Local residents should be aware that there is no charge to file a state Property Tax/Rent Rebate form and they shouldn’t fall prey to companies offering to submit the forms for a fee, warned Senator Scott E. Hutchinson.
A group calling itself the ‘Senior Advisory Center’ with an address listed as a Harrisburg Post Office Box is mailing seniors offering to complete the forms for $39.
It is important for seniors to know they do not have to pay for this service. There is no charge to submit this form. The form is available at libraries and government buildings and many local Area Agencies on Aging provide free assistance in filling out the form. Any of Senator Hutchinson’s district offices will also assist seniors with the form for free.
While it’s unfortunate that a company is charging a fee for a service that the government and other agencies provide for free, there appears to be nothing illegal about the offer.
Claimants or spouses 65 years of age or older; widows or widowers 50 years of age or older; and the permanently disabled 18 years of age or older may qualify for the Property Tax/Rent Rebate Program. The income eligibility level for the Property Tax/Rent Rebate Program is $35,000 a year, excluding half of Social Security income, and the maximum rebate is $650 for homeowners.
More information about the program is available at the PA Department of Revenue website at: www.revenue.state.pa.us/.
Contact:
Justin Leventry
(717) 787-9684