KITCHEN: PROPERTY TAX/RENT REBATE PROGRAM DEADLINE EXTENDED  

HARRISBURG, June, 4 – The deadline to apply for Pennsylvania's Property Tax/Rent Rebate Program for seniors and disabled residents has been extended from June 30 until the end of the year, said State Sen. Shirley Kitchen (D-Philadelphia).

“I am pleased that the state is taking steps to make sure that the people who are eligible for the program have enough time to apply for their property tax or rent rebates,” said Kitchen.

As of May 30, the Department of Revenue had received over 515,000 Property Tax/Rent Rebate applications. Rebates will begin to be distributed on July 1.

The rebate program benefits eligible Pennsylvanians age 65 and older; widows and widowers age 50 and older; and people with disabilities age 18 and older. 

The program, which expanded in 2006 by increasing the income limit for homeowners from $15,000 to $35,000 and raised the maximum rebate for homeowners and renters from $500 to $650, will help about 600,000 seniors this year, up from the 310,000 who benefited from it before the expansion.

Approximately 68,000 senior homeowners will have school property taxes eliminated because, in addition to a rebate, they will receive the general property tax reduction that all homeowners will see itemized on school district property tax bills this summer.

Since the program's 1971 inception, seniors and disabled adults have received $4 billion worth of property tax and rent rebates.