Tag Page SystemBroken

I got a $0.50 raise at work, and it cost my family $400 in food benefits. Make it make sense.

I was so excited last month. My manager finally approved my raise. It wasn't much, just 50 cents more an hour, but it felt like progress. I reported the income change like a good citizen. Yesterday, I got the letter. Because my gross income is now $30 over the eligibility limit, my SNAP benefits have been completely cut off. Let's do the math: My raise gets me about $80 extra a month (before taxes). I just lost $400/month in food assistance. I am literally poorer now because I worked harder. I sat at the kitchen table and cried. I have to choose between refusing the raise (and staying stagnant) or taking it and not being able to feed my family. This system is designed to keep us trapped. It punishes you for trying to climb out of the hole. Has anyone else hit this "Benefit Cliff"? How did you handle it? #WelfareTrap #SystemBroken #WorkingPoor #SNAPBenefits #Economics #Injustice