Marriage Penalties in Utah

This resource explains how state and federal policies may create “marriage penalties” (financial disincentives to marry) or “marriage bonuses” (financial incentives to marry) for low-income families. For Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) programs, this highlights a key challenge: families may face tradeoffs between financial stability and forming or maintaining two-parent households.

This report can be a useful tool for practitioners to better understand why clients may hesitate to report household changes or pursue marriage. The report helps staff have targeted conversations about program impacts and the benefits of marriage, anticipate barriers, and think through ways to better align TANF services with family stability goals.