Raising the Minimum Wage Leads to Significant Gains for Workers, not to 'Benefits Cliffs'

Minimum wage increases have raised questions about whether income improvements will push working families above eligibility thresholds for public assistance programs. This report analyzes minimum data from across the country and finds that most major benefits programs gradually phase out benefits as income increases, few recipients of childcare assistance are at risk of abruptly becoming ineligible due to minimum wage increases, and a higher minimum wage could help workers and families in low-wage jobs access medical coverage.