Rex says
Money math without the spreadsheet headache. Plug in your numbers and I'll show you exactly where the dollars land.
Try a scenario
Click to load — tweak from there.Inputs
Result
Net financial change from the raise
$6,000
Total estimated benefits lost
$0
Gross raise amount
$6,000
Raise needed just to break even
$0
Cliff effect present (1 = yes)
0
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How to use this
- 1Enter current annual income ($).
- 2Enter income after raise/promotion ($).
- 3Enter annual medicaid value lost if ineligible ($).
- 4Enter annual snap benefit lost ($).
- 5Enter annual childcare subsidy lost ($).
- 6Enter annual housing assistance lost ($).
- 7Read your net financial change from the raise on the right — it updates as you type.
- 8Hit Share to keep the scenario or send it to someone.
About this calculator
A benefits cliff happens when a modest increase in earnings pushes a household above an eligibility threshold and causes a much larger loss of benefits than the raise itself — Medicaid, SNAP, childcare subsidies, and housing assistance all have thresholds that can create this effect, sometimes making an extra $1 of income cost a family thousands in lost aid. This calculator compares your net financial position before and after a raise by combining wage change with estimated benefit loss across whichever programs you flag as active, so you can see if a promotion or additional hours nets you more money overall or actually leaves you worse off — critical information before turning down or negotiating around a raise near a benefit threshold.
Worked example
Using the values the calculator loads with:
Inputs
- Current annual income: 32000 $
- Income after raise/promotion: 38000 $
- Annual Medicaid value lost if ineligible: 0 $
- Annual SNAP benefit lost: 0 $
- Annual childcare subsidy lost: 0 $
- Annual housing assistance lost: 0 $
Results
- Net financial change from the raise: $6,000
- Total estimated benefits lost: $0
- Gross raise amount: $6,000
- Raise needed just to break even: $0
- Cliff effect present (1 = yes): 0
What each field means
Inputs
- Current annual income ($)
- The current annual income used in the calculation, measured in $. Starts at 32000 $ so you have a working example on load.
- Income after raise/promotion ($)
- The income after raise/promotion used in the calculation, measured in $. Starts at 38000 $ so you have a working example on load.
- Annual Medicaid value lost if ineligible ($)
- The annual medicaid value lost if ineligible used in the calculation, measured in $. Starts at 0 $ so you have a working example on load.
- Annual SNAP benefit lost ($)
- The annual snap benefit lost used in the calculation, measured in $. Starts at 0 $ so you have a working example on load.
- Annual childcare subsidy lost ($)
- The annual childcare subsidy lost used in the calculation, measured in $. Starts at 0 $ so you have a working example on load.
- Annual housing assistance lost ($)
- The annual housing assistance lost used in the calculation, measured in $. Starts at 0 $ so you have a working example on load.
Results
- Net financial change from the raise
- Returned as a money amount in US dollars and shown as the headline result. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
- Total estimated benefits lost
- Returned as a money amount in US dollars. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
- Gross raise amount
- Returned as a money amount in US dollars. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
- Raise needed just to break even
- Returned as a money amount in US dollars. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
- Cliff effect present (1 = yes)
- Returned as a whole number. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
FAQ
Why does a raise sometimes make me worse off?
Because eligibility for many benefit programs is based on hard income thresholds rather than a gradual phase-out, crossing the line can end a benefit worth thousands per year (like Medicaid coverage or a childcare subsidy) for the sake of a raise worth only a few hundred or thousand dollars, producing a net loss even though your paycheck went up.
Which benefits typically create the steepest cliffs?
Medicaid (especially in non-expansion states with low thresholds), childcare subsidies, and public housing assistance tend to have the sharpest cliffs because they're worth so much and often phase out abruptly rather than gradually. SNAP and ACA subsidies today phase out more gradually, reducing (but not eliminating) cliff effects.
Can I negotiate around a benefits cliff?
Some options include asking for the raise structured as a one-time bonus instead of a permanent salary increase (which may not count the same way for annual eligibility redeterminations), timing a raise near your benefit recertification date, or negotiating non-wage benefits like additional PTO or employer-paid insurance that don't count as income for benefit programs.
Is there a permanent fix to benefits cliffs?
Some states and local pilot programs have redesigned specific benefits to phase out gradually instead of ending abruptly, but no comprehensive federal fix exists across all programs simultaneously. Understanding the cliffs and planning income timing remains the practical tool available to most households today.
Accuracy and limitations
- Results are estimates before tax, fees, and inflation unless an input explicitly covers them.
- Rates are treated as fixed for the whole period — variable-rate products will drift from this projection.
- This is educational maths, not financial advice. Check anything contractual with the lender or your accountant.
Related tools
SNAP Benefit Allotment Estimator
Estimate your monthly SNAP allotment from household size, income, and expenses.
Federal Poverty Level Percentage Calculator
Find your household's income as a percentage of the Federal Poverty Level.
ACA Subsidy Cliff Estimator
See how much your marketplace premium tax credit changes near income thresholds.
Cite this calculator
Writing about this topic? Grab a citation — every link helps keep these tools free.
RevenueLab. (2026). Benefits Cliff Checker. Retrieved from https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/gov-benefits-cliff-checker
<p>Source: <a href="https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/gov-benefits-cliff-checker" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Benefits Cliff Checker — RevenueLab</a> (2026).</p>
Source: [Benefits Cliff Checker — RevenueLab](https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/gov-benefits-cliff-checker) (2026).