![Blue graphic with text "Fencing Off the Benefits Cliff," featuring a circular photo of a man labeled Ryan Erickson and subtitle "Social Finance in Governing.](https://socialfinance.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/15-1000x673.png")
Public Sector Solutions, Children & Families
Key Takeaway
A small bump in income can cost a family far more in lost public assistance, leading some to forgo opportunity. There are some promising efforts to get at the problem.
In this op-ed for Governing, Ryan Erickson explains how benefits cliffs — where a small income increase can trigger the loss of public assistance worth far more — trap millions of workers in economic stagnation and discourage upward mobility. He highlights promising state-level solutions, including earned income disregards and pilot programs pairing families with economic mobility coaches.
Related Insight
![Children play basketball and run in a schoolyard in front of a blue building with solar panels on the roof under a clear sky.](https://socialfinance.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Solar_Panels_for_School-1000x563.jpg")
Social Finance Impact First Fund 2025 Annual Report
This report includes an overview of the Fund's impact objectives and strategy, profiles of our portfolio investments and their 2025 impact highlights, and an update on Social Finance's field-building activities.