Author: Elizabeth Blessing
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The IRS generally forfeits by law any refund claimed more than three years after filing or two years after paying, whichever is later, the Taxpayer Advocate says
The IRS generally forfeits a refund by law if the claim comes in more than three years after the return was filed or two years after the tax was paid, whichever is later. The Taxpayer Advocate Service, the independent office inside the IRS, laid out the rule in an April 9, 2026, tax tip aimed…
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Californians whose Vanilla gift cards were drained by tampering scammers can claim their losses from a $1.525 million fund by February 19
California residents who lost money from a Vanilla Gift Card after criminals tampered with the packaging can now ask for it back from a $1,525,000 Restitution Fund. Claims must be filed online or postmarked by February 19, 2027, according to a notice the San Francisco City Attorney’s Office issued on October 23, 2026. The money…
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Food stamp cases covering about 9,000 refugees, asylees and other noncitizens in New York’s Onondaga County close at recertification over the next year unless a member shows green-card status, the county says
About 9,000 people in Onondaga County, New York, are in food stamp cases that are set to close at their next recertification over the coming year. The county’s social services department says the affected households are those with refugees, asylees and other noncitizens, and a case stays open only if a member shows lawful permanent…
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Wisconsin FoodShare members 60 to 64 without a disability can no longer get three-year certifications, and those already on one must now file six-month reports and sit for a renewal interview
Wisconsin households on FoodShare, the state’s name for SNAP, can no longer get a three-year approval if a member is 60 to 64 and not disabled. The change took effect August 8, 2026, and households already holding a three-year approval now face extra paperwork: six-month report forms and an interview when they renew. The rule…
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Wisconsin BadgerCare adults who lose Medicaid under the work rule in Trump’s 2025 law also cannot get Obamacare premium tax credits, starting January 1, 2027 for new applicants and March 2027 for most current members
Wisconsin adults on BadgerCare Plus who lose Medicaid because they do not meet the new federal work requirement will also be shut out of Obamacare premium tax credits. The state’s Department of Health Services says the rule reaches new applicants on January 1, 2027, and most current members in March 2027. It comes from President…
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FERS federal retirees get a 2.6% raise in January, a point below the 3.6% for CSRS retirees, and most nondisabled FERS retirees under 62 get none
Federal retirees in the Federal Employees Retirement System will see a 2.6 percent cost-of-living adjustment on their annuities in January 2027, a full point below the 3.6 percent going to retirees in the older Civil Service Retirement System. Many FERS retirees younger than 62 get no adjustment at all. The Congressional Research Service says “beginning…
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Social Security’s special minimum benefit for workers with 30 years of low-wage coverage rises to $1,164.10 a month with the December increase, a new notice shows
The special minimum benefit for a worker with 30 years of Social Security coverage will be $1,164.10 a month beginning with the December 2026 increase, according to a Social Security Administration notice. The notice also lists a maximum family benefit of $1,748.30 at that level. It is set to appear in the Federal Register on…
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Syracuse homeowners 64 and older earning under $58,400 must return senior exemption renewal forms before January 1 or lose their 2027-28 property tax cut
Syracuse homeowners who are 64 or older and already get a senior exemption have to send in renewal paperwork before January 1, 2027, to keep the reduction for the 2027-28 property tax year. The City of Syracuse Department of Assessment set that cutoff in an announcement dated August 5, 2026. The income line is $58,400…
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Georgia power customers behind on bills cannot be cut off from November 15 to March 15 on freezing days if they sign a written payment plan
Georgia electric customers who have fallen behind on their bills get a cold-weather shield starting November 15. Between that date and March 15, a utility may not shut off residential electric service on a day when the forecast is below freezing, as long as the customer has agreed in writing to a payment plan, the…
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North Carolina households with someone 60 or older can apply for winter heating aid from December 1, a month before all other households can
North Carolina is opening its winter heating aid to older residents first. The state’s Low-Income Energy Assistance Program, known as LIEAP, takes applications from households with someone 60 or older during December, a full month before every other household can sign up, according to the Department of Health and Human Services. For a household with…