Climbing the Benefits Cliff in North Carolina

Imagine getting a raise, only to lose more in vital public assistance for necessities like food, housing and childcare. This is referred to as the “benefits cliff,” a concept many North Carolinians learned about at the 2024 Emerging Issues Forum on financial resilience. Public assistance programs often lack a gradual reduction in benefits as a household's income increases, leading to an abrupt “drop off” once a certain income threshold is met.

In this episode of “The Connector,” Goodwill Industries of the Southern Piedmont Stakeholder Engagement Manager Justin Taylor joins IEI Communications and Marketing Director Jennifer Heiss to talk about the basics of the benefits cliff, how the cliff impacts the financial well-being of households, and strategies organizations can use to navigate the cliff and better support their communities. Taylor also shares the Career Ladder Identifier and Financial Forecaster, also known as CLIFF tools, to help employees and job seekers understand how higher earnings affect public benefits so they can make informed decisions.

The Connector podcast explores connections being made across sectors, regions and perspectives resulting in a more vibrant and prosperous North Carolina. To learn more about the Institute for Emerging Issues, visit emergingissues.org.