LIMA, Dec. 13 (Reuters) – As Peru moves from one political crisis to another, the country has exploded in protest, with at least seven dead in the past week and smoke from fires and tear gas hovering over the city’s streets . A way out seems far away.

The spark of the current unrest was the impeachment and arrest of leftist leader Pedro Castillo after he attempted to illegally dissolve Congress. It followed a months-long stalemate that saw lawmakers impeach him three times, the last time he was removed from office.

Peru has been one of Latin America’s economic stars in the 21st century, with strong growth that has lifted millions out of poverty. But political turmoil increasingly threatens to derail economic stability, with rating agencies warning of downgrades, blockades affecting major mines in the world’s number one. 2 copper producer and protesters demanding Congress and the resignation of the new president Dina Boluarte.

To those who look closely, it should come as no surprise. Voters are tired of the ongoing political infighting that has seen six presidents and seven impeachment attempts over the past five years.

The heavily fragmented unicameral Congress is hated — with an approval rating of just 11%, according to poll poll Datum. That’s lower than Castillo’s, who was at 24% just before he was removed despite a string of corruption allegations.

“The Peruvian people are simply exhausted by all the political machinations, crime, uncertainty and stagnant growth,” said Eric Farnsworth, vice president of the Council of the Americas and Americas Society.

He said Boluarte’s pledge to call an early election in April 2024 could help calm things in the near term, but it would not solve the deep-seated problems of a divided electorate and infighting between the presidency and congress.

“It’s a toxic soup, with a weak president, a dysfunctional Congress, the ousted president trying to foment a popular backlash against his legitimate removal, an agitated populace and little vision from anyone on how to get out of this mess.”

Peru’s constitution makes it relatively easy for a hapless legislature to initiate impeachment proceedings, while a lack of dominant political parties – the largest, Popular Force, controls only 24 of 130 seats – means agreement on the land is scarce. Corruption has also been a common problem.

The only way many Peruvians think they can make their voices heard is on the street. In recent days, protesters have blocked roads, started fires and even taken over airports. The police have been criticized by human rights groups for their use of firearms and tear gas. Seven people, mostly teenagers, died on leave.

There are echoes of protests in 2020, when thousands took to the streets following the impeachment and ouster of popular centrist leader Martin Vizcarra, who was succeeded by congressional leader Manuel Merino. After two died, he too had to resign.

Castillo, less popular but with a support base in rural regions that helped him win a narrow election last year, has been trying to stir things up from prison, where he is being held under investigation on charges of rebellion and conspiracy.

On Monday, he called Boluarte, his former vice president, a “usurper” in a written letter to the Peruvian people, claiming he was still the country’s legitimate leader.

“What was recently said by a usurper is nothing more than the same snot and drool of the right-wing coup,” he wrote, adding a call — long popular among a younger generation of Peruvians — for a new constitution.

“The people must not fall for their dirty games of new elections. Enough swearing! Now a Constituent Assembly! Immediate freedom!” He wrote.

Boluarte, a former member of Castillo’s far-left party who fell out with his leader and criticized Castillo after his attempt to dissolve Congress, has called for calm across the country and promised a government of all stripes. But she faces a harsh reality, caught between protesters and a hostile parliament.

With the recent history of Peruvian leaders littered with accusations and prison sentences, the question is whether Boluarte can hold out until new elections are held.

“Dina Boluarte is a murderer. Five people died and they say nothing. Nothing matters to her, she is shameless, treacherous,” said Guadalupe Huaman, a Castillo supporter who protested in Lima with a Peruvian flag and helmet.

Peru’s outlook is downgraded to negative and threatened with a possible downgrade, rating agency S&P said in a report Monday that there seemed to be little hope.

“The way Peru’s most recent change of power took place reflects a heightened political deadlock, and it increases risks going forward,” it said.

Farnsworth expressed similar concerns. While Peru had a history of volatile politics, it was unclear how things would be resolved this time, he said.

“I think this time is different somehow,” he said. “There seems to be no real way forward.”

Reporting by Marco Aquino and Adam Jourdan, edited by Rosalba O’Brien

Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Principles of Trust.

CNN
—

President Joe Biden on Tuesday signed a landmark new federal protection for same-sex and interracial couples, covering both a personal and national evolution in an issue that has gained acceptance over the past decade.

