Skip to content

In the News

The Editorial Board: ‘Benefits Cliff Calculator’ takes a step toward managing an economic hazard

Blog Categories

BUFFALO, N.Y. (The Buffalo News) — In facing, head on, the “benefits cliff,” the Buffalo Niagara Partnership is making an important effort to help underemployed individuals who may risk losing benefits by accepting overtime or a promotion, while also assisting business owners overcome staffing problems.

The benefits cliff is a frustrating and pointless circumstance in which a worker loses important assistance by accepting additional income – overtime, a raise or even a new job. Earn even a dollar over the maximum allowed and all benefits may be forfeited. Financial improvement becomes elusive because of rules that hurt the worker, the employer and taxpayers.

As the Partnership’s president and CEO, Dottie Gallagher, pointed out, employees who decline that additional income aren’t being lazy; they’re making a rational economic decision. To help counter that problem, the Partnership is providing a new online tool.

Read more here.

Related Posts

Buffalo Niagara Partnership boosts outreach to minority businesses

By growthzone | June 13, 2023

BUFFALO, N.Y. (The Buffalo News) —The Buffalo Niagara Partnership is expanding its outreach to minority-owned businesses.

The region’s largest business group has increased the number of participants in its Minority Business Initiative to 16, from five in last year’s inaugural edition of the program.

The Buffalo Niagara Partnership announces second cohort of Minority-Owned Business Initiative Program Expanded to Respond to Applicant Needs

By growthzone | June 1, 2023

The Buffalo Niagara Partnership’s (BNP’s) Minority Business Initiative (MBI) strives to eliminate the obstacles that have long hindered minority business ownership by providing minority-owned businesses access to BNP’s extensive resources and networks to build their business. The 2023 cohort was announced at today’s DEI Symposium and includes two tracks to better serve participant needs. The MBI Program is funded through generous underwriting of Bank of America, National Grid, and the Buffalo Niagara Partnership.

Another Voice: Proposed recycling reform would harm manufacturers

By growthzone | May 31, 2023

BUFFALO, N.Y. (The Buffalo News) — New York lawmakers are rightfully looking to address the problem of plastic waste. One of Albany’s proposed solutions is an extended producer responsibility (EPR) bill called the Packaging Reduction and Recycling Infrastructure Act (S.4246/A.5322).

Note to Albany: Pushing workers over ‘benefits cliff’ makes no sense

By growthzone | May 24, 2023

BUFFALO, N.Y. (The Buffalo News) — If the moral imperative of making work pay doesn’t prompt compensation adequate for a decent life – and clearly it often doesn’t – maybe the impact on the economy of penalizing workers for bettering themselves will change some minds.