Author: Elizabeth Blessing
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Wisconsin adds $92.16 a month to federal SSI, automatically
Wisconsin adds $92.16 a month to the federal Supplemental Security Income check for an eligible individual living independently, and nobody has to apply for it. The state’s Department of Health Services says the supplement is paid automatically to anyone who qualifies for federal SSI. That brings the monthly total for an eligible individual to $1,086.16,…
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A law signed October 7 gives anyone whose Social Security number was misused a single point of contact at the agency, starting around April 5, 2027
A law signed October 7 requires the Social Security Administration to give people whose Social Security number has been misused a single point of contact, and the requirement starts 180 days after enactment, which works out to around April 5, 2027. The measure is H.R. 5345, titled the Improving Social Security’s Service to Victims of…
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The Federal Trade Commission told 24 large health companies that leaving doctor and facility fees out of a price estimate may break the law
The Federal Trade Commission has warned 24 of the nation’s largest healthcare services companies that leaving physician or facility fees out of a price estimate may break the law. FTC Chairman Andrew N. Ferguson sent the letters, which the agency announced on October 5, 2026. What the FTC letters say According to the FTC’s announcement,…
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A Trump proclamation took some Canadian products off the duty list tied to Canada’s treatment of U.S. alcoholic beverages on September 15 while leaving others on it
President Trump signed a proclamation on September 8 that took some Canadian products off the list of goods carrying an extra import duty and left the rest on it. The change applies to goods entered, or withdrawn from a warehouse, for consumption on or after 12:01 a.m. Eastern time on September 15, 2026. The duty…
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Taxpayers born before January 2, 1962 can claim the new senior deduction, and a couple who are both 65 can claim it twice
The IRS says anyone born before January 2, 1962 may be eligible for the new enhanced deduction for seniors, and a married couple can claim it twice when both spouses are eligible. The rule is written in the instructions to the IRS’s 2026 Form 1040-ES, the estimated tax form, which puts the maximum at $6,000…
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All four of the new federal deductions are claimed on one new form, Schedule 1-A, whether or not a filer itemizes
The four new federal deductions that took effect for the 2025 tax year all go on one new form, Schedule 1-A, which the IRS calls “Additional Deductions.” The IRS says the form is attached to Form 1040, 1040-SR or 1040-NR, and a filer does not have to itemize to use it, according to the agency’s…
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Trump’s diesel order leaves the deferred tax due later and tells Treasury to look for a way to cancel it altogether
President Trump’s Executive Order 14435, signed October 5, 2026, sets up a deferral of the federal diesel fuel excise tax, not a cut. Treasury is told to postpone payment of the tax on diesel incurred from October 5 through December 31, 2026, with no penalties or interest, if it finds it has the legal authority,…
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USDA’s own work-requirement page still lists the old age range for SNAP time limits and says it is still preparing the new guidance
USDA’s SNAP work-requirements page, last updated July 16, 2026, still describes the time limit as applying to adults ages 18 to 54. That is the old range. A separate USDA document says the limit now covers adults 18 through 64, and the work-requirements page itself says USDA is still preparing guidance on how the 2025…
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Free groceries no longer cut an SSI payment, because since September 30, 2024 only free or discounted shelter counts as in-kind support
Food that a relative, friend or charity gives to someone on Supplemental Security Income no longer lowers the monthly check. Social Security’s income rules page says that effective 09/30/2024, food is no longer included when the agency counts in-kind support and maintenance, and that the value of food will no longer reduce an SSI payment.…
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An adult who lives in someone else’s household and pays nothing toward rent sees the SSI rate cut by up to a third
An adult on Supplemental Security Income who lives in someone else’s home and pays little or nothing toward the housing costs can see the monthly check shrink by as much as a third. Social Security’s own example uses the 2026 federal rate of $994 a month and shows that payment reduced by as much as…