Latest news with #COVID
Perth Now
7 minutes ago
- Business
- Perth Now
Council tells hair salon on wheels to cut it
A mobile hair salon in Bassendean has been given the chop after the local council voted against its application to operate as a home business on Tuesday night. Cecilia's House of Hair operated on Walter Road East in Bassendean for 28 years until the owner closed the salon in October 2024 and started mobile business Cecilia's Salon on Wheels. In November, the town received complaints from several residents on Ivanhoe Street in Bassendean about a hairdressing business operating from a van parked in a driveway on the street. The owner later submitted an application in December for retrospective approval to operate as a home business. The application was advertised for public comment and received 'strong objections,' with reasons citing the intensity of the business, noise, parking, and 'doubts about ongoing compliance.' Cecilia Bova started a salon on wheels for the elderly and disabled at their homes to keep them safe. Credit: The Chimes. In a deputation, salon owner Cecilia Bova, who has been a hairdresser for 37 years, said that there was a maximum of two clients at any given time, but carers may also be present. She said that during COVID, she started a salon on wheels for the elderly and disabled at their homes to keep them safe. 'I enjoy the one-on-one time but it was hard working out of laundries, kitchens and bathrooms; there was no room to move,' she said. Ms Bova said running her salon House of Hair came with 'huge financial responsibilities,' along with staff management, so decided to close the business on Walter Road. 'When I can, I go to a client's home, but some of the people live in units or small homes and haven't got a driveway, so they have to come to my home.' she said. Bassendean mayor Kathryn Hamilton. Credit: Supplied 'I wasn't aware that I needed permission to work from home in a mobile van, I started the process as soon as I was told and have done my best to meet all my obligations since then. I never intended to cause problems for anyone, I'm just trying to make a living and pay my mortgages and bills like everyone else.' The council meeting notes said town staff asked the applicant to adjust the way the business operates to reduce the impact on the neighbourhood but the the applicant requested council to instead make a decision on the proposal as it stands. Ms Bova declined to make any key changes suggested by town staff, such as limiting client numbers and reducing operating hours, saying it would make the business 'unviable.' As the applicant was unwilling to adopt the changes, town staff considered the business did not meet the definition of a home business and instead operated as a commercial business, which was 'not appropriate' in a residential area as it 'adversely affects the amenity of the neighbourhood.' Town staff will issue Ms Bova with a direction to cease the use of land for the purpose of a home business within 30 days.
Yahoo
28 minutes ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Crypto's Biggest Contradiction: Markets Hit Highs While Investors Scream 'Sell'—One Side Is About to Be Very Wrong
Benzinga and Yahoo Finance LLC may earn commission or revenue on some items through the links below. The cryptocurrency market is experiencing something remarkable: a complete disconnect between what people are saying and what seasoned traders are seeing. While social media buzzes with bearish predictions and economic doom, a growing contingent of investors believes we're witnessing 'the most obvious bull setup' in crypto history. This sentiment paradox isn't just noise—it's potentially the exact signal that marks major market turning points. The Great Crypto Divide of 2025 Never before have crypto investors been this divided about market direction. On one side, X feeds overflow with warnings about economic collapse, tariff-induced inflation, and impending market crashes. On the other, experienced traders are quietly positioning for what they believe could be a massive bull run reminiscent of the legendary March 2020 recovery. 'I've never seen sentiment this lost about the market,' noted one Reddit investor, 'meanwhile I'm sitting here thinking this is the most obvious bull setup I've ever witnessed.' Don't Miss: — no wallets, just price speculation and free paper trading to practice different strategies. Grow your IRA or 401(k) with Crypto – . This stark division reflects deeper tensions about the global economy, monetary policy, and crypto's role as both a speculative asset and potential inflation hedge. The March 2020 Playbook Redux The bulls aren't just relying on hope—they're following a specific historical pattern. The current market setup mirrors the March 2020 COVID crash almost exactly: geopolitical shock, sharp selloff, quick recovery, and Bitcoin holding crucial support levels. The pattern observed then was simple but powerful: 'Small dip > recovery > BTC and alts rally together.' Bitcoin's ability to maintain support above $100,000 and push toward more than $105,000 has reinforced this narrative for optimistic investors. What makes this comparison compelling is the macro backdrop. Just as emergency rate cuts fueled the 2020 recovery, many investors expect the Federal Reserve to cut rates regardless of public statements. 'Rate cuts are coming whether Powell admits it or not,' argues one trader, 'Trump needs them and he's gonna get them.' Unprecedented Bullish Catalysts Stack Up Beyond historical patterns, crypto bulls point to a remarkable series of recent developments that dwarf previous adoption milestones: Regulatory Breakthroughs: The Securities and Exchange Commission recently ruled that participation in proof-of-work and proof-of-stake networks is legal, essentially green-lighting DeFi participation. This removes a major regulatory overhang that has suppressed institutional adoption. Traditional Finance Integration: Banks are now required to accept Bitcoin as collateral for mortgages—a development that was unthinkable just years ago. Meanwhile, Mastercard announced its full commitment to DeFi and tokenization, signaling mainstream payment infrastructure is embracing crypto. Corporate Treasury Adoption: Michael Saylor's MicroStrategy (NASDAQ:MSTR) continues securing large corporate loans with near-zero interest rates using Bitcoin as collateral, proving institutional acceptance of crypto as legitimate treasury assets. 