State Offers Rebate for Low-Income Homes

More than a million low-income homeowners or renters who are senior citizens or disabled are eligible for a rebate from the state. But not many of those eligible households realize they qualify for the aid.

Consequently, the state launched a massive mailing in recent weeks to encourage people to register for benefits.

Under the Homeowner and Renter Assistance Program, those who were 62 or older, blind or disabled as of Dec. 31 can receive a rebate of as much as $326 for homeowners, or as much as $240 for renters. Last year, 160,000 people statewide claimed assistance, receiving checks averaging $92. In Orange County, the average sum was slightly higher at $103.

Realizing the program has not been altered for more than two decades, state lawmakers raised the income ceiling for households to $33,132 from $13,200 beginning this year, making hundreds of thousands of additional residents eligible for payments.

Indeed, the state expects to receive 650,000 claims this year. The typical rebate check is expected to be about $200, according to the Franchise Tax Board, which is in charge of administering the funds.

In Orange County, response has been slow. At the Buena Park Senior Center, only four seniors showed up on the first day of registration in late May. Last week, when volunteers again were on hand to help people register for rebates, only 10 seniors showed up.

Carol Erickson, the center’s director, says information about the rebates is appearing in the center’s newsletter and is being posted on walls there to drum up more interest. “If people know that the amount is higher, I’m sure it will bring in more people,” she said.

For more information on the program, call the Franchise Tax Board at (800) 852-5711, or check the agency’s Web site at https://www.ftb.ca.gov.