Benefits, tax refunds, and the policy news that affects your wallet

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EBT Card Lost, Stolen, or Skimmed? How Replacement Works in 2026

If your EBT card is lost or stolen, call your state’s EBT customer service line immediately — the card gets deactivated and a replacement mailed, usually free. But if your benefits were stolen through skimming, the answer changed: federal reimbursement for skimmed SNAP benefits ended for theft occurring after December 21, 2024, and now only […]

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SNAP for College Students in 2026: The Exemptions That Get You Approved

College students enrolled more than half-time are blocked from SNAP by default — unless they fit one of the student exemptions. Fit any single exemption, meet the normal income rules, and you can be approved like anyone else. The exemptions are specific, and most eligible students never apply because they assume the student rule is […]

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Can You Get Unemployment If You Quit? What Counts as Good Cause

Usually no — but there is a real exception. Every state disqualifies people who quit voluntarily, and every state waives that disqualification if you quit with good cause as your state defines it. Quit because the job was unsafe, you were harassed, or a medical situation forced it, and you may still be paid. Quit […]

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Do You Pay Taxes on Unemployment Benefits? The 1099-G, Explained

Yes — unemployment benefits are taxable income at the federal level. Every dollar you receive must be reported on your federal return, and your state will send you a Form 1099-G each January showing the total paid and any tax withheld. The part that catches people off guard: nothing is withheld unless you ask for […]

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Does Severance Pay Delay Your Unemployment Benefits? State Rules Explained

It depends entirely on your state. Some states let you collect unemployment and severance at the same time. Others treat severance as wages and delay your benefits until the severance runs out. There is no federal rule — each state decides for itself. The one move that is right in every state: file your unemployment […]

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Tariff Rebate Checks in 2026: Who Would Qualify, and Why None Have Been Paid

No tariff rebate check has been approved, scheduled, or paid as of July 2026. The idea exists only as a proposal — mainly the American Worker Rebate Act introduced by Sen. Josh Hawley — and reporting this spring described the administration’s broader tariff-check plan as stalled. Still, the proposal has specific numbers in it, which […]

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$3,000 Stimulus Check in July 2026? Where the Rumor Comes From

No. There is no $3,000 stimulus check coming in July 2026. No law, executive order, or IRS program authorizes one, and the IRS has announced no such payment. The number is not invented out of thin air, though. It comes from a real bill in Congress — one that has been introduced but has not […]

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Fired for Cell Phone Use at Work: Can You Still Get Unemployment?

Being fired for using your phone at work does not automatically disqualify you from unemployment benefits. What matters is whether your state classifies the firing as willful misconduct — a deliberate, repeated violation of a rule you knew about. A one-time slip or a vague policy often still allows benefits. A pattern of ignoring warnings […]

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VA Disability Rating Increase: How to File a Claim for a Higher Rating

If a service-connected condition has gotten worse since your last VA rating, you can file for an increase using the same VA Form 21-526EZ as an original claim — you don’t need a new condition, just evidence that an existing rated condition has worsened. Filing an Intent to File first protects your effective date while […]

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SNAP Work Requirement Exemptions 2026: Who Doesn’t Have to Comply

You’re exempt from SNAP’s work requirement if you’re under 18 or over 64, pregnant, caring for a child under 6, have a disability, or fall into several other specific categories — and as of the 2026 rule change, the general work-requirement age range now runs from 18 to 64, up from the previous 18–54 cutoff. […]