'The sh*t happening lately is the most bullish that has ever happened. Hands down. It's not even close,' one enthusiastic investor summarized. Trending: New to crypto? on Coinbase. The Case for Caution However, the bearish camp presents equally compelling arguments rooted in broader economic concerns. Economic Fragility: Despite markets hitting all-time highs, many investors feel the underlying economy remains weak. Real wages appear stagnant while asset prices soar, creating dangerous dependence on capital gains rather than employment income. Tariff Uncertainty: Trump's proposed tariffs could reignite inflation just as the Fed considers rate cuts. 'There's a real risk in July that the tariffs come back causing inflation,' warns one skeptical trader. 'It's VERY possible that we get either no rate cuts, or only -0.25bp this year.' Technical Concerns: Chart analysts point to potential double-top patterns similar to 2021, suggesting the market may have already peaked. 'If you look at the chart and compare now to 2021 the top is in,' argues one technical analyst who recently took profits. Behavioral Patterns: Some veterans note that even long-term holders are selling due to fear—typically not a bullish signal. The market's pattern of 'hump, lump, pump then dump' may be nearing its final phase. What History Teaches About Sentiment Extremes Interestingly, both sides may be missing the bigger picture. Market history suggests that extreme sentiment divergence—rather than unanimous bearishness or bullishness—often precedes major moves. The current situation mirrors classic market psychology: widespread confusion and disagreement typically occur at inflection points, not during trends. When 'nothing goes straight up' and markets consolidate, it's often when 'the next winners position themselves.' One seasoned observer noted: 'This highlights the importance of zooming out and filtering out the noise... Two days later, most cryptos are back at their closing price of last Friday, some even higher.'The Generational Wealth Perspective Perhaps most intriguingly, some veterans see parallels to previous technology bubbles. 'It reminds me of the setup right before the Internet bubble,' shared one trader old enough to remember the dot-com era. 'I GUARANTEE you a parabolic run is coming and it will create many new multimillionaires and even few billionaires.' This perspective suggests that current market confusion might be exactly what precedes transformational wealth creation—when traditional metrics fail to capture emerging paradigm shifts. Practical Takeaways for Investors For Bulls: If you believe in the March 2020 playbook, focus on Bitcoin's ability to hold $100K support and watch for geopolitical de-escalation signals. Rate cut expectations and regulatory clarity provide fundamental tailwinds. For Bears: Monitor inflation data closely, especially tariff impacts. Consider that double-top patterns and historical cycles suggest caution may be warranted for overextended positions. For Everyone: Extreme sentiment divergence often marks important market transitions. Whether bullish or bearish, position sizing and risk management become even more critical during periods of maximum uncertainty. The crypto market's current sentiment paradox may be uncomfortable, but it's precisely these moments of maximum disagreement that often precede the moves that define the next market cycle. Whether that move is up or down remains the trillion-dollar question dividing crypto investors today. Read Next: Named a TIME Best Invention and Backed by 5,000+ Users, Kara's Air-to-Water Pod Cuts Plastic and Costs — Image: Shutterstock This article Crypto's Biggest Contradiction: Markets Hit Highs While Investors Scream 'Sell'—One Side Is About to Be Very Wrong originally appeared on © 2025 Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved. Sign in to access your portfolio
Newsweek
3 hours ago
- Health
- Newsweek
'Disabling' Chronic Illness in Children Not Taken Seriously: Experts
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. A new study by Rutgers University has highlighted that a significant number of young children are experiencing ongoing symptoms after COVID-19 infection, signifying that greater research needs to be poured into evaluating the risk and treatment of long COVID in children. The study, released on July 23, coincides with Pediatric Long COVID Awareness Week, running from July 21 to 25, run by the advocacy group Long Covid Families. Over the course of the week, the group has been bringing together families, clinicians, researchers, and advocates to raise more awareness on the wide-reaching impact of long COVID in children. "This is a public health crisis for children. And it demands action," Long Covid Families said in its promotion of the condition's awareness week. "Because people operate under the false assumption that if you are young and healthy, like kids, COVID is an inconsequential nothingburger and we should not worry about it," Dr Ziyad Al-Aly, a professor of medicine at Washington University in St. Louis, told Newsweek. "Of course, this is not accurate at all," he added. Long COVID in children "always demanded more attention and seriousness." File photo: a young girl is unwell lying in bed with a teddy bear. File photo: a young girl is unwell lying in bed with a teddy The Study Found The study