by State Representative Joe Gresko
District 121
Retirees in Connecticut are now able to claim a larger deduction on pension and annuity income. Thanks to a six-year plan that began with the 2019 tax year, seniors are seeing an increase in the percentage of pension and annuity income they can deduct from their annual tax returns. The deduction for 2019 was 14% and increases to 28% for 2020. By 2025, seniors will be able to deduct 100% oftheir pension and annuity income.
The deduction applies to pension and annuity income for individuals earning less than $75,000 annually or married couples earning under $100,000 per year.
Connecticut’s Phase 1B COVID-19 vaccine roll-out will begin on Monday, January 18, 2021. Residents aged 75 and older can now begin scheduling appointments to receive the vaccine.
The State announced that in the coming weeks, Phase 1B will expand to include:
- Residents between the ages of 64 and 74
- Residents between the ages of 16 and 64 who have underlying health conditions which put them at greater risk for contracting COVID-19
This expansion will occur as the vaccine supply increases and as a significant portion of individuals over the age of 75 receive the vaccine.
If you are over the age of 75, you can now make an appointment to get the vaccine, utilizing the following tools:
Healthcare Provider: Many residents have already been or will be contacted to schedule an appointment by their healthcare provider if their provider is participating in the state’s vaccine program. Not all providers are administering the vaccine. A list of participating providers is available at ct.gov/covidvaccine. Residents are urged to not contact their physician or healthcare provider directly for COVID vaccine appointments. You will either be contacted by your physician or you can schedule an appointment online.
Online: Go to at ct.gov/covidvaccine to register and schedule an appointment through the web-based Vaccine Administration Management System (VAMS). Many providers can be accessed through the VAMS system including:
- Trinity Health of New England (hospitals and other locations)
- Griffin Hospital
- Nuvance Health
- Stamford Hospital
- Bristol Hospital
- Local Health Departments
- Federally Qualified Health Centers
Telephone: Those without internet access can call Connecticut’s COVID Vaccine Appointment Assistance Line at 877-918-2224. The line will take calls on Mondays through Fridays from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
As a reminder, this is an ever-changing situation with updates coming in every hour. As your state representative, I will continue to pass along updates and key information as soon as it becomes available.
In the meantime, to protect yourself, family and friends, please continue to follow state and local safety guidelines including wearing a mask, social distancing and frequent hand washing. If we continue to follow these steps and get people vaccinated, we will finally be able put an end to the pandemic.
Stay safe and stay healthy! if you or someone you know requires assistance, please feel free to reach out to me at the Capitol via email at Joseph.Gresko@cga.ct.gov
