Check your mailbox! Some applications for ANCHOR, Senior Freeze and Stay NJ are on the way.

The first batch of applications for the state’s property tax benefits was mailed earlier this week, according to the Treasury Department.

The new combined application, which includes ANCHOR, Senior Freeze and Stay NJ, was mailed to more than 578,000 residents, the state said Wednesday.

The application, called PAS-1, isn’t for everyone, though. It’s only for residents who are 65 and older or disabled and receive benefits through Social Security.

The state previously said the application would be mailed to “taxpayers who were identified by the Division of Taxation as potentially being eligible for any of the three property tax relief programs,” including past Senior Freeze recipients, past ANCHOR recipients, and seniors who have filed gross income tax returns.

A separate application for non-senior homeowners and renters to complete for the ANCHOR benefit will be available later this year.

But if you receive the paper application, you may not want to use it because you then can’t sign up for direct deposit, the Treasury Department said.

You have to file online to get direct deposit, it said.

“The online application offers more security to protect a taxpayer’s details,” the state previously said of that decision. “This is also consistent with the Division’s practice of not offering direct deposit to filers who mail-in income tax information, as it is more secure to file online.”

The new application is available on the state’s website at propertytaxreliefapp.nj.gov. To file online, residents need to have to have their identities verified through ID.me. To complete the process, you’ll need a driver’s license, state ID, passport card or passport, the website said.

Homeowners who qualify for property tax relief can get a maximum benefit equal to 50% of their property tax bill, capped at $6,500, though people who have a high Senior Freeze benefit could receive a higher overall payment.

The Treasury Department will first calculate your ANCHOR and Senior Freeze benefits.

The amount for the ANCHOR benefit, which still needs to be funded in the state budget by July 1, is expected to be the same as last year when it paid $1,750 for senior citizens who earn $150,000 or less and $1,250 for those who earn between $150,001 and $250,000.

The Senior Freeze benefit amount depends on how long homeowners have been in the program and how much their property taxes have risen over time. To be eligible, total annual income must have been $168,268 or less in 2024 and $163,050 or less in 2023.

When those two benefits are added together, if the total is less than 50% of your property tax bill, capped at $6,500 (except for certain Senior Freeze beneficiaries), you would receive another payment under the Stay NJ name.

“The benefits will begin to be distributed in July 2025 on a rolling basis, as is routine,” the Treasury Department said, though the Stay NJ part of the payment is not expected until 2026.

The deadline for the application is Oct. 31, 2025.

Homeowners will also receive letters in “late 2025″ explaining how the benefits were calculated, the state said.

Stories by Karin Price Mueller

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Karin Price Mueller may be reached at KPriceMueller@NJAdvanceMedia.com. Follow her on X at @KPMueller.