Inside Harrisburg

by state Rep. Dan Frankel

Deadline approaching for Property Tax/Rent Rebate

Seniors and others who qualify may apply for a state Property Tax/Rent Rebate. The deadline to apply for a rebate on 2008 property taxes or rent has been extended to Dec. 31, 2009. Rebate forms are available in my office, and my staff can assist you in completing them. To qualify for the program, a person must be 65 or older, a widow or widower 50 or older, or 18 or older with a permanent disability.

The total household income limit is $35,000 for homeowners, or $15,000 for renters. Only half of Social Security or Tier 1 Railroad Retirement income counts toward the limit; 100 percent of all other income is included. If you qualify, the maximum rebate is $650.

Official state I.D. card available

Under some circumstances, older citizens no longer need a driver’s license. The state Transportation Department offers an official state identification card that can be used as legal identification in place of a Pennsylvania driver’s license. The forms are available in my office, online at www.dmv.state.pa.us  or by calling PennDOT's Driver and Vehicle Services Customer Care Center at 1-800-932-4600. The fee is $12 unless you are relinquishing the driver's license solely for medical reasons, in which case the photo ID is free.

Reduced-fee vehicle registration

If you are retired and receiving Social Security or other pensions and your prior year's total annual income from all sources is $19,200 or less, you qualify to register your passenger vehicle or light truck (9,000 pounds or less) for a $10 processing fee per year instead of the annual registration fee.

To apply, all you need to do is obtain Form MV-371, "Application for Retired Status," from my office. Complete the form and include it with your regular registration renewal, along with a check or money order for $10 instead of the fee marked on the registration application, made payable to the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. If you prefer, you can bring your registration application to our office and we will submit it for you. 

As always, please contact my office at 412-422-1774 or visit my Web site at www.pahouse.com/Frankel for assistance or information on these or any state-related matters.

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