Biden signed the Respect for Marriage Act in front of thousands of invitees on the South Lawn in an event the White House said reflected the importance of the moment.

“Marriage is a simple proposal. Who do you love? And are you loyal to that person you love?” asked the president from the South Lawn. “It’s not more complicated than that.”

Biden said the bill he was about to sign recognizes that “everyone should have the right to answer those questions for themselves without government intervention,” and ensure the federal “protection that comes with marriage.”

“For most of our country’s history, we have denied interracial and same-sex couples these protections,” Biden said. “It failed to treat them with equal dignity and respect. And now this law requires interracial marriage and same-sex marriage must be recognized as legal in every state of the country.”

The new law officially voids the Defense of Marriage Act, which defined marriage as marriage between a man and a woman. It requires states to respect the validity of out-of-state marriage licenses, including same-sex marriages and interracial unions.

As a senator, Biden voted in favor of the Defense of Marriage Act in 1996. The signing of the bill on Tuesday was the culmination of his change on the issue. The bill passed the House with 39 Republicans joining Democrats in support after passing the Senate with 12 Republican senators.

Such a bill seemed unlikely to many in Washington not so long ago, even though public opinion on same-sex marriage has continued to shift over the years: 68% of Americans supported same-sex marriage in 2021, an increase of 14 percentage points from of 2014, according to studies by the nonprofit, nonpartisan Public Religious Research Institute.

But public demonstrations and pressure to pass federal protections for same-sex and interracial marriages intensified this year after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, sparking new fears that the nation’s highest court might also rethink other existing rights around marriage equality. .

On the day the landmark Supreme Court ruling was delivered in June, Biden warned that Judge Clarence Thomas was “expressly calling for a reconsideration of the right to marriage equality, the right of couples to make their choices about birth control. This is an extreme and dangerous path that the Court is now taking us.”

He would issue similar warnings during the campaign trail leading up to the midterms: “We want to make it clear: It’s not just about Roe and choice. It’s about – it’s about marriage – same-sex marriage. It’s about birth control. It’s about a whole bunch of things that are on the agenda,” he said at a Democratic National Committee reception in August.

For Biden, Tuesday’s event a decade ago marked a moment that sparked a national political transformation on the issue. While serving as a vice president, Biden shocked the country with an unexpected statement he made in an interview on NBC’s “Meet the Press”: He spoke out publicly for the first time in favor of same-sex marriage.

“I am absolutely comfortable with the fact that men who marry men, women who marry women, and heterosexual men and women who marry another are entitled to exactly the same rights, all civil rights, all civil liberties,” said Biden when asked if he was. comfortable with gay marriage.

Those words — which Biden insisted were unplanned in subsequent years — marked a stunning personal evolution for Washington’s longtime orphan, who as a senator had voted to block federal recognition of same-sex marriages and previously insisted that marriage only be between a man may take place and a woman.

The interview would also prove to be a watershed moment in modern American politics, leading then-President Barack Obama to take the same stance a few days later, authorizing other national leaders to follow suit as well.

“That one interview was a transformative moment in Biden’s development as a politician. In the Senate, as a presidential candidate and vice president, he had always been very cautious about LGBT issues, afraid to take positions that opponents could use to portray him as a left-winger,” says Sasha Issenberg, author of “The Engagement: America’s Quarter-Century Struggle Over Gay Marriage,” CNN told CNN. “But the reception of what he said on ‘Meet the Press’ has been widely praised within his party, especially from LGBT advocates and donors who have previously been skeptical of him.”

Basking in the heroic treatment of liberal activists, Biden would aggressively associate himself with LGBT causes in years to come, and he has been particularly “unusually brutal” when it comes to transgender rights, Issenberg said.

Among the guests invited to the White House for the signing of the bill on Tuesday were prominent members of the LGBTQ community and activists. They included Judy Kasen-Windsor, widow of gay rights activist Edie Windsor; Matthew Haynes, co-owner of Club Q, the LGBTQ club in Colorado Springs where a gunman killed five people in a mass shooting last month; Club Q survivors James Slaugh and Michael Anderson; and a number of plaintiffs from cases culminating in the seminal civil rights case Obergefell v. Hodges, in which the Supreme Court ruled in 2015 that same-sex couples can marry nationwide.

