Cliff Effect Messaging Guide

Minimum wage increase proposals are a positive step forward for families with low income, but only if done concurrently with reforms that take account of the potential impacts on families’ access to public services and benefits they also need to survive. A focus solely on raising wages can inadvertently result in the cliff effect, which disqualifies families from accessing critical supports and actually leave them worse off. This document contains messages policymakers can use to address the cliff effect – otherwise known as the benefits cliff – when considering increasing the minimum wage.