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WILKES-BARRE &mdash; Many Pennsylvanians still don&rsquo;t know about the state&rsquo;s property tax/rent rebate program, and a group that represents residents in one part of Wilkes-Barre is trying to change that.
				Rolling Mill Hill Residents&rsquo; Association President Linda Joseph and city Councilman Tony Brooks started a project several years ago to raise awareness of the program for people in the Rolling Mill Hill and Iron Triangle neighborhoods, with Joseph helping residents determine if they are eligible and filling out the paperwork.
				This year&rsquo;s filing deadline has been extended to Dec. 31, so they are again encouraging residents to apply if they are eligible &mdash; and also trying to dispel some common misunderstandings about the program: It is aimed at those 65 and older, but also covers other groups.
				&ldquo;It&rsquo;s not just senior citizens,&rdquo; Joseph said last week while meeting with several neighborhood residents whom she has helped with paperwork in recent years.
				&ldquo;If you&rsquo;re 50-64 and a widow or widower, you&rsquo;re eligible,&rdquo; she said. &ldquo;If you are permanently disabled from 18-64, you are eligible. And that&rsquo;s where I find many people are not aware they can get it.&rdquo;
				&ldquo;Others have called and unfortunately are not eligible,&rdquo; Joseph said, &ldquo;but I walk them through it so they can find out.&rdquo;
				How to apply
				Those looking to apply need to fill out the state&rsquo;s PA-1000 tax form, which can be found on the Pennsylvania Department of Revenue website, with instructions, at www.revenue.pa.gov.
				Applicants need to document their income, as well as property tax or rent paid during the previous year. State guidelines also allow
				According to state rules, the income limits are $35,000 per year for homeowners and $15,000 per year for renters, with rebates typically ranging from $250 to $650, and potentially more in some cases.
				Those may seem like small amounts, but for people living on fixed incomes the rebates come as welcome relief.
				Audrey Gowan, Pauline Sabella and Leo DeLucco, three residents who participate in the program and have worked with Joseph to fill out their paperwork, talked about how the rebates have benefited them.
				&ldquo;It helps me a lot, because I put it toward my taxes I pay for the city and school district,&rdquo; Gowan said Thursday as the three met to talk about this year&rsquo;s applications with Joseph and Brooks.
				&ldquo;We put ours toward our school tax,&rdquo; DeLucco added. &ldquo;We just put it away for that. It&rsquo;s usually about $650.&rdquo;
				&ldquo;With my rebate I pay bills,&rdquo; Sabella said. &ldquo;My Social Security check leaves me about $50 for my pocket by the time I pay all my bills, so this definitely helps.&rdquo;
				The funds are usually distributed by the state in the first week of July, Joseph said &mdash; just in time for school tax bills &mdash; although in 2020 the rebates went out in May to assist people during the pandemic, she added.
				Raising awareness
				Brooks said the need for the rebates &mdash; and property tax reform &mdash; is very real.
				&ldquo;I have a constituent whose income is only $700 a month and she pays 17% of her Social Security check for her property taxes, and that only covers 40% of her overall tax liability,&rdquo; he said.
				Brooks said he has communicated his constituents&rsquo; concerns to State Sen. John Yudichak.
				&ldquo;What I would love to see is low-income senior citizens pay zero in property taxes, and the only way we&rsquo;ll get to zero is if this tax rebate program is increased,&rdquo; Brooks said.
				As anyone who follows state politics knows, the question of property tax relief for seniors is a longstanding one. In the meanwhile, Joseph and Brooks are looking to help bring awareness of the existing rebate program to homeowners and renters in their corner of Wilkes-Barre.
				&ldquo;One of the reasons we formed the neighborhood association five years ago was to find ways for neighbors to help neighbors,&rdquo; Brooks said, &ldquo;as well as socialization &mdash; helping people get to know each other&rdquo;
				Assisting with filling out the rebate forms has certainly helped on both counts.
				&ldquo;I think it&rsquo;s a great program,&rdquo; Gowan said during Thursday&rsquo;s discussion over coffee and rebate forms. &ldquo;If you&rsquo;re eligible, take it. If you&rsquo;re eligible, you&rsquo;ll know right away. It&rsquo;s a yes or a no.&rdquo;
				If you need help
				Any resident of the Rolling Mill Hill or Iron Triangle neighborhoods looking for help with the rebate process can call Joseph at 570-823-0626, and remember that the filing deadline is Dec. 31.
				And again, anyone across Pennsylvania who is interested in the program can visit <a href="https://www.revenue.pa.gov/FormsandPublications/FormsforIndividuals/PTRR/Pages/default.aspx" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://www.revenue.pa.gov/FormsandPublications/FormsforIndividuals/PTRR/</a> to download the forms and instructions.

Wilkes-Barre neighborhood group offers help with tax rebate program