Language
English (en)
Publication Date
5-22-2025
Summary
Over 40 million workers in the United States receive public benefits. Many face a challenge: They would like to earn higher wages, take on more hours, or accept better jobs, but doing so can push them over benefit-program limits, causing them to lose eligibility or experience reductions in the benefits they need to make ends meet. This is also an issue for employers, whose ability to attract and retain talent is affected when the workforce’s employment decisions are driven by concerns about public benefit eligibility. Drawing on data from the Workforce Economic Inclusion and Mobility (WEIM) survey administered to a nationally representative sample of 2,511 U.S. workers earning less than 250% of the federal poverty line, this brief presents new evidence on the rates at which low-wage workers are affected by benefits cliffs and the actions they take to stay on those benefits. It also examines the programs that low-wage workers were trying to stay on when they took these actions.
Document Type
Research Brief
Category
Financial Inclusion
Subarea
Income Policy
Original Citation
Roll, S., Miller, S., & Despard, M. (2025). The impact of benefits cliffs and asset limits on low-wage workers: New evidence from a nationally representative survey (CSD Research Brief No. 25-07). Washington University, Center for Social Development. https://doi.org/10.7936/5ykn-5z34
Project
Workforce Economic Inclusion and Mobility (WEIM)
Keywords
2025 ; benefits cliffs ; income; public benefits ; asset limits ; income limits ; eligibility ; Workforce Economic Inclusion and Mobility (WEIM) ;
Recommended Citation
Roll, S., Miller, S., & Despard, M. (2025). The impact of benefits cliffs and asset limits on low-wage workers: New evidence from a nationally representative survey (CSD Research Brief No. 25-07). Washington University, Center for Social Development. https://doi.org/10.7936/5ykn-5z34
DOI: https://doi.org/10.7936/5ykn-5z34