Governor Shapiro Hosts Ceremonial Bill Signing for the Property Tax/Rent Rebate Expansion, Highlights Largest Tax Break for Seniors in Nearly Two Decades at the West Shore Senior Center

The expansion of the Property Tax/Rent Rebate program expands access to nearly 175,000 more Pennsylvania seniors and nearly doubles the maximum rebate

With this historic expansion, Governor Shapiro delivered on his promise from the campaign trail and his budget address, delivering the largest tax break for seniors in nearly two decades

Cumberland County, PA – Today, Governor Josh Shapiro visited the West Shore Senior Center in New Cumberland to ceremonially sign HB1100, which expands the Property Tax/Rent Rebate (PTRR) program to nearly 175,000 more Pennsylvania seniors and doubles rebates for many of the 400,000 Pennsylvanians who already qualify. Last week, Governor Shapiro signed the expansion into law, delivering the largest targeted tax break in nearly two decades for Pennsylvania seniors.

Governor Shapiro proposed the expansion of the PTRR program during his campaign and in his first budget address to provide support for Pennsylvania renters and homeowners who need it most – and he visited the West Shore Senior Center in May to share the details of his proposal. Today’s return to the West Shore Senior Center highlighted that more than 2,300 Cumberland County residents will be eligible for the PTRR program as a result of the expansion.

“While I was campaigning, I heard from seniors all across the Commonwealth that they needed more support to keep up rising costs of living. I made a promise to them during my campaign and in my budget address that my Administration would be there for them – and we delivered with the largest targeted tax cut for our seniors in two decades,” said Governor Josh Shapiro. “Starting next year, for applications filed beginning January 1^st, we will put more money in older adults’ pockets. This expansion provides a much-needed update to PTRR and 173,000 more Pennsylvanians will qualify – including more than 2,000 seniors in Cumberland County alone.”

Providing a lifeline for Pennsylvania renters and homeowners who need it most and helping seniors across the Commonwealth stay in their homes is a priority of the Shapiro-Davis Administration – and the PTRR expansion passed the House and Senate with near-unanimous bipartisan support to increase income limits, provide larger rebates for those who qualify, and include a cost-of-living adjustment so the program keeps up with rising prices.

“Pennsylvania seniors deserve relief from the rising costs of inflation as grocery and heating bills continue to go up. They deserve to live in dignity, and they deserve a government that delivers real results for them and their families. That’s exactly what we’ve done with the Property Tax/Rent Rebate expansion,” said Lieutenant Governor Austin Davis. “This bill passed with bipartisan support in the House and the Senate. It’s truly an example of what happens when leaders come together to get things done here in the Commonwealth – and there’s more to come. We’ve got our first budget done, and we’re continuing to work on commonsense solutions to the most pressing problems that our Commonwealth faces.”

An estimated additional 2,300 Cumberland County residents are now eligible for under the expanded Property Tax/Rent Rebate program. In 2021, 5,972 residents in the county received rebates.

“I’m hopeful in the fact that we are seeing bipartisan legislation – and I see it in the House, I see it in the Senate, and, of course, in the Governor’s office. This is a man who understands politics is the art of compromise, and he has a way of communicating with people,” said West Shore Senior Center member Diane Salerno. “He doesn’t simply hear you – he listens. It’s been a long time since I’ve been this inspired and hopeful for Pennsylvania.”

For more information on Governor Shapiro’s commonsense budget and the investments it makes in Pennsylvania, visit shapirobudget.pa.gov.

MEDIA CONTACT: Governor’s Press Office, ra-gvgovpress@pa.gov

###