by Cassie Miller, Pennsylvania Capital-Star
May 4, 2023

Democratic Gov. Josh Shapiro visited Erie on Thursday to tout his plan to expand Pennsylvania’s Property Tax/Rent Rebate Program for seniors and Pennsylvanians with disabilities in the commonwealth’s proposed 2023-24 fiscal year budget. 

Shapiro, speaking from the Erie West Senior Center, noted that the rebate program has not been updated in more than a decade, despite rising inflation, and called his proposal “common sense.”

Under Shapiro’s proposed budget, the maximum rebate for individuals 65 or older would increase from $650 to $1,000. The proposal also lifts the income cap for renters and homeowners to $45,000 per year, and ties the income cap to the cost of living. 

“This program is a lifeline for so many Pennsylvanians – putting money back in renters’ and homeowners’ pockets and helping them stay in their homes every single year,” Shapiro said. “While Pennsylvanians have struggled with rising costs, it’s been 17 years since this critical program has been updated – it’s finally time to provide more relief.”

The Shapiro administration projects that about 175,000 more Pennsylvanians would qualify for the program, which is administered by the Department of Revenue, under the updated income cap and maximum rebate. 

To date, approximately 400,000 Pennsylvanians are eligible for the rebate program, according to the administration. 

A final budget is due by the end of the current fiscal year on June 30.

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