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

A new quarterly payment worth up to $1,826 a year started landing in Canadian bank accounts this month. It’s called the Canada Groceries and Essentials Benefit (CGEB), and it replaces the GST/HST credit — with a real increase built in. What it pays Household type Maximum amount (2026-27) Single person $679/year Couple $890/year Per eligible […]

Roughly 90% of the 117 hotel workers on strike in Seattle have applied for unemployment benefits — something that wasn’t possible in Washington before this year. The strike The strike began June 18 after contract negotiations between UNITE HERE Local 8 and Hilton stalled. Workers are pushing for higher wages, year-round health care coverage, increased […]

August brings a stack of government benefit payments in Canada, and several of them come with real increases this year — including one program that got a new name entirely. What’s landing in August Benefit Max monthly/annual amount Note CPP (age 65+) Up to $1,433/month Canada Pension Plan OAS (65-74) Up to $751.97/month If 2025 […]

No new federal stimulus check is going out in August 2026 — but several real government benefit payments are, and one of the biggest ones actually arrives a day early because of how the calendar falls. SSI arrives July 31, not August 1 Supplemental Security Income (SSI) payments for August are being sent out on […]

Michigan unemployment claimants now have to report three work search activities every week instead of one. The change took effect July 19, 2026, and missing it can mean losing your benefit payment for that week. What changed Starting the week of July 19, anyone certifying for Michigan unemployment benefits must complete and report three separate […]

Michigan now lets domestic violence survivors qualify for unemployment benefits if they had to quit their job to escape an abuser. The new protection took effect July 17, 2026. What changed Previously, quitting a job — even to flee domestic violence — could disqualify someone from unemployment benefits, since state law generally requires you to […]

Virginians filing new unemployment claims now qualify for significantly higher weekly benefits. Under legislation signed by Gov. Abigail Spanberger, the maximum weekly benefit rose from $430 to $478, and the minimum rose from $112 to $160, effective for claims filed on or after July 5, 2026. The Short Answer Starting July 5, 2026, Virginia’s maximum […]

France has given its unemployment agency new power to freeze benefit payments before a fraud investigation is even complete. Under a law that took effect in late June 2026, France Travail can now suspend unemployment benefits as a precautionary measure whenever there are serious indications of fraud — without waiting for a final ruling. The […]

Retirees across Canada are getting a double payment this month. The Government of Canada lists both the Canada Pension Plan (CPP) and Old Age Security (OAS) as being paid on July 29, 2026 — a reminder that for most seniors, government benefits are one piece of a larger retirement income picture rather than the whole […]

Thousands of New Mexicans who were told to repay unemployment benefits they received during the COVID-19 pandemic may now be eligible to have that debt forgiven — but many don’t know it, and the state estimates around 30,000 people still haven’t applied. The Short Answer New Mexico’s Department of Workforce Solutions is required to forgive […]