Philanthropist and Democratic donor David Bohnett, an outspoken gay and transgender rights activist and longtime supporter of Biden, told CNN Tuesday’s signing of the bill couldn’t come at a more important time.

“[Biden] has expressed its support for lesbian and gay civil rights for decades, and signing the bill into law on Tuesday is a reaffirmation of that at a time when rights are under attack,” Bohnett said. “I think we’re here in response to the hateful and discriminatory actions and tactics of so many on the right and so many who want to dismantle the rights we’ve fought for so long.”

This story and headline have been updated with additional developments.

As a Social Security beneficiary, you probably know you’re getting a big one increase the cost of living in the new year. If you have an online My Social Security account that you created before November 15, you can now see how much extra you’ll get. Below we explain how to find the document with your COLA increase. Don’t worry if you don’t have an account. You will receive a letter with this information by post.

A My Social Security account shows you your current or expected future benefits, based on your expected retirement age and your work history. You can also submit documents for it file your tax returnrequest a benefit verification letter or change your mailing address and other personal information.

Here’s how to access your Social Security benefits online and what information and features you can access with your My Social Security account. If you are receiving benefits now, this is the Social Security payment schedule for December. Also recipients of additional security income get their first raised check in December.

How can I see my cost of living adjustment for 2023?

If you created your My Social Security account online before November 15, you can now see how much your benefits will increase for 2023. Just log in to your My Social Security account and check the message center to see the document that contains all the details about your new allowance amount in 2023.

The document should tell you how much your monthly benefit is before and after deductions, and when you will receive your first payment with the COLA increase.

If you haven’t signed up for a My Social Security account, keep an eye on your mailbox, because sometime this month you’ll receive a COLA notice in the mail.

Note that your increased Social Security payment will take effect in January 2023. If you are a beneficiary of Supplemental Security Income, your first increased payment will be on December 30.

Create a My Social Security account

To view all of your Social Security benefits online, you must first create a My Social Security account. Here’s what to do.

1. Go to ssa.gov in your browser and click Learn more about my account next mine Social security account.

2. Then click create an account.

3. You will be prompted to log in with your ID.me account or login.gov account, unless you created an account before September 18, 2021. Keep in mind that you’ll need to create one of those accounts if you don’t already have one.

4. Once you have an account, you must agree to the terms of service to continue.

5. Next, you need to verify your identity. The Social Security Administration will send a one-time security code to your email address that you must enter within 10 minutes to proceed to your account.

You should now be able to access all of your Social Security statements and other details online.

Social security information that you can view online

When you log in to your online account, you can view your Social Security statements. If you are not yet receiving benefits, you will see an estimate of the amount you could receive when you retire.

There is a table of your monthly benefit amounts when you retire. For example, if you were born in 1960 or later, your chart might show retirement at 62 years old (advanced), 67 years old (full), and 70 years old (delayed). Please note that these retirement ages may change in the future. The longer you wait to retire, the more money you can receive per month.

You can also view information about your eligibility and income. If you’ve worked for at least 10 years, you have enough work credits — you need 40 — to receive benefits. If you click Check your income statement, you will see your taxed Social Security and Medicare income for each year you worked.

What else can you do with a My Social Security account?

There are several things you can do from your My Social Security account.

• Apply for a Social Security card replacement.
• Start your pension application.
• File a disability claim if you are unable to work for a year or more due to a medical condition.
• Calculate benefits for a current or former spouse, based on your income record.
• Check the status of your pension or disability application.
• Request a benefits verification letter detailing your payments or lack thereof.
• Declare your wages if you work and receive Social Security disability insurance.

Would you like more information about social security? Here’s how to tell if it is safe to share your social security number.

OMAHA, Neb.—

Omaha Public Schools Superintendent Cheryl Logan announced Tuesday that she will be resigning from the district.

“It is with deep gratitude for the time we have spent together that I have informed our board of education that this will be my last year of school with our school district,” Logan said in a letter to the school community. “…I am eternally grateful and honored by the friendships and partnerships we have built together.”

Logan, who joined the district in 2018, said she will leave her position in June 2023 and called her tenure a “joy”.

“It’s time for me to return to my family,” Logan said. “It’s time for me to have Saturday tea with my sisters, watch my nephew play football and spend quality time with my husband and daughter, close to my native country and both of our families.”

