Author: Elizabeth Blessing
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Low-income surviving spouses of wartime veterans who have not remarried can draw a VA survivors pension of up to $11,699 a year at rates that run through November 30
A widow or widower of a wartime veteran can draw a VA Survivors Pension of up to $11,699 a year, as long as income is low and there has been no remarriage. That is the maximum annual rate for a surviving spouse with no dependents, and the actual check shrinks as the spouse’s countable income…
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Children under 18 of a retired worker can collect up to half of the parent’s full Social Security benefit, within a family maximum
A child under 18 can collect Social Security on a retired parent’s record, and the payment can reach up to half of what the parent is entitled to at full retirement age. The catch is a cap on the whole family. Once several relatives are drawing on the same worker’s record, Social Security trims the…
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An unmarried divorced spouse from a 10-year marriage can collect Social Security on an ex who has not filed, if divorced two years and both are 62 or older
A divorced person does not always have to wait for an ex-spouse to retire before collecting Social Security on that ex’s record. A divorced spouse who was married for 10 years, is unmarried now, and is 62 or older can be paid on an ex who has not filed, as long as the divorce has…
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Social Security lets a widow or widower start reduced survivor benefits at 60 and switch to their own retirement benefit as late as 70 if it is higher
A widow or widower does not have to wait until full retirement age to get Social Security money after a spouse dies. Survivor benefits can start as early as age 60, at a reduced amount. A surviving spouse can then switch to a higher retirement benefit on their own record as late as age 70,…
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The White House says Arizona taxpayers averaged $3,659 in refunds in 2026, crediting President Trump’s tax law
The White House says Arizona taxpayers saw average refunds of $3,659 in 2026 and credits President Trump’s tax law for the bigger checks. The claim appears in an October 14, 2026 release as the president returned to the state. It is a state-wide average, so it says little about what any one household got back.…
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The IRS says a refund on a return that was never filed generally becomes Treasury property after three years, so late filers can lose the money for good
People who skipped a tax return and are owed a refund do not have forever to claim it. The IRS says taxpayers usually have three years to file and claim a refund, and if they do not, the money becomes the property of the U.S. Treasury. The warning came in a March 2026 IRS release…
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HonorHealth hospitals and doctors in the Phoenix area leave AZ Blue’s Best Life HMO Medicare Advantage network on January 1, 2027
HonorHealth, the nine-hospital health system in the Phoenix area, says that as of January 1, 2027 all of its employed physicians, specialists and facilities will be out of network for AZ Blue Best Life (HMO), a Medicare Advantage plan from Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona. AZ Blue had already removed HonorHealth primary care doctors…
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Medicare Part D enrollees in the Prescription Payment Plan are renewed automatically for 2027 unless they opt out or switch plans
People enrolled in Medicare’s Prescription Payment Plan do not have to sign up again to keep it in 2027. The plan renews their participation automatically each year, unless they opt out or move to a different drug plan. Medicare’s September 2026 fact sheet says each year the enrollee’s plan will automatically renew participation in the…
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Seniors whose Medicare Advantage plan ends December 31 can buy certain Medigap policies without health questions if they apply within 63 days of losing coverage
People whose Medicare Advantage plan ends on December 31 can buy certain Medigap supplement policies without answering a single health question. The protection does not last forever. It opens before the plan ends and closes a little over two months afterward. Medicare.gov says the right starts as early as 60 days before coverage ends and…
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The IRS can take credit and debit card tax payments directly starting October 19, but the card processing fee falls on the payer and is not refundable as tax
Starting October 19, the IRS can accept credit and debit card tax payments directly. Any processing cost the agency pays to take a card will be billed back to the person paying, and that charge is not a tax, so it cannot be refunded or credited later. For households that put a tax bill on…