20 Nov I moved to N.J. in 2023. When can I get the ANCHOR benefit?

Q. I moved into New Jersey in March of 2023. How can I apply for the ANCHOR payment for 2024?
— Jersey girl now

A. Welcome to the Garden State.

You’re going to have to wait a while before you’d be eligible.

First — and it’s a little confusing — the ANCHOR benefit doesn’t actually pay benefits for the current tax year.

The benefit going out right now is for 2021, and it’s based on eligibility for 2021.

Oct. 1 is the key date for each tax year for which you need to have owned the home or been a renter. So if you got here before Oct. 1 of 2023, you could be eligible for the 2023 benefit. If you got here after that date, you’d have to wait for the 2024 benefit.

To make things more confusing, ANCHOR, along with the Senior Freeze, will undergo some changes as it’s coordinated with the new Stay NJ property tax benefit. All three benefits, starting in 2026, will share an application. So the eligibility dates will be changed a bit to streamline the programs and make all the dates a little less confusing.

When it kicks in, the one application is supposed to be available as of Feb. 1 with a deadline of Oct. 31 each year.

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This story was originally published in November 2024.

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