Families working hard to escape poverty shouldn’t be punished for earning more. But hundreds of thousands of Tennesseans, and millions more across the country, lose vital food security, healthcare, and childcare the moment their income increases.

It’s called the benefits cliff, and it traps families in hardship instead of rewarding their progress.

That’s why we’re leading a national coalition, Beyond the Cliff, to fix it. Last month, our team joined coalition members in Washington, D.C., to deliver concrete policy solutions – shaped by families, experts, and partners across the country – to help families advance economically instead of falling behind.

Our policy recommendations:

1. Modify how government assistance is reduced as earnings increase
2. Increase asset limits to enable families getting assistance to save for emergencies and for long-term financial goals such as the purchase of a car or home
3. Align the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) to support the transition off public benefits
4. Remove government silos that hinder coordination and innovation designed to promote economic mobility and solve for benefits cliffs.
5. Connect those getting public assistance to true career opportunities that offer self-sufficiency wages
6. Ensure government assistance program service delivery is client-centered and focused on long-term economic success

Read “Beyond the Cliff: The Challenges of Benefits Cliffs and How to Fix Them”

“All families have dreams and aspirations, but our current system works against them, forcing them to choose between their ambition and providing stability for their family’s well-being,” said Kent Miller, Chief Operating Officer for the Martha O’Bryan Center. “The good news is we can change the system and build a new way forward so all families can advance economically, achieve their goals, and thrive.”

In addition to providing critical care locally, your support makes this leadership possible. You help Nashville families advance beyond these benefits cliffs every day, and help us shape national policy to remove it entirely.