Benefits cliffs often serve as a hidden barrier to individuals on public assistance seeking pathways to higher wages through education and career advancement. Having a clear understanding of benefits cliffs allows job seekers to develop realistic pathways to prosperity and self-sufficiency for themselves and their families. The Florida CLIFF Dashboard provides information to help individuals understand their potential earnings through paid employment, while also mapping the timing and magnitude of the loss of public assistance as an individual progresses along various career pathways. The Advancing Careers Academy from the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta offers self-paced online training for local workforce development boards, partners, and policymakers to better understand benefits cliffs and the tools available to help Floridians get on a path to self-sufficiency:

  • The Core Concepts course focuses on key definitions and foundational knowledge of benefits cliffs and self-sufficiency. This course also includes an overview on the basics of reading line and bar charts.
  • The CLIFF Dashboard course provides an overview on how to use the Florida CLIFF Dashboard.
  • As a bonus, courses are also offered on additional tools offered by the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta, including the CLIFF Snapshot and CLIFF Planner.

Audience: Local Workforce Development Boards and Partners

Date: August 2022