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

Arizona’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate rose to 4.9% in June 2026, up from 4.8% in May, even as the national rate fell to 4.2% over the same month — a divergence that puts more Arizonans in a position to actually need the state’s unemployment benefits, which pay considerably less than the national picture might suggest. […]

New unemployment claims fell to 187,000 for the week ending July 18, 2026, well below the 212,000 economists expected and down from 209,000 the week before — the latest in a run of low readings that the Labor Department’s data shows aren’t just a one-week blip. The Numbers, Week by Week Week ending July 11, […]

New York’s maximum weekly unemployment benefit rose from $504 to $869 — a 72% jump — with payments at the new rate starting the week of October 13, 2025, the state’s first increase to the cap since 2019. How Much More Eligible Workers Get The $504 cap had stayed frozen for six years while the […]

A bill in Congress would require every state to offer at least 26 weeks of unemployment benefits, replace 75% of a worker’s wages, and pay benefits starting from the first week of a job loss — but it’s a proposal sitting in committee, not a change that’s taken effect. What the Bill Would Actually Change […]

Workers who exhaust their regular unemployment benefits can get up to 13 additional weeks through the federal-state Extended Benefits program — but as of the most recent Department of Labor trigger data, no state currently qualifies, because the program only switches on during periods of genuinely elevated unemployment. How Long Regular Unemployment Benefits Last Most […]

Washington’s WA Cares Fund began paying out benefits in July 2026: eligible workers who need help with daily living can now draw on a lifetime long-term care benefit worth up to $36,500, funded through a payroll premium most Washington workers have already been paying since 2023. What WA Cares Actually Pays For WA Cares is […]

Social Security retirement payments go out on three staggered dates in August 2026 — the 3rd, 12th, and 26th — based on when you started receiving benefits and your birth date, while SSI recipients get two deposits in August instead of one because September 1 falls on a holiday. Retirement and Disability (SSDI) Payment Dates […]

Canada Child Benefit payments increased starting July 20, 2026: families now get up to $8,157 per year for each child under 6 and up to $6,883 for each child aged 6 to 17, a 2% indexation bump from the 2026-27 benefit year. How Much the CCB Pays Now The Canada Revenue Agency confirmed the new […]

Major federal student loan changes took effect July 1, 2026: the SAVE repayment plan is being phased out for nearly 7 million borrowers, Grad PLUS loans were eliminated for new borrowers, and new loans lost eligibility for unemployment-related deferment. The SAVE Plan Is Ending Borrowers enrolled in the SAVE (Saving on a Valuable Education) repayment […]

The UK’s two-child limit on Universal Credit was removed starting April 2026, meaning families with three or more children now get an extra child element payment for each additional child — and by July, that increase is fully reflected in every payment after a phased transition. What the Two-Child Limit Was Since 2017, the UK’s […]