assessed 1,011 children, of whom 472 were aged 2 or younger, and 539 were aged between 3 and 15. It was found that 101, or 15 percent, of the 677 children who had previously tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 infection were identified as likely having long COVID. Long COVID is recognized as symptoms and health complications following COVID infection that persist for several weeks or months after the initial infection. It can result in a wide range of symptoms, affecting multiple systems in the body. Co-author of the study, Lawrence Kleinman, who is also chair of the Department of Pediatrics at Rutgers University, told Newsweek that he was not "surprised by these findings and would not be surprised to learn in the future that they understate the prevalence of long COVID." Previous studies estimated the prevalence of long COVID in children to be between 10 and 20 percent—suggesting it has become one of the most common chronic illnesses in children. Asthma, often described as the most common chronic illness in children, affects 16 percent. "Our methods were designed to be conservative, that is to maximize the likelihood that we distinguished long COVID from other causes," Kleinman said. "That means that our estimates are likely to be lower than the actual rate of long COVID." "At the beginning of the pandemic, no one knew that long COVID existed," he added. The first reports from China included" inaccurate reports" that children were spared COVID, he said, adding that the reports "grew into a myth which in turn created a mindset that COVID in kids didn't matter." As a result, there "was a misconception that children could not get COVID - but we know that's not true," Melissa Stockwell, another author of the study and chief of the Division of Child and Adolescent Health at Columbia University, told Newsweek. "We are still very behind in raising awareness about long COVID in children," she added. Another reason why long COVID was not taken seriously in children is that "the symptoms associated with long COVID in children were not properly defined," Dr. Akiko Iwasaki, director of the Center for Infection and Immunity at the Yale School of Medicine, told Newsweek. She added that the study underscored "the need for the society to take long COVID in children seriously." However, Dr. Gerald Teague, a professor of pediatrics at the University of Virginia School of Medicine, told Newsweek that the study's investigators "did not confirm COVID infection with diagnostic tests nor did they measure antibodies to COVID in the participants," which would have provided a more accurate screening of the condition. He also noted that children not flagged as having COVID in the study may have had "asymptomatic infection." Although, despite some concerns, he said, with the study, that it was a "proof of concept that long COVID may be a bigger problem than we thought." The Impact Of Long COVID On Children "There is great concern for the younger generation, both about the long-term impacts of the pandemic itself, but also for those with Long Covid," Stockwell said. Long COVID in children can manifest in a number of different symptoms, ranging from "annoying to disabling," Kleinman said. The chronic illness can cause "pain, distress, or disability" in children, directly impacting the child's interaction with their family and friends, and may "hurt school performance, athletic performance, or even the capacity of children to conduct normally routine activities," he added. These factors are of great concern, Al-Aly said, as "we worry about kids' educational attainment, forming friendships, sports, and others, and all of these facets of normal development could be impaired in long COVID." "This may negatively affect kids in their most formative years—leaving them scarred for a lifetime," he added. Long COVID can leave some children bedbound for years, Iwasaki said. "If you have ever spoken to a parent of a child with long COVID, you quickly learn how devastating it can be to the lives of the children and their family," she added. What Experts Think Should Be Done One key part of tackling the issue is down to "improving vaccine uptake," Al-Aly said. However, the Trump administration has recently removed COVID vaccines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommendation for healthy children and pregnant women, as part of Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr's "Make America Healthy Again" (MAHA) campaign. Kennedy Jr, a well-known vaccine sceptic, said, when announcing the update on X: "It's common sense and it's good science." Another important step is increasing understanding, Stockwell said. "We really need pediatricians to understand what long COVID looks like in children and understand that symptoms are actually different in different-aged children as well," she added. Treatments are the next vital step, Kleinman said. "We need to develop and identify effective treatments for long COVID in a rapidly iterative and long-term approach to quickly identify promising treatments and to evaluate their effectiveness and safety in practice." That treatment, though, needs to "get at the root causes of the disease," Iwasaki said. She added that long COVID is a disease "driven by the virus and the host responses to the virus involving the immune, neurological, cardiovascular, gastrointestinal and pulmonary systems." From a policy perspective, "flexible attendance at school, proper training of teachers and pediatricians, insurance coverage and more funding for research" would all help tackle the issue, Iwasaki added. More broadly, supporting children with long COVID and preventing further cases will require "investment in health and health care services, physical and occupational rehabilitation, and mental health services," Kleinman added, saying this "will be critical for the population health of our children for the foreseeable future."
