Why Making More Money Costs You Money (The Welfare Trap) with Clarence Carter
About this episode
The episode discusses the complexities of the welfare system and how earning more can paradoxically leave families worse off due to the benefit cliff.
We spend over $1.5 trillion every year fighting poverty in the United States, so why does taking a raise or getting a better job leave a struggling family worse off? In this episode of The MiddleGround Mic , host Joe sits down with Clarence H. Carter, author of Our Net Has Holes in It and a 35-year public service veteran who has served under two presidents, four governors, and a mayor. Clarence breaks down the systemic reality of the "benefit cliff" and why having 114 separate government assistance programs traps people in dependency. In this episode, we unpack: The Welfare Trap: How earning a small wage increase can instantly strip away vital family benefits. Systemic Failure: Why fragmenting the safety net creates administrative chaos instead of human growth. Work Requirements: Overcoming real-world barriers like childcare and transportation. Relational Capital: Why local nonprofits and communities succeed where federal bureaucracies fail. The Generational Divide: Addressing the reality that younger Americans feel the economic system is entirely stacked against them. Connect with Clarence H. Carter: 📖 Our Net Has Holes in It…
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