(WHTM) – During his 2023 budget address, Governor Josh Shapiro proposed “a significant expansion in the state’s property tax rent rebate.

Shapiro says he wants to raise the maximum rebate for seniors from $650 to $1,000.

He also announced a proposal to increase the income cap for renters and homeowners to $45,000 a year.

Finally, Shapiro says he wants to tie the cap to increases in the cost of living “so that this Commonwealth never has to tell another senior ‘sorry, you’re out of luck’ because their Social Security payment went up and we didn’t act.”

Shapiro says under this plan nearly 175,000 more Pennsylvanians will qualify and many of the 400,000 people who already qualify “will see their rebates nearly double.”

“This budget is packed with commonsense solutions to the problems the people of Pennsylvania face every single day,” said Shapiro. “This budget lowers costs and cuts taxes for Pennsylvanians, It cuts red tape, speeds up permitting, and supports business. It strengthens our communities and makes them safer and more just. It protects our environment and invests in public health. And it starts the long process of making our education system more fair so that every child in this Commonwealth has a shot. The people of Pennsylvania have entrusted us with the responsibility to negotiate and come together. So instead of playing politics as usual, let’s show the people that we are up to this task.”