Related video: Chronicle: Future of Omaha Public Schools

During her tenure, Logan oversaw the addition of five new schools for the district, as well as guiding schools and students through the COVID-19 pandemic.

In July, Logan received a raise and contract extension from the OPS board. Her term was extended through June 2025 and her salary increased from $313,890 to $329,113.

READ MORE: Logan’s contract with OPS

In a statement, the OPS Board of Education said it will conduct an “extensive search” for Logan’s replacement.

President Joe Biden signed into law on Tuesday protecting same-sex and interracial marriage.

Thousands of people gathered on the South Lawn of the White House to commemorate the Respect for Marriage Act becoming law.

“Today is a good day,” Biden said as he took the stage after Vice President Kamala Harris. “One day America will take a critical step toward equality, for freedom and justice – not just for some, but for all. To create a nation where decency, dignity and love are recognized, honored and protected. “

“Look, we are here today to celebrate their bravery and everyone who made this day possible,” the president continued. “Courage that led to progress we’ve seen in recent decades, progress that gives us hope that each generation will continue our journey toward a more perfect union.”

The ceremony included performances by Grammy winners Sam Smith and Cyndi Lauper. Smith, who announced in 2019 that they were non-binary and use she/they pronouns, performed their hit “Stay With Me” followed by Lauper singing “True Colors”.

Lauper, a longtime LGBTQ attorney, appeared in the White House briefing room ahead of her appearance and told reporters, “We can sleep easy tonight because our families have been validated.”

“And because now we get to love who we love, which sounds strange to say. But Americans can now love who we love and bless Joe Biden and all the people who worked on this for making sure people don’t have to worry and their kids don’t. to worry about their future,” Lauper said.

She founded the True Colors Fund, a non-profit organization that educates people about LGBTQ issues and helps end homelessness for LGBTQ youth.

A White House official said notable guests attending the signing ceremony included Club Q founder Matthew Haynes and two survivors of the shooting that took place last month at the Colorado Springs, Colorado, LGBTQ nightclub. Others in attendance included a survivor of the 2016 Pulse nightclub shooting that killed 49 people in Orlando, Florida, and plaintiffs and counsel for the Obergefell and Loving Supreme Court cases.

“We have to stop the hatred and violence, as we just saw in Colorado Springs, because a place of acceptance and celebration has been the target of violence and terror,” Biden said on Tuesday. “We must challenge the hundreds of harsh, cynical laws that have been passed across the states targeting transgender children, terrifying families and criminalizing doctors who give children the care they need. We must protect these children so they know they are be loved and we’ll stand firm.” up for them.”

“People, racism, anti-Semitism, homophobia, transphobia are all connected,” Biden continued. “But the antidote to hate is love… This law is important to every American, no matter who you are or who you love.”

The Respect for Marriage Act passed after months of negotiations with bipartisan support in both chambers of Congress, particularly on provisions related to religion. The House voted 258-169 last week to send the bill to Biden’s desk after the Senate passed it 61-36. A minority of Republicans joined the Democrats in both votes.

It became a priority for Democrats after the June Supreme Court ruling in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, in which five conservative justices rejected Roe v. Wade and the national guarantee of access to abortion.

Judge Clarence Thomas, in a concurring opinion, said he believed the court should reconsider other precedents based on similar legal doctrine, including 2015’s Obergefell v. Hodges — which found that the 14th Amendment requires all states to consent provide for same-sex marriages.

The Respect for Marriage Act does not include Obergefell’s national requirement, but will require individual states to recognize same-sex and interracial marriages lawfully performed in another state.

Some Republicans who voted in favor of the legislation in Congress noted additional language about protecting religious groups that still object to same-sex marriage.

However, critics such as Utah Senator Mike Lee said it didn’t go far enough.

Biden has long been outspoken on the issue of same-sex marriage, and in 2012 he famously made then-President Barack Obama famous by declaring his public support.

“I am absolutely comfortable with the fact that men who marry men, women who marry women, and heterosexual men and women who marry each other are entitled to the exact same rights, all civil rights, all civil liberties,” Biden said during an interview at the time on NBC’s “Meet the Press.”

“Who do you love? Who do you love and are you true to the person you love?” said Biden then. “And that’s what people are discovering, what all marriages are basically about.”

