PHILADELPHIA, Nov. 13 – State Rep. Kathy Manderino, D-Phila./Montgomery, is reminding residents that her offices are available to help apply for Pennsylvania’s Property Tax/Rent Rebate Program before the Dec. 31 deadline.

To be eligible for the program, residents must be 65 or older, a widow or widower 50 or older, or 18 or older with a permanent disability. Based on the property taxes or rent they paid in 2008, eligible Pennsylvanians can receive rebates of up to $650. 

To qualify, household income for homeowners cannot exceed $35,000; the income limit is $15,000 for renters. However, applicants may exclude half of their Social Security, Supplemental Security Income or federal railroad retirement Tier 1 benefits when determining eligibility, which allows some people with higher incomes to qualify.

Seniors living in Philadelphia with incomes under $30,000 will have their property tax rebates increased by an additional 50 percent. Further, seniors living in Montgomery County with incomes under $30,000 will receive the additional 50 percent rebate if their property taxes for 2008 were at least 15 percent of their income. Both of the modifications are part of the Property Tax Relief Act of 2005 and will be automatically computed by the Department of Revenue.

Residents can fill out the PTRR form online or request to have an application mailed to them, and check the status of a submitted claim, by visiting www.PaPropertyTaxRelief.com or calling the Department of Revenue’s FACT and Information Line at 1-888-PATAXES (1-888-728-2937). Touch-tone telephone service is required. People without touch-tone telephone service may call 1-888-222-9190 between 7:30 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. for assistance. All callers and Web site users will need their Social Security number and the amount of their rebate. 

For more information or for help applying for the program, residents can contact Manderino’s Ridge Avenue constituent service office at 215-482-8726 or her Wynnefield Avenue office at 215-879-8533.