Bureaucracy for Commoners
Bureaucracy for CommonersBenefits Cliff Calculator
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The Benefits Cliff Calculator

"A raise isn't always a raise."

See what the system doesn't tell you.

What is the Benefits Cliff?

The benefits cliff is the point where earning more money actually leaves your household worse off — because a raise pushes you over an eligibility threshold, and you lose government benefits worth more than the raise itself.

This calculator shows you:

  • 01Whether your income is near a benefit threshold
  • 02The exact dollar value of each benefit you could lose
  • 03Whether a raise would actually hurt your bottom line
  • 04A plain-language summary of your real financial picture

5 questions · Takes about 2 minutes

For educational purposes only. Results are based on federal guidelines — state thresholds may vary.