After Lauper finished her appearance at the bill’s signing, the audio of Biden’s 2012 “Meet the Press” interview played. A White House official said they planned to hand out commemorative items at Tuesday’s ceremony referencing Biden’s comments from 10 years ago announcing his support for same-sex marriage.

As Biden finished signing the law to cheers from the crowd, Lady Gaga’s pro-LGBTQ song “Born This Way” began playing.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer kicked off the ceremony Tuesday, with Schumer touting the marriage law as a “major step forward” in the march toward equality.

Pelosi, who is stepping down from Democratic leadership, has said she is “happy” that this bill will be one of the last she will sign as speaker and became emotional when the measure passed in the chamber.

Pelosi pointed to the full circle of the legislation on Tuesday, having withdrawn Don’t Ask Don’t Tell when she first ended her speakership in 2010. Biden credited Pelosi and other lawmakers who worked to get the bill through Congress a scream in his comments.

“This is about respect. This is about being proud,” Pelosi said, “and it’s about time we did that at the federal level.”

Molly Nagle of ABC News contributed to this report.

FTX’s new CEO told US lawmakers on Tuesday that his team has received “extraordinary” pushback from authorities in the Bahamas, where the fallen crypto exchange is based, and the actions of the Bahamian government surrounding the company’s bankruptcy in casts doubt.

John Ray III, who took over at FTX following the disgraced departure of founder Sam Bankman-Fried last month, told the House Financial Services Committee that Bahamian officials took over some FTX Digital Markets funds following the US bankruptcy filing with the help of now former FTX employees.

Ray said some assets were moved out of the Bahamian FTX division by a hack and other funds were moved by Bahamian officials. “It wasn’t a request,” he explained. “They just took it.”

Ray said Bahamian authorities were aided in this by past leaders, including FTX co-founder Gary Wang.

“We have repeatedly asked them to clarify what they have done,” he said of Bahamian authorities. “We’ve been knocked out by them.”

LIVE UPDATES: HOUSE PANEL OBEDIENCE ON FTX COLLAPSE ENDS, FOUNDER FACE WITH COSTS

Ray said it appears Bankman-Fried, who was arrested Monday on several charges related to the collapse of the FTX, had attempted to undermine the US bankruptcy process by moving company assets to accounts controlled by the FTX. Bahamian authorities.

The Bahamian government, Ray said, has its own liquidation process regarding FTX Digital Markets, but has not been transparent.

“We’ve opened up the opportunity to share everything we have with the Bahamian government – similar to how we share with other liquidators around the world – and not just in this case and other cases, it’s meant to be a very cooperative situation, Ray explained.

FTX FOUNDER SAM BANKMAN-FRIED GIVEN MILLIONS IN LOANS WITH COMPANY MONEY: CEO

“The backlash we have received is extraordinary in the context of a bankruptcy,” he continued. ‘It raises questions. It seems irregular to me. There are many questions on our part and we are clearly conducting an investigation.’

The Securities Commission of the Bahamas admitted last month that it seized assets of FTX Digital Markets Ltd, saying “urgent interim regulatory action was needed to protect the interests of customers and creditors” of the exchange.

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The committee did not immediately respond to FOX Business’s request for comment on Mr. Ray’s comments.

Reuters contributed to this report.

As tense as things get — and as alleged on Thursday in the second episode of the Netflix docuseries “Harry & Meghan” — it’s very unlikely that King Charles will ever strip the Sussexes of their titles, royal insiders say.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle received their titles as Duke and Duchess of Sussex from the late Queen Elizabeth II on their wedding day, May 19, 2018.

But critics of the couple have said the pair should lose their titles after the first three episodes of the Netflix show, which came out last week, saw them spill even more beans about their unhappy lives behind palace walls.

Piers Morgan tweeted“King Charles must strip these two poisonous rats of all remaining titles and ties to the royal family and must do so quickly before they destroy the monarchy.”

However, a palace source told Page Six, “Taking their titles is not something the king would likely ever consider … mainly because it would be too petty and punitive.”

In addition, the source added: “It would only lead to the Sussexes claiming it was retaliation and proof that they were never wanted in the royal family.”

In a new trailer for the Netflix series released Monday, 41-year-old Markle says, “I wasn’t thrown to the wolves, I was fed to the wolves.”