Toronto Sun
4 hours ago
- Health
- Toronto Sun
OPINION: Canadian's Nobel Peace Prize nod serves up lessons for world
The lessons of Dr. Irvin Studin's work is that we ought never again to close the schools as we did in the pandemic Sam Sasan Shoamanesh, Kwadwo Kyeremanteng, Sudarshan Ramaswamy and Nancy Rousseau, Special to Toronto Sun Published Jul 25, 2025 • Last updated 9 minutes ago • 5 minute read Dr. Irvin Studin The Canadian public intellectual Dr. Irvin Studin has been nominated for the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Don't have an account? Create Account Studin would be the first Canadian to win the Nobel Peace Prize since Lester B. Pearson in 1957, should the nomination be successful later this year. More important than this historic nomination is, of course, the major issue for humanity that Studin was able to bring to the fore in Canada and globally coming out of the crippling COVID pandemic period. Studin was the seminal figure to identify what may well turn out to be the greatest human catastrophe of the pandemic and post-pandemic periods – the ouster and defection of hundreds of millions of children, of all ages and backgrounds, permanently, from all forms of schooling in the wake of the pandemic school closures of 2020-22. Early on in the haze of the pandemic period, Studin began to see clearly and understand that, while Canada and the world imagined that all children were continuing normal education during the school closures, far too many were in fact disappearing from schooling altogether. In short, these kids never returned to school even after the schools reopened. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Studin coined the term 'third bucket kids' to describe what was happening on the ground, at scale: Kids that were altogether not in any type of school at all – full stop. Studin calculated that well over 100,000 Canadian children, white-collar and blue-collar alike, were ousted from all schooling, permanently, during the pandemic closures. This calamity was led by Ontario, which had the longest school closures in the country and houses the largest student population. He and his colleagues estimated that, at the height of the pandemic closures, over half a billion students worldwide – the size of the European Union – had been ousted from all forms of schooling. In effect, a significant number from a generation of children – humanity's greatest resource – was immediately placed at a crippling disadvantage in an ever-unforgiving, ruthless and competitive world! Your noon-hour look at what's happening in Toronto and beyond. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Read More To be sure, this is a catastrophe not only for Canada's youth, but also for the future of the country, as this newly heavily undereducated and undersocialized cohort (Canada's third bucket kids) will bleed into every corner of Canadian state and society tomorrow and for the balance of the century: The national workforce, the social fabric (witness the recent dramatic increases in youth crime and violence), and the country's institutions. As for the world, the sudden emergence of hundreds of millions of patently uneducated youth will have major consequences for regional, international, intra- and inter-state stability in the coming decades. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Uganda, for instance, lost well over a quarter of its national student body due to the school closures, while India lost nearly 100 million students! These are vast scales of future destabilization. How could this happen? A continent-sized underclass was instantly created through one of the gravest errors of human policy and judgment of the early 21st century! As it turns out, as soon as a school shutters beyond a moment, children without Internet access disappear from schooling fast, often never again to return. Internet access in Canada during the pandemic was high but far from total, while countries in South Asia or parts of Africa and Latin America had less than 20% coverage. But even with attempts at large-scale online schooling during the pandemic, children in abusive homes, children with disabilities and special needs, children with linguistic deficiencies, and children in precarious financial circumstances were at growing risk of permanent school defection with every additional day of school closure. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. To add insult to injury, the prolonged absence of physical school triggered other calculations for families in many societies: Girls were married off early, and boys and girls alike went off to full-time work at all ages while abandoning school. For many teenagers, online school for sustained periods stripped education of most of the meaning previously associated with physical school – friends, sports and music, mentors and a sense of community. Millions of adolescents around the world, and thousands across Canada, defected early as a consequence. These teenagers (now young adults) will typically be deprived of years of well-being and life expectancy. By late 2020, Studin had begun to mobilize policy and education leaders across nearly 60 countries to diagnose and begin to reckon with this catastrophe. He created the Worldwide Commission to Educate All Kids (Post-Pandemic), a pioneering initiative across all continents to bring attention to the third-bucket crisis, reopen the schools, and find and reintegrate the hundreds of millions of ousted children into education. