NEW Jersey homeowners and renters have more than a month to claim their one-time payments that range from $450 to $1,500.
In 2022, New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy and the state legislature introduced the new ANCHOR program.
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The program stands for Affordable NJ Communities for Homeowners & Renters and replaces the Homestead Benefit, another plan that helped residents.
The Homestead Benefit provided assistance to 470,000 New Jersey homeowners each year, but excluded renters.
ANCHOR will now offer property tax relief for more homeowners and now renters.
Nearly 1.2 million homeowners will receive a payment of up to $1,500, while more than 900,000 renters will receive $450.
The deadline for the program has been extended to February 28, 2023, and applications can be submitted online, by phone, or by mail.
ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS
Payment amounts and eligibility will depend on your income and whether you rent or own your home.
According to the New Jersey Department of Treasury, ANCHOR eligibility is as follows:
- Homeowners with income of $150,000 or less will receive $1,500
- Homeowners with income over $150,000 and up to $250,000 will receive $1,000
- Renters with income of $150,000 or less will receive $450
All payments will be issued as checks or direct deposits beginning in late spring 2023 with residents receiving their assistance no later than May 2023.
Just keep in mind that payments will not be issued in the order that they are received.
HOW TO APPLY
While both renters and homeowners are now eligible for assistance, the application process is slightly different.
All eligible tenants or renters can apply online at the New Jersey ANCHOR website or complete a paper application.
Renters and tenants do not need ID or PIN.
Just note that there is not a phone option available to renters.
However, homeowners must have an ANCHOR ID and PIN to apply online or by phone.
If you did not receive a postal mail or email with your ID and PIN, but you applied for Homestead Benefits last year, you can access the online ID and PIN lookup system to retrieve your ID and PIN.
However, there are certain owners who must submit a paper application.
According to the website, you must file a paper application if your primary home was a unit in a multi-unit property that you owned.
Additionally, if you are an executor filing on behalf of a deceased owner, are applying for a trust property, or you and your spouse/civil union partner maintained the same primary residence and require ANCHOR benefit payments for separated.
The rest of the reasons that landlords must file a paper application are as follows:
- You shared ownership of your main home with someone other than your spouse/civil union partner and your ownership percentage is not preprinted on your worksheet
- You received an email from ANCHOR information for the correct property, but the name on the email is not yours or needs to be changed due to marriage, death, etc.
- You are a surviving widow(er)/civil union partner and your deed includes both your name and the name of your deceased spouse
- You occupied a newly built house on October 1 for which you did not receive an ANCHOR mail with an identification number and PIN
- You are considered a homeowner for purposes of claiming the ANCHOR benefit, but you were not the actual owner of record on October 1.
- You and your spouse/civil union partner maintained the same main residence and require separate ANCHOR benefit payments
The online application can be made on the New Jersey ANCHOR website or by phone at 1-877-658-2972.
Relief payments between $300 and $3,300 will start going out in just a few days.
Additionally, Minnesota homeowners can claim checks for up to $2,930.