poverty trap

noun

1. the situation of being unable to escape poverty because of being dependent on state benefits, which are reduced by the same amount as any extra income gained

Example Sentences

But those energy retrofits are expensive and are likely beyond the reach of many low-income households, which could lead to what the researchers call an energy poverty trap.

From Science Daily

"The clean energy transition is hindered by an energy poverty trap because the extensive retrofits needed to make electrification affordable are themselves too expensive for low-income households," said study lead author Claire McKenna, a doctoral candidate at the U-M School for Environment and Sustainability.

From Science Daily

“Breaking this poverty trap will help future generations avoid welfare programs altogether,” wrote Gaetz and others, including Reps.

From Washington Post

If there is any `trap’ in Africa, it is the `poverty trap.’”

From Seattle Times

"I'm thinking about how fortunate I am that I could get the abortion that I needed when I was 17, that I have a doctor who trusts me to make decisions about my fertility going forward, and I know I'd be stuck in the generational poverty trap if I didn't have that control," Jane told me.

From Salon