating this tool for coaching purposes has helped families plan for income transitions, providing them with a clearer understanding of how changes in earnings will affect their benefits and overall financial situation.   

Transitional Assistance 

Intentional support in Maine is helping families navigate life after benefits programs:

• TANF: Maine utilizes state-funded TANF Maintenance of Effort dollars to provide a monthly worker supplement food benefit to working households who have minor children.
• Seguro de enfermedad: Maine has streamlined eligibility for transitional Medicaid; 6 to 12 months of transitional Maine Care benefits are provided to parents whose income exceeds Medicaid eligibility limits.
• SNAP: Maine provides transitional food assistance for up to 5 months when a family transitions off TANF due to earnings. This is a federal option through the SNAP program.

Benefit Cliff Mitigation in Maine >

MASSACHUSETTS

Outcomes  

Here’s how progress is already unfolding in Massachusetts: 

• Cliff mapping efforts have shown that the sudden financial decreases that families face now when exiting a federal benefits program MA as opposed to when this work began in the state have softened significantly.
• Agencies across the state are able to share data to better understand the needs of families they are mutually supporting.
• Anecdotally, the Workforce Pilots are demonstrating that benefits participants are highly likely to get jobs with sustainable salaries when the training programs to which the state connects them are within 50 miles of employers looking for workers in high-demand jobs.
• The 100% earned income disregard for TANF allowed families to hold onto more financial resources. Data showed that the number of TANF families with assets and the average amount of assets families had rose steadily after this policy change.

Transitional Assistance 

Massachusetts is focused on easing the shift for families transitioning off public assistance:

• TANF: MA offers transitional cash assistance for families exiting TANF for up to 4 months (starting at $200 and decreasing by $50 per month). The state also offers transitional food assistance to those families for up to 5 months through the Transitional Benefits Alternative (TBA). MA offers transitional child care, Medicaid,   and ESP Post-Employment services to past recipients for up to 12 months upon loss of TANF receipt.

Benefit Cliff Mitigation in Massachusetts >

NEW HAMPSHIRE

Outcomes  

These initiatives are already showing promising outcomes in New Hampshire, according to their most recent Economic Analysis Report:

• Implementing more intervals with smaller increments in the CCDF program has reduced the financial loss families experience when their income increases, making it easier for parents to accept higher-paying jobs without losing child care benefits.
• Increased CCDF eligibility to 85% of the State Median Income. Have seen a 65% increase in enrollment since January 2024, when this went into effect.
• Expanding Medicaid eligibility has provided more comprehensive health coverage to low-income families, reducing the healthcare cliffs that occur when families earn slightly more and lose Medicaid benefits. This has helped families maintain health coverage while increasing their earnings.
• Encouraging the use of the Public Housing flat rent option has allowed families to pay a consistent rent amount, even as their income increases. This has mitigated the impact of income fluctuations on housing stability and reduced the likelihood of families facing housing cliffs.
• Raising the SNAP gross income limit has allowed families to remain eligible for food assistance at higher income levels, reducing the cliffs associated with losing SNAP benefits. This has helped families maintain food security while pursuing better employment opportunities.
• Incentivizing employers to provide transportation options, such as partnerships with ride-sharing companies or shuttles, has reduced transportation costs for workers. This has helped low-income families manage commuting expenses and remain in the workforce.

Transitional Assistance 

Families in New Hampshire receive purposeful support as they phase out of benefits programs:

• TANF: Offers transitional child care for up to 12 months, assuming a family remains below 190% FPL, transitional Medicaid for up to 12 months assuming the family remains at 185% FPL (calculated gross monthly income-child care expenses), and transitional food benefits for up to 5 months through the Transitional Benefits Alternative in SNAP.
• Seguro de enfermedad: New Hampshire offers during postpartum a twelve-month Medicaid eligibility for both mother and child.
• Cuidado de los niños: Once a family is enrolled in child care, they will receive continuous enrollment for at least 12 months.

