Benefit Cliffs Calculator

The Benefit Cliffs Calculator helps case managers and public benefit recipients to prepare for benefit cliffs (i.e., declines in benefits due to an increase in earnings). It compares the net resources and benefits available to families under different employment scenarios.

The tool, last updated in August 2021, is currently available in four jurisdictions:

Allegheny County, PA

New Hampshire

Maine

The District of Columbia

BACKGROUND

The Benefit Cliffs Calculator (also called the Marginal Tax Rate Calculator) was developed by NCCP in collaboration with Manhattan Strategy Group (MSG), with funding and additional assistance provided by the US Health and Human Services Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation (ASPE). This tool is a prototype that states and counties can host on their own website. The project began in 2019 and ended in September 2021.