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. With resolve and determination, he met and briefed political leaders in countries around the world to explain the complex genesis and mechanics of the third bucket phenomenon, and why this catastrophe should never again be repeated. He intervened publicly to explain the vast scale and long tentacles of the catastrophe at hand – effectively, that hundreds of millions of children suddenly ousted from all schooling could only foretell mass societal destabilization and misery. In Ontario, he launched Project Youth Energy, the first-ever on-the-ground endeavour to find and reintegrate into education Ontario's third-bucket children. The project was led by Liz Galvin, whose daughter died by suicide at her university during the pandemic closures. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. The lessons of Studin's work, and that of his distinguished colleagues on the Worldwide Commission to Educate All Kids (Post-Pandemic), is that we ought never again to close the schools. This great lesson turns on two capital considerations: First, Studin and his colleagues have proven that the consequences of school closures are unacceptably and irrecoverably vast for humankind; and second, humanity must mobilize all of its creative energies to divine new way to continue effective and uninterrupted education even when there are emergencies. 'The foundation of every state is the education of its youth,' said the Greek philosopher Diogenes in 4th century BC. We couldn't agree more. There will again be emergencies of national and international consequence in Canada and across the world, but we cannot permit ourselves to destroy our youth and their future – indeed, our collective future – with each ensuing force majeure. We must learn from these past mistakes so as not to repeat them. — Sam Sasan Shoamanesh is the VP of The Institute for 21stCentury Questions. — Kwadwo Kyeremanteng is the Head of Critical Care at the The Ottawa Hospital. — Sudarshan Ramaswamy is the Dean of the School of Government and Public Policy, O.P. Jindal Global University in New Delhi, India, and a member of the Worldwide Commission to Educate All Kids (Post-Pandemic). — Nancy Rousseau is the Principal of Little Rock Central High School in Arkansas, USA, and a member of the Worldwide Commission to Educate All Kids (Post-Pandemic). Toronto & GTA Columnists Toronto & GTA Sunshine Girls News
Time of India
5 hours ago
- Business
- Time of India
Surprise $400 checks rolling out to millions of Americans — no zip code needed to cash in
Millions of New York residents will soon receive surprise inflation relief checks worth up to $400—with no zip code or application needed to qualify. This major financial support initiative, announced by Governor Kathy Hochul, is part of New York State's newly approved 2025–2026 budget. In a bid to combat rising living costs and ease financial pressure on households, the state is automatically issuing these one-time inflation refund checks to more than 8.2 million residents. The best part? No sign-up forms, no regional restrictions, and no zip code requirements. If you're eligible, your check is coming—simple as that. Explore courses from Top Institutes in Please select course: Select a Course Category Artificial Intelligence Operations Management Design Thinking Public Policy Data Analytics Technology Cybersecurity Finance Data Science Degree others MCA MBA Data Science Project Management PGDM CXO Digital Marketing healthcare Management Others Product Management Healthcare Leadership Skills you'll gain: Duration: 7 Months S P Jain Institute of Management and Research CERT-SPJIMR Exec Cert Prog in AI for Biz India Starts on undefined Get Details What Are These $400 Inflation Refund Checks? These $400 checks are part of a state-funded relief package, designed to help New Yorkers cope with ongoing inflation, rising rent, grocery bills, and utility costs. The initiative is a cornerstone of Governor Hochul's 2025–26 budget, reflecting the administration's focus on direct aid to working-class and middle-income families. The New York Inflation Refund Program ensures that qualifying residents receive up to $400 per household, depending on their income and filing status. Unlike federal stimulus checks that were previously disbursed by income tiers or COVID relief plans, these payments are automatic and require no action from recipients. Who Is Eligible for the $400 Inflation Relief Payment? To receive a check, you must have filed a 2023 New York State income tax return (Form IT-201) . The state is using 2023 tax data to determine eligibility and refund amounts. Live Events Here are the basic eligibility criteria: Filed 2023 NY State tax return Not