Have you ever thought about looking for work but were held back by fear of losing your benefits? You're not alone. 60% of non-working families say the same thing. This initiative exists to change that — with real information, pilot programs, and a community voice demanding better policies.
The Benefit Cliff
They call it a "cliff" because that's exactly what it feels like. When your income goes up a little — sometimes just $100 more a month — you can lose benefits worth thousands of dollars a year: food assistance, housing, childcare subsidies. That's not fair. And it discourages talented people who want to work. We're researching how this works, training government case managers themselves, and testing real solutions.
What We're Doing
Research
In-depth study of how families lose benefits when they start working — interviews, surveys, focus groups, and published reports.
Community Advisory Council
Residents of ZIP codes 00923 and 00924 designing public policy from their lived experience. Your voice matters. Your story changes the rules.
The Power of Knowing
Pilot program that trains government eligibility workers (starting with TANF) to tell you the truth: starting to work doesn't always mean losing everything at once.
Family Development Accounts
Direct transfer pilot program: $4,200 in payments every 3 months over 18 months to 75 families. We're measuring whether this helps families make the leap to employment without falling off the cliff.
What You Get
- Understanding of how employment affects your benefits
- Access to pilot programs
- Community advisory participation
- Policy advocacy for systemic change
Who It's For
Families fearing benefit loss when entering employment and those seeking to change the policies creating these barriers.
Know your options
If you're afraid to work because you don't want to lose your benefits, let's talk. There are more options than you think.
Get in Touch