HARRISBURG, PA — State officials are urging hundreds of thousands of Pennsylvanians to apply for expanded property tax and rent relief after the Commonwealth distributed $314 million in rebates last year, following the most significant overhaul of the Property Tax/Rent Rebate program in nearly two decades.
The Pennsylvania Department of Revenue said applications are now open for rebates on property taxes and rent paid in 2025, with expanded eligibility and higher benefit levels already delivering relief to about 512,000 residents statewide.
Revenue Secretary Pat Browne joined state lawmakers at the Casa Guadalupe Center in Lehigh County to promote the program and encourage eligible seniors, people with disabilities, and widows and widowers to apply. Officials said the expansion has transformed a program that had gradually lost reach as income limits failed to keep pace with rising costs.
Under changes secured by Governor Josh Shapiro, the maximum standard rebate increased to $1,000 from $650, income eligibility limits were raised, and future limits were tied to cost-of-living adjustments. The Department of Revenue said those changes reversed years of declining access caused by Social Security increases pushing recipients just above outdated thresholds.
Last year’s payouts included nearly $9 million distributed to about 13,800 residents in Lehigh County alone. Casa Guadalupe, a nonprofit founded in 1969 to serve Latino residents of the Lehigh Valley, has become a key filing hub where seniors receive help navigating applications.
The rebate expansion is part of a broader package of tax relief measures under the Shapiro administration, including the Working Pennsylvanians Tax Credit, enacted in the 2025–26 budget and expected to deliver $193 million in tax relief to roughly 940,000 residents this tax season.
Lawmakers from the Lehigh Valley said the program has become a critical lifeline as housing costs, rent, and everyday expenses continue to climb. State officials and aging advocates stressed that the rebates help older residents and people with disabilities remain in their homes and communities.
The Property Tax/Rent Rebate program is available to eligible Pennsylvanians age 65 and older, widows and widowers age 50 and older, and people with disabilities age 18 and older. Applications must be filed each year because eligibility is based on annual income and property taxes or rent paid during the prior year.
The fastest way to apply is online through myPATH at https://mypath.pa.gov/?Link=RebateApply, available in English and Spanish, without creating an account. Applicants can also track their rebate using the “Where’s My Rebate?” tool at https://mypath.pa.gov/?Link=Rebate.
Free, in-person assistance is available statewide at Department of Revenue district offices, local Area Agencies on Aging, and legislative offices. More information about eligibility, filing tips, and support locations is available at https://www.pa.gov/ptrr.
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