Monroe County News

A group of state House lawmakers has introduced a series of bills aimed at reforming and streamlining Pennsylvania's Property Tax/Rent Rebate Program. This initiative follows a recent law that expanded income eligibility limits and increased maximum rebates to assist more senior citizens and people with disabilities.

The proposed legislation includes three bills sponsored by state Representatives Bud Cook, Rob Mercuri, and Jack Rader. Representative Cook's bill seeks to simplify the application process by allowing simultaneous applications for rebates when filing state Personal Income Tax returns. It also requires the Department of Revenue to send pre-filled applications to previous rebate recipients.

"This program provides a great benefit, but the current process is unnecessarily burdensome for both the applicants and Department of Revenue staff who process the rebate applications," Cook stated. "While my office readily helps people file for their rebates each year, we can make their lives even easier by making use of the information the department already has on hand."

Representative Mercuri's proposal introduces mandatory processing timelines for rebate applications, requiring decisions within 10 days of receipt. If this timeline is not met, applications would be automatically approved, with payments covered by the department’s operating budget.

"Efficient government service is the most effective government service," Mercuri said. "Establishing a mandatory timeline for property taxes and rent rebates to be processed within a 10-business-day window will allow residents to rely on the rebate timeline for budgeting and personal finance, increasing the total value of the program for PA residents."

Representative Rader's bill aims to set a permanent application deadline of December 31 each year. Currently, deadlines are set for June 30 but have been extended annually due to available funds.

"Those who rely on this program should not have to play a guessing game to see if they have until Dec. 31 to apply each year," Rader remarked. "My proposal would remove this meaningless deadline and provide consistency for applicants."

The Property Tax/Rent Rebate Program supports eligible residents aged 65 and older, widows and widowers aged 50 and older, as well as people with disabilities aged 18 and older. The income eligibility limit is $45,000 for both homeowners and renters, excluding half of Social Security income from calculations. The maximum rebate available is $1,000.

Since its inception in 2006, the program has helped 8.7 million applicants by returning $4.1 billion to low-income individuals in Pennsylvania. It is funded through proceeds from the Pennsylvania Lottery and gaming activities in the Commonwealth.