Meanwhile, Harry adds, “They liked to lie to protect my brother [Prince William]. They were never willing to tell the truth to protect us.”

The identity of the “she” referred to by Harry, 38, isn’t clear from the trailer, although as Page Six has revealed, the pair will talk about being bullied by palace officials.

Even if the Sussexes were stripped of their titles, according to royal protocol, Markle would receive another honorary title: Princess Henry. (Only princesses born into the royal family are allowed to use their given names. A woman who marries a princess title, such as Princess Michael of Kent, takes her husband’s name.)

“Since the Sussexes simply called the show ‘Harry & Meghan’ they should take it upon themselves not to use their titles again,” said one royal onlooker. Otherwise they will send mixed messages.

“Do they want to be normal, albeit extremely powerful people – or do they want to live in the shadows of their former royal life?”

Majesty editor-in-chief Joe Little told Page Six there is nothing stopping Harry from relinquishing his titles, adding: “Harry can relinquish his princely title if he chooses, just like Princess Patricia of Connaught, a granddaughter of Queen Victoria, when she married a commoner just over a century ago.

Harry and Meghan are believed to want their kids, Archie, 3, and 1-year-old Lilibet, to have royal titles, but Charles would wait until both the Netflix show and Harry’s memoir — “Spare,” due January 10 — are out. from.

As Page Six has previously revealed, the Sussexes are still expected at Charles’s coronation in May, regardless of what happens in the coming weeks.

Representatives from the Sussexes and the king were unavailable for comment.

Many taxpayers can expect smaller refunds

Millions of U.S. taxpayers could face a tax refund shock when they file their 2022 returns due to the expiration of many pandemic benefits that lawmakers designed to help Americans weather the crisis.

That means families may see smaller refunds when they file their tax returns for the current tax year in early 2023, said Mark Steber, chief tax information officer at Jackson Hewitt. The average tax refund in 2022 (for the 2021 tax year) was nearly $3,200, up 14% from the prior year, according to IRS data.

But the benefits that brought back this year’s refunds have largely lapsed, ranging from federal stimulus checks to the expanded Child Tax Credit (CTC), Steber noted.

Even the IRS is warning taxpayers that next year’s checks could be stingier. The IRS warned in a November press release, “Refunds may be smaller in 2023.”

Many of the tax breaks still exist, but under current tax laws they have returned to their smaller, pre-pandemic levels, as in the case of the CTC, which has reportedly lifted millions of children out of poverty. The CTC returns to its previous level of $2,000 per child, compared to a pandemic credit that was as high as $3,600 per child.

The year 2021 “was quite a remarkable year with all those new tax breaks coming in,” Steber noted. “But jump forward to this year, and many of the increases have expired, hence the term ‘reimbursement shock’ or ‘reimbursement surprise.'”

The typical tax refund next year will likely be about $2,700, or about what taxpayers got in 2021 (for their 2020 taxes), Steber said. Of course, every taxpayer’s situation is different, with refunds depending on a number of factors ranging from an individual’s tax bracket whether a taxpayer has children.

A rule of thumb recommended by Steber: Don’t look at your tax returns from earlier this year to determine what you’ll receive for your 2023 refund.

“You probably won’t have as pleasant an experience as you did last year,” he said.

Still, taxpayers can take steps to improve their tax situation before year-end. For example, you can deposit more dollars into a traditional IRA or 401(k) account to take advantage of their pre-tax contributions rules — every dollar invested in one of these funds reduces your taxable income.

And if you’ve had investment losses this year, consider selling one or more of those positions, as you can deduct up to $3,000 in losses from your earnings, lowering your taxable income.

Here are some tax changes in 2022 that may affect your refund.

No stimulus control

The government has issued no stimulus checks in 2022, with the third and final payment approved in the spring of 2021 through the American Rescue Plan Act. Because these checks were paid in 2021, they were reflected in tax returns filed in early 2022 and affected tax refunds received earlier this year.

Some taxpayers relied on their 2021 tax returns to claim more stimulus money, allowing them to get larger refunds. For example, children born in 2021 were generally not included in the third round of stimulus checks because the IRS relied on 2020 tax returns to determine eligibility — and so children born in 2021 were initially passed over by the IRS. However, parents were able to claim the third stimulus check for these children when they filed their tax returns earlier this year.

