Author: Elizabeth Blessing
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Trump’s HUD cut public housing tenants’ late-rent notice to as little as 14 days
Public housing tenants who fall behind on rent can now be given as little as 14 days of written notice before an eviction for nonpayment. HUD Secretary Scott Turner signed an interim final rule that revoked the 30-day notice requirement, and the change has been in effect since March 30, 2026. Tenants in some other…
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A Loveland, Colorado woman who used two Social Security numbers must repay $214,144 in Section 8 rent help and $33,159.48 to Social Security after a six-month sentence
A 67-year-old Loveland, Colorado woman was sentenced to six months in federal prison for collecting Social Security and Section 8 housing benefits while using two Social Security numbers. Antoinette Vazquez Cobain was also ordered to repay $33,159.48 to the Social Security Administration and $214,144.00 to the Loveland Housing Authority. The two amounts add up to…
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Trump’s HUD could let housing agencies require up to 40 hours a week of work from voucher and public housing adults 18 to 61 under a pending proposal
The Department of Housing and Urban Development has proposed a rule that would let local housing agencies require adults in public housing and voucher programs to work up to 40 hours a week. It is a proposal only. No housing agency can impose the requirement unless HUD finishes the rule, and families would hear from…
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The FTC won a $106.8 million judgment shutting down a debt relief ring that posed as banks and government agencies and promised to slash consumers’ debts
A federal court in Arizona has permanently shut down a debt relief operation that the Federal Trade Commission says posed as banks, credit card companies and government agencies. On October 14, 2026, the court entered a $106.8 million default judgment against seven companies tied to the scheme, the FTC announced on October 22. The agency…
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The FTC says GovAssist.com and Entry.com charged travelers at least $148 for passport help advertised at $89, while the State Department application is free
The Federal Trade Commission says two websites that look like passport services charged travelers at least $148 for help that was advertised at $89, when the application itself is free from the State Department. The agency sued the companies behind GovAssist.com and Entry.com on October 22, 2026, in federal court in Puerto Rico. The complaint,…
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Veterans’ December 1 disability raise has sat since a June 30 subcommittee vote
A bill that would raise veterans’ disability compensation on December 1, 2026 has not moved since a House subcommittee sent it to the full committee on June 30. H.R. 8552, the Veterans’ Compensation Cost-of-Living Adjustment Act of 2026, is not law, and the December payment increase it describes depends on Congress finishing the job. Bill…
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Sacramento County veterans rated totally disabled can shield up to $271,009 of a home’s value from property tax, but first-time claims are due by December 31
A Sacramento County veteran rated 100 percent disabled can have up to $271,009 of a home’s value taken off the property tax bill for 2026, and a first-time claim for that tax year has to be filed by December 31. That is the top figure in the county assessor’s 2026 table, and it applies to…
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Washington job applicants at Saint-Gobain or CertainTeed from 2023 to mid-2025 could get an estimated $1,271.91 each automatically if a judge approves on January 15
People who applied for a job in Washington State with Saint-Gobain or CertainTeed between January 1, 2023 and July 26, 2025 are in line for an estimated $1,271.91 each, paid automatically, if a King County judge approves a class action settlement at a hearing on January 15, 2027. The deal sets aside $1,628,000. The case,…
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Food stamp cards in New York, about two million of them, will be replaced with chip cards starting in early 2027 to guard against skimming, the governor’s office says
About two million New York food stamp cards will be replaced with chip cards beginning in the first quarter of 2027, Gov. Kathy Hochul’s office says. The goal is to stop skimming, the theft method in which devices capture a card’s information and PIN so thieves can drain benefits before the recipient spends them. The…
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The IRS says people paying quarterly estimated taxes owe the final 2026 installment by January 15, 2027, unless they file and pay in full by February 1, 2027
The fourth and final estimated tax payment for 2026 is due Friday, January 15, 2027. The IRS says so in its 2026 Form 1040-ES, the booklet and vouchers used by people who pay tax during the year instead of through a paycheck. The same form carves out an exception: anyone who files a 2026 return…