Benefit Cliff Mitigation in New Hampshire >

OHIO

Outcomes  

Here’s what these efforts have achieved so far in Ohio:

• Improved Well-being Scores: Participants in the Benefit Bridge Program have shown significant improvements in their Benefit Bridge well-being scores, indicating better overall stability and self-sufficiency.
• Reduced Churn: The increase in FPL to 200% has helped reduce the churn of individuals cycling on and off benefits, providing more stability for working individuals.
• Community Engagement: The Human-Centered Design approach that Ohio has leveraged to design Benefit Bridge has led to more tailored and effective solutions by directly involving clients in the design process, providing clear feedback loops to help the program continue to improve in its responsiveness to families’ needs.

Transitional Assistance 

Ohio is committed to strategic transitional aid for families exiting assistance programs:

• TANF: Offers transitional child care generally to past TANF recipients for up to 6 months for families below 185% FPL.  Also offers transitional Medicaid for up to 12 months, assuming families remain below 185% FPL for the second six-month period. Although OH doesn’t elect the transitional benefits alternative (TBA) through SNAP, families who are no longer eligible for TANF benefits because of increased income from work but who receive food assistance are automatically given $10 per month of additional food assistance benefits through the Ohio Works Now (OWN) program, added directly to recipient’s electronic benefit transfer card for food assistance. These benefits are not counted as income nor will it affect eligibility of applicants or recipients for cash assistance, food assistance or Medicaid.
• Child Care: When an approved activity ends (e.g., employment), child care can be continued for at least three months, but not more than four months. This can occur more than one time within an eligibility period.
• Benefit Bridge: Benefit Bridge is a program implemented in 13 counties, designed to assist participants in enhancing upward mobility, navigating the cliff effect, and transitioning off public assistance. As part of the program, participants are required to complete financial literacy courses and are incentivized to set and achieve goals aimed at improving their well-being scores. The program has a limited amount of state funding to go above 200% FPL.
• Seguro de enfermedad: Enables those families who would otherwise lose Medicaid coverage because they no longer meet income requirements to remain covered for an additional 6 – 12 months, based on timely completion of quarterly reporting requirements and income under the program income limit.

Benefit Cliff Mitigation in Ohio >

Ohio’s Benefit Bridge Well-Being Scores Rubric >

Ohio’s Benefit Bridge Well-Being Scores – Outcome Trends >

RHODE ISLAND

Outcomes  

These initiatives are beginning to yield results in Rhode Island:

• Rhode Island’s parent advisory council provides a feedback loop for the state. Participants provide feedback regarding their experiences with accessibility, program quality and barriers for families to transition off of benefits. Particularly, families report housing insecurities and mental health barriers as the greatest challenges. The advisory council is also an opportunity to provide information to families regarding services provided to minimize the benefits cliff such as short-term assistance, continuing cash assistance and  child care subsidies.

Transitional Assistance 

With care and strategy, Rhode Island is guiding families beyond benefit programs:

• TANF: Offers transitional child care generally to past TANF recipients for up to 12 months for families above 180% FPL but below 225% FPL (if above, families are required to pay a portion of their countable gross income toward child care expenses).  Rhode Island also offers unlimited transitional Medicaid assuming families remain below 185% FPL.
• Child Care: RI utilizes a sliding fee scale for co-payments to phase-out child care benefits more gradually; the state uses a minimum 12-month eligibility and redetermination period.
• Seguro de enfermedad: The state has streamlined eligibility for transitional Medicaid (LTSS).
• RI Post-Employment Benefits Program: Provides$200/month for up to 12 months for those exiting TANF. To be implemented in June 2026.

Benefit Cliff Mitigation in Rhode Island >

TENNESSEE

Transitional Assistance 

Intentional planning in Tennessee supports families stepping away from various benefits:

• Child Care: At redetermination, if a family is ineligible for child care due to a child-only TANF grant ending, income above the eligibility thresholds, or a failure to meet work or education requirements, eligibility for child care assistance will end after a 90-day phase-out period.
• TANF: Tennessee offers transitional child care generally to past TANF recipients for up to 18 months, assuming specific conditions are met. The state also offers transitional Medicaid to eligible past recipients for up to 12 months. Tennessee also elects the Transitional Benefits Alternative through SNAP, providing up to 5 months of transitional SNAP benefits to families transitioning off of TANF. Finally, the state offers transitional cash assistance for up to 6 months to eligible exiting families.

