TRENTON — Select groups of residents in Cape May County will be among the first in the state to receive rebate forms from the state.

State Treasurer David Rousseau announced April 28 that the state’s Division of Taxation will begin mailing homestead rebate applications this week to approximately 500,000 senior citizen and disabled homeowners.

Applications are being mailed in two groups. Senior and disabled homeowners in Cape May, and several other counties.

“We are proposing some eligibility changes to the homestead rebate program to help preserve last year’s benefit for the vast majority of recipients. However, the changes affect only a small percentage of seniors and this year’s average check is projected to remain above $1,200,” he said.

Under changes proposed in the FY 2009 budget, homeowners with gross income of $150,000 or less would qualif’ for a rebate this year, reduced from last year’s income eligibility limit of $250,000. For residents with incomes of $100,000 or less, the rebate remains at 20 percent of the first $10,000 in property taxes paid in 2006. Under the proposed changes homeowners with gross income of between $100,001 and $150,000 would receive rebates of 10 percent of the first $10,000 of property taxes paid in 2006, instead of the 15 percent they received last year.

Senior or disabled homeowners would receive the greater of a percentage of their property taxes (as described above) or an amount calculated under last year’s alternate rules. Those rules provided senior and disabled homeowners with rebates ranging from $500 to $1,200, depending on their income and the amount of property taxes paid.

For information about the Homestead Rebate Program call 1-888-238-1233.