A smaller child discount

The child tax credit received a boost in 2021, with parents of children under six receiving $3,600 and parents of children ages 6 to 17 receiving $3,000.

But in 2022, that tax credit returned to its pre-pandemic level of $2,000 per child, regardless of age. While that’s certainly a help, that leaner tax break could affect parents’ repayments.

Some legislators and children’s advocates are pushing for the higher CTC amounts to be reinstated, with Rep. Adam Schiff, a California Democrat, urging congressional leaders this week to extend the expanded CTC. But with Congress soon leaving for its holiday recess, it’s unclear whether there will be any attention to the issue.

The tax credit for caring for children and dependents

The Child and Dependent Care Credit, which helps parents pay for childcare, received a boost under the American Rescue Plan, increasing the credit to a maximum $8,000 per family.

But that tax credit has also returned to pre-pandemic levels. Under current law, parents can get a reduction on their 2022 taxes for up to 35% of up to $6,000 in qualifying childcare expenses for two or more children. That means the maximum credit is $2,100 for the current year. (For parents of one child, the amount is halved.)

Earned income tax credit

Another tax credit that’s less generous this year is the Earned Income Tax Credit, or EITC, which is intended for low- and middle-income workers.

During the pandemic, the EITC was raised for a group of workers who typically don’t benefit much: adults without children. In 2021, low-income workers without children were eligible for credit worth up to $1,500.

This year, the tax credit will return to a lower amount for this group: $560 in 2022.

Low-income parents who qualify for the EITC will receive slightly higher amounts in 2022, because that figure is adjusted annually for inflation. For example, this year, eligible parents with two children could receive an EITC of $6,164, compared to $5,980 in 2021.

No additional deduction for donations to charities

The Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act, or CARES Act, had a provision that allowed taxpayers to deduct an additional $300 for single taxpayers or $600 for married couples on their 2020 and 2021 taxes.

This provision allowed people who depended on the standard deduction, which represents the majority of taxpayers, to take an additional deduction for charitable giving. But that above-the-line charitable deduction was not renewed in 2022, meaning taxpayers who don’t itemize won’t get any additional deductions for their charitable giving this year.

As the Social Security Administration pays out its December round Social Security Payments, some recipients may have problems or questions about their monthly payments. If you find yourself in that situation, it may help clear up any confusion by contacting the Social Security Administration to answer your questions and concerns.

Or maybe you are curious how much you will receive next year’s cost of living adjustment and not received your message with the amount. Or if you’ve received a phone call saying you’ve been a victim of Social Security identity theft, you may be concerned.

Do not be afraid. If there’s a problem with your account or if you have questions that the SSA should answer, here’s what to do and who to contact, depending on your situation. For more information, here’s the ultimate Social Security cheat sheet and what Social Security looks like when you retire.

If you think you’ve been scammed, do this

Don’t panic if you get a call that there’s a problem with your Social Security number, that you’re a victim of identity theft, or another scheme. The Social Security Administration says its employees will rarely call a person and threaten them with legal action or arrest.

Some scammers will contact people and threaten legal action, arrest, offer to increase benefits, protect assets or solve identity theft, the SSA explained in a message. Keep an eye out for any callers who say there are problems with your social security number or account, ask you to pay a fine or debt, or impersonate a government agency.

If you receive a call, hang up and provide the number to the Inspector General’s office by completing this form.

If you fell for the scammer’s call and provided them with personal information, don’t be embarrassed. Be sure to report that you have been a victim of a financial scam and share it with the SSA if you have suffered a financial loss. You can contact the number below for additional assistance.

Questions about your Social Security benefits? read this

If you have general questions about your Social Security payments, such as when you will receive your payment or how much your COLA increase will be, you can find that information on your My social security account. If you don’t have an account, you can expect a letter with that information in the mail this month.

For other matters, such as a missing payment, you can contact Social Security on the number below.

How to contact the Social Security Administration and more

Do you have any questions? Here are the phone numbers where you can reach these government agencies:

• Social Security phone number: 800-772-1213
• Social Security phone number: 800-772-1213
• Medicare Phone Number: 800-633-4227
• Social Security Fraud Helpline: 800-269-0271

Do you have more questions about social security? Here’s how your Social Security benefits will go up in 2023, when to start collecting benefits and who is be eligible for Social Security benefits for children.