We’ve all seen Gus the Groundhog in the Pennsylvania Lottery commercials reminding us to ‘Keep on Scratchin.’ What Gus doesn’t always have time to tell us is that the big winners in the lottery are Pennsylvania’s senior citizens. The Pennsylvania Lottery funds five different programs that assist senior citizens. This amounts to free money for qualified individuals.
Eligible Pennsylvanians 65 and older can qualify for significant property tax relief. In addition, relief is also available for qualified individuals renting their homes. The income limit is $35,000 a year for homeowners. Renters are limited to $15,000 annually. And, when calculating income, half of your Social Security income is excluded. Widows and widowers age 50 and older, as well as people with disabilities who are 18 and older, can also qualify.
The maximum standard rebate is $650, but supplemental rebates for qualifying homeowners can boost rebates to $975.
Below is a chart showing the breakdown of distributions for qualified individuals:
| Income | Maximum Rebate |
| $0 to $8,000 | $650 |
| $8,001 to $15,000 | $500 |
| $15,001 to $18,000 | $300 |
| $18,001 to $35,000 | $250 |
Renters receive:
| Income | Maximum Rebate |
| $0 to $8,000 | $650 |
| $8,001 to $15,000 | $500 |
Spouses, personal representatives, or estates may also file rebate claims on behalf of claimants who lived at least one day in 2017 and met all other eligibility criteria.
The law gives the relief to seniors in the greatest need. Property tax rebates are increased by an additional 50 percent for senior households of the state (outside Philadelphia, Pittsburgh and Scranton), so long as those households have incomes under $30,000 and pay more than 15 percent of income in property taxes.
Free Assistance
Property Tax/Rent Rebate application forms and assistance are available at no cost from Department of Revenue district offices, local Area Agencies on Aging, senior centers and state legislators’ offices. The deadline for applications has been extended to December 31, 2018.
So take advantage of the revenue Gus is generating, reach out to a supporting agency to learn more, click the link below for an application and get yourself some free money.
http://www.revenue.pa.gov/GeneralTaxInformation/PropertyTaxRentRebateProgram/Pages/default.aspx