Benefit Cliff Mitigation in Tennessee >

UTAH

Outcomes  

This is how positive change is already underway in Utah:

• Sutherland Institute Statewide Survey Data: Research conducted by the Sutherland Institute shows a significant portion of Utahns on government assistance have taken actions to limit their income to avoid losing benefits. Specifically, 43% of respondents reported intentionally limiting their earnings to avoid triggering a benefits cliff. This research has paved the way for a collaborative culture of data-driven continuous improvement. Discussions have begun to pilot initiatives to address the cliff effect in Utah.
• Intergenerational Poverty Task Force: This task force has provided a feedback loop for the state in driving initiatives to address intergenerational poverty. This structure will continue to prove useful when the state begins to pilot solutions to benefit cliffs.

Transitional Assistance 

Utah is ensuring no one falls through the cracks as families exit benefit programs:

• TANF: When exiting TANF, transitional child care is available for 6 months to working  parents earning at least $1 (working on average 15-30 hours per week depending on family situation), transitional Medicaid is available for 12 months, transitional cash assistance is available for up to 3 months in a 12 month period for working families (disregarding all earned income).

Benefit Cliff Mitigation in Utah >

VERMONT

Outcomes  

Take a look at how these programs are taking root in Vermont:

The shift to a coaching model within the Reach Up program has also yielded positive outcomes:

• Reduced Sanctions: Moving away from a punitive approach to one that emphasizes support and goal-setting has reduced the number of sanctions and increased engagement with the program.
• Positive Feedback: Participants have expressed appreciation for the support and guidance provided by case managers, which has been crucial in helping them navigate their transition off TANF.

Anecdotal Outcomes of Vermont’s Reach Ahead Pilot (7/1/23-6/30/25)

• Financial Stability: Families reported increased savings, credit scores, and being more up-to-date on bills and rent. The additional cash and food benefits provided through the program helped alleviate financial stress.
• Food Security: A significant portion of the funds received by families was spent on groceries, improving food security.
• Employment Retention: Many participants indicated that the program influenced their decision to accept or retain employment.
• Well-being: Families reported feeling less stressed, more in control of their lives, and more proud of their achievements. They also noted spending more time together and children attending school more regularly.

**Please note: this pilot was not implemented as a scientific experiment and without a control group.**

Transitional Assistance 

Vermont has designed targeted transitional help for families moving beyond public assistance:

• TANF: Those exiting TANF can receive unlimited child care transitional benefits (if families are eligible for Reach Ahead, this is limited to 24 months), 1 year of Medicaid transitional benefits, and $50 food assistance per month for first 6 months and $5 for 18 months off assistance in specific cases.
• VT Reach Ahead: Provides up to 2 years of food benefits, case management and supportive services for families transitioning off of TANF.

Benefit Cliff Mitigation in Vermont >

WASHINGTON

Outcomes  

Here’s how momentum is building through these initiatives in Washington:

• Health and Well-being: By mitigating benefit cliffs, households experience better physical and mental wellness, contributing to overall family well-being.
• Child Care Subsidies: Families benefiting from the graduated approach to child care copays have reported less financial stress and greater ability to maintain employment.

Transitional Assistance 

As families exit various benefits, Washington state ensures intentional transitional assistance:

• TANF: For families exiting TANF, WA offers unlimited child care transitional benefits for those under 200% FPL, assuming families pay a co-payment to contribute to the cost of child care (levels vary based on family size and income). The state offers transitional Medicaid for up to 6 months (disregards child support income when determining eligibility). Family is eligible for a 6-month extension if they still have a child and fall below 185% FPL, and the caretaker has had earnings each of the last 3 months. WA also offers consolidated emergency assistance (CEAP) for as long as a dependent under the age of 18 is in the home (limited to 1 payment in a 12 month period) as well as transitional Food Assistance (TFA) for up to five months via the Transitional Benefits Alternative in SNAP.

Benefit Cliff Mitigation in Washington >