claimed as a dependent on another person's return Meet the income threshold for your filing status Income Thresholds and Refund Amounts: Filing Status Adjusted Gross Income (AGI) Maximum Refund Amount Single Up to $75,000 $200 Single $75,001 – $150,000 $150 Married Filing Jointly / Widowed Up to $150,000 $400 Married Filing Jointly / Widowed $150,001 – $300,000 $300 If your income exceeds these limits, you won't receive a refund under this specific initiative. When Will the $400 Checks Be Sent? According to state officials, the checks will start going out by mid-October 2025, with deliveries continuing through November 2025. Because of the large number of eligible recipients—over 8 million—the mailings will be staggered. Important Note: There's no specific order by zip code, last name, or region. Unlike some government programs that roll out aid by area or application date, this one is completely automatic and statewide. Residents are encouraged to check their mail regularly during the fall and to ensure their address is up to date with the New York State Department of Taxation and Finance. No Zip Code Needed – What Does That Mean? The phrase 'no zip code needed to cash in' simply means that the checks are not being issued based on geographic location. In the past, some relief programs were rolled out in stages depending on where you lived. That's not the case here. All qualified New Yorkers, regardless of where they live—from New York City to Buffalo, Albany, Syracuse, and everywhere in between—will get their check at the same time as the system allows, without prioritizing one zip code over another. So, whether you're in Queens (11413) or Saratoga Springs (12866), you're equally in line. How Will the Checks Be Delivered? The checks will be sent via regular U.S. Postal Service mail. The envelope will likely come from the New York State Department of Taxation and Finance, so don't toss out any government-looking mail during the October–November delivery window. Some residents may also receive direct deposit if that's how they received their tax refund in 2023. However, the majority will get physical checks. No Application or Paperwork Needed One of the biggest advantages of this program is that you don't need to apply. If you qualified based on your 2023 income tax filing, the system will automatically issue your refund check. There's no paperwork, no re-certification, and no website form to fill out. Just make sure: You filed your 2023 NY income tax return Your mailing address is up to date You were not claimed as a dependent If all three apply, you're set. Why Is New York Issuing These Refund Checks? This refund is part of a broader response to rising costs across the state. From housing to groceries, gas to healthcare, inflation has stretched household budgets thin. The state government has received strong pressure to act. Governor Hochul emphasized that the refund is part of a 'proactive strategy to bring immediate relief' to those most impacted by inflation, especially working families, the elderly, and renters. This initiative also allows the state to reinvest surplus funds from previous fiscal years into direct financial support, as opposed to long-term infrastructure or administrative programs. Watch Out for Scams Whenever relief money is involved, scammers follow. Be cautious of: Emails, texts, or phone calls asking you to 'claim' your refund. Requests for your Social Security number or bank info. Websites asking for a 'processing fee' to access the $400 check. Remember: You do NOT need to do anything to receive your inflation refund. If you're eligible, it will come automatically. Any request for action is a red flag. What to Do If You Don't Receive Your Check If you believe you're eligible but haven't received a check by December 1, 2025, follow these steps: Visit the official NY Tax Department website – Look for 'Inflation Refund' updates or FAQ section. Call the NY State Tax Refund Helpline at 1‑800‑225‑5829 (if available). Double-check your 2023 tax return status to ensure it was processed correctly. A Welcome Relief for Millions This surprise round of $400 checks for New Yorkers is a refreshing example of state-led inflation relief in action. With no zip code restrictions and no application required, it ensures that millions of families get timely financial support without jumping through bureaucratic hoops. If you're one of the 8.2 million New Yorkers who qualify, this fall could bring some much-needed budget relief—automatically. New York inflation refund checks up to $400 begin rolling out in October 2025. No zip code, no paperwork, no application needed. Based on 2023 state income tax filing and household income. Checks will continue mailing through November. Eligible residents will receive them automatically by mail or direct deposit. FAQs: Q1: Who qualifies for the New York $400 inflation refund checks? Anyone who filed a 2023 NY State tax return and meets income limits can get it automatically. Q2: Do I need my zip code to get the $400 inflation check? No zip code is needed—the checks are mailed automatically to all eligible New Yorkers.
