In Dauphin County, Governor Shapiro and Secretary Browne Announce that $266 Million in 2023 Property Tax/Rent Rebate Checks Will Go Out to Seniors and People with Disabilities Starting July 1
Last year, Governor Shapiro signed into law the first expansion of the Property Tax/Rent Rebate program in nearly two decades – delivering the largest targeted tax cut for seniors since 2006 and putting money back in their pockets.
Rep. David Madsen June 27, 2024 | 9:08 AM
Steelton, PA — Today, Governor Josh Shapiro and Secretary of Revenue Pat Browne visited the Hoy/Latsha Senior Center in Dauphin County to announce that rebates on property taxes and rent paid in 2023 as part of the Property Tax/Rent Rebate (PTRR) program will start to be distributed on Monday, July 1, 2024, as required by law.
The rebates are being distributed to an initial wave of over 442,000 older homeowners, renters, and people with disabilities across Pennsylvania, including 9,000 people in Dauphin County, totaling $266 million – significant increases from last year, when 283,468 homeowners were issued rebates totaling nearly $132 million.
Last year, Governor Shapiro signed into law a historic expansion of the PTRR program, making good on the commitment he made to Pennsylvania seniors and people with disabilities during his campaign and in his first budget address to ease the burden of rising costs.
“The Property Tax Rent Rebate program is a lifeline for Pennsylvania seniors and people with disabilities, and we passed the largest targeted tax cut for our seniors in nearly two decades to expand this program to help put money back in their pockets,” said Governor Josh Shapiro. “I made a promise to Pennsylvanians to cut costs for them, and we delivered in a bipartisan manner – and as a result, rebates will begin going out to more than 442,000 Pennsylvanians all across the Commonwealth starting on Monday. But there are at least 125,000 more Pennsylvanians who are eligible but haven’t applied yet – and we want everyone who is eligible to get this money, so we have extended the application deadline to December 31. If you qualify but haven’t yet applied, go to pa.gov/PTRR to apply now.”
Applicants who submitted their bank account information on their application forms will receive their rebates through direct deposit. Applicants who requested a paper check to be mailed to them should expect to receive their payment in the mail.
After the initial distribution of rebates on July 1, rebates will be distributed as claims are received and processed. The deadline for older adults and Pennsylvanians with disabilities to apply for rebates on rent and property taxes paid in 2023 was recently extended to December 31, 2024.
“On behalf of the entire team in the Department of Revenue, I'm proud to be here with Governor Shapiro to talk about a very important initiative and his leadership on behalf of all the seniors here in Pennsylvania,” said Secretary of Revenue Pat Browne. “For Governor Shapiro, not having this program updated in over 20 years, and having that many seniors no longer receiving it was unacceptable. Because of his leadership, working with the General Assembly, we will now see another round of having more than 550,000 claimants of the program.”
The Department of Revenue has already processed and approved 93% of PTRR applications for payment. The remaining claims yet to be approved either have errors or may require more information – if you receive outreach from DOR, Pennsylvanians are encouraged to respond as soon as possible in order to get their application approved so they can receive their rebate in a timely manner.
During today’s announcement, Governor Shapiro and Secretary Browne were joined by Representative David Madsen, Dauphin County Commissioner George Hartwick, Executive Director of the Housing Authority of the County of Dauphin Leah Eppinger, and Elizabeth Bryant, head of the Hoy Towers resident advisory board.
“The Property Tax/Rent Rebate Program has been available to Pennsylvanians for decades and it still remains one of the most important programs to benefit older and low-income families in Pennsylvania,” said Representative David Madsen. “Thanks to the determined efforts of House Democrats and bipartisan support, we are finally providing meaningful relief to seniors and low-income families who have long struggled with rising property taxes and rent.”
“As a housing provider in these very challenging times, we are encouraged by the statewide actions that continue to uplift our residents. The Property Tax/Rent Rebate program provides a direct financial assistance to older adults and those with disabilities. As costs continue to rise, the injection of dollars can provide stability to Pennsylvanians who are trying to make ends meet,” said Leah Eppinger, Executive Director of the Housing Authority of the County of Dauphin. “This program continues to be an economic boost for our vulnerable communities. We thank Governor Shapiro and your team for your expansion to this program to include more Pennsylvanians, as well as a higher dollar return.”
“It's been a pleasure having the rent rebates as a senior, and before being a senior, I was a disabled person, the rent rebate always came in the middle of summer. It was like Christmas in July – and I think all of the seniors feel the same way,” said Liz Bryant, head of the Hoy Towers resident advisory board. “Living on a fixed income is very hard. I had started a part time job last year and I was not eligible for the rent rebate. Governor Shapiro raised the ceiling for the amount that you can make this year – and now I can get the rent rebate, and I thank you for that.”
Governor Shapiro signed into law a historic expansion of the PTRR program, which means more Pennsylvanians now qualify — and at the same time — the vast majority who qualified in prior years will see their rebates increase. This was the first time the program has been expanded since 2006. The expansion increases the maximum standard rebate to $1,000, increases the income cap for both homeowners and renters to $45,000, and increases the income cap to grow with inflation each year moving forward.
Since its inception in 1971, the PTRR program has delivered more than $8 billion in property tax and rent relief to some of Pennsylvania’s most vulnerable residents. The PTRR program is supported by the Pennsylvania Lottery and receives funding from gaming.
The PTRR program benefits eligible Pennsylvanians age 65 and older; widows and widowers age 50 and older; and people with disabilities age 18 and older. The table below shows how much homeowners and renters who fit this criteria are eligible for, depending on their income:
|
INCOME
|
MAX STANDARD REBATE
|
|
$0 - $8000
|
$1,000
|
|
$8,001 - $15,000
|
$770
|
|
$15,001 - $18,000
|
$460
|
|
$18,001 - $45,000
|
$380
|
Submitting your application through myPATH is easy and does not require you to sign up for an account. Filing online gives you instant confirmation that your claim has been successfully filed. Applicants also will have access to automatic calculators and other helpful features that are not available through the paper application.
It's free to apply for a rebate and assistance is available at hundreds of locations across the state: Department of Revenue (DOR) district offices, local Area Agencies on Aging, and state legislators' offices. You must reapply for a rebate every year as they are based on annual income and property taxes or rent paid during the prior year.
The easiest way to check the status of your rebate is to use the Where's My Rebate? tool. To check on the status of your claim, you will need your Social Security number, claim year, and date of birth.
DOR has also launched an online Spanish application through myPATH for Spanish-speaking applicants in January and worked with the Commonwealth Office of Digital Experience (CODE PA) to create a new lookup tool on its website to help applicants of PTRR program find in-person assistance in their communities to provide an easy way for older Pennsylvanians and people with disabilities who benefit from the PTRR program to enter their zip code and find a location nearby where someone can help them file their rebate application.
For more information and to access PTRR forms/instructions, visit pa.gov/ptrr or call 1-888-222-9190 for assistance and click here to view the new lookup tool to find in-person assistance.
For more information on how Governor Shapiro’s budget will cut costs for Pennsylvanians, click here.