Released: June 24, 2024
Program Payments for the Elderly and Disabled Set to More than Double in 2024
Delaware County Council, Senator Tim Kearney, and other elected officials were excited to join Gov. Josh Shapiro and Pennsylvania Secretary of Revenue Pat Browne at the Watkins Avenue Senior Center in Upper Darby on June 23 to discuss an expansion of the State’s Property Tax and Rent Rebate (PTRR) program that will take affect beginning July 1.
Last year, Governor Shapiro signed an historic expansion of the PTRR program into law, 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.
Under the PTRR program, eligible applicants who earn $45,000 or less annually who are either 65 or older, a widow or widower aged 50 or older, or are 18 and older with disabilities, receive rebates on property taxes and rent paid during the previous year. Thanks to an expansion championed by Governor Shapiro with bi-partisan support, nearly 175,000 Pennsylvanians are now newly eligible for the program and the vast majority who qualified in prior years will see their rebates increase and more than half of those newly eligible Pennsylvanians have already applied.
“As a result of that expansion, rebates totaling $266 million will begin going out to more than 442,000 Pennsylvanians all across the Commonwealth – including to 80,000 first-time filers who weren’t eligible last year,” said Shapiro at the County-funded Senior Center.
The initial distribution of $266 million—critical financial relief for older homeowners, renters, and people with disabilities across Pennsylvania—is a significant increase from 2023, when 283,468 homeowners and renters were issued rebates totaling roughly half as much— $132 million —as part of the initial July 1, 2023 distribution.
The law also raised the maximum rebate for seniors from $650 to $1,000, increased the income cap to $45,000 annually and tied the cap to increases in the cost of living so that seniors would not be pushed out of the program if their Social Security payments went up. The program works on a sliding scale, with payments ranging for $380 for those qualifying and earning between $18,001-$45,000, up to $1,000 for those earning no income up to $8,000.
Thanks to this expansion, nearly 175,000 Pennsylvanians are newly eligible for the program.
“The vast majority who qualified in prior years will see their rebates increase, bringing much needed financial relief for seniors and disabled Delaware County residents,” said Delaware County Chair Dr. Monica Taylor. “Our seniors are the bedrock of our communities. They have dedicated their lives to building and sustaining our society, and it is our duty to ensure they enjoy a dignified and comfortable life in their golden years.”
Checks are already being cut and will be going out this week, Shapiro said, with the first recipients expected to find theirs in the mail July 1. Direct deposits will also post into bank accounts that same day. Diane Henry, an Upper Darby resident and poll worker for 10 years, said this is the third rebate she will receive under the program. She plans to spend the funds to update her home, as well as keep up with her bills and support her family.
State Senator Kearney noted his staff has been busy all year helping people process applications, including about 4,000 of his constituents in Upper Darby and other municipalities he represents that were previously not eligible.
“Especially with housing costs rising — because, frankly, we’re not building enough housing — this program’s expansion is a big win for our seniors and cash-strapped neighbors,” Kearney said. “We’re fighting the leading cause of inflation with these rebates. I want to deliver a great thank you to Gov. Shapiro for keeping his promise and delivering for all of us. This program is truly invaluable.”
Rising property taxes and rent can put a tremendous strain on fixed incomes, however, making it difficult for seniors to stay in their homes, Taylor said, so reimbursing a portion of property taxes or rent to seniors can be a lifeline.
For more information, Delaware County residents can visit the program website at revenue.pa.gov, contact the Delaware County Office of Services for the Aging (COSA) by phone at (610) 490-1300, reach out to their local legislator, or text the State at (717) 788-8990.