Every dollar of Pennsylvania Lottery profit goes to programs for residents aged 65 and older, which makes Pennsylvania the only state that dedicates all of its lottery proceeds exclusively to older adults.1Pennsylvania Lottery. Benefits Info If you’ve ever wondered where PA Lottery money goes, the short answer is property tax and rent rebates, prescription assistance, senior centers and meals, free and reduced-fare transportation, caregiver support, and elder abuse protective services. In the 2024–25 fiscal year, lottery profits topped $1.05 billion, and the total since the first ticket was sold in 1972 has passed $37.2 billion.2Pennsylvania Lottery. Pennsylvania Lottery Generates More than $1 Billion for Programs that Benefit Older Pennsylvanians for 14th Consecutive Year
Property Tax and Rent Rebates
The largest and most visible use of lottery proceeds is the Property Tax/Rent Rebate Program, which sends cash back to eligible homeowners and renters to offset what they paid the previous year. The income cap for homeowners and renters is now unified at roughly $46,520 and is indexed to inflation, so it adjusts upward each year.3Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Property Tax/Rent Rebate Program Now Open With Expanded Eligibility
To qualify, you must be 65 or older, a widow or widower at least 50, or an adult 18 or older with a permanent disability. Half of your Social Security income is excluded when the state calculates whether you meet the income limit. Standard rebates run up to $1,000. Homeowners whose property taxes consume more than 15 percent of their income, along with those living in Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, or Scranton, may receive an automatic supplemental rebate of $190 to $500, pushing the maximum to $1,500.4Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Property Tax/Rent Rebate Program
The deadline to apply for the 2025 tax year is June 30, 2026. The fastest route is the myPATH portal online, which has a Spanish-language version. You can also mail the paper PA-1000 form or visit one of hundreds of in-person assistance locations. If you go in person, call ahead for an appointment.5Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Apply for Property Tax or Rent Rebate
Prescription Help Through PACE and PACENET
Lottery revenue funds two prescription drug programs for seniors who earn too much for Medicaid but still struggle with pharmacy bills. Both are open to Pennsylvania residents aged 65 and older.6Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Apply for the Pharmaceutical Assistance Contract for the Elderly (PACE) Program
PACE covers seniors with total annual income of $14,500 or less for a single person, or $17,700 or less for a married couple, and enrollees pay small copays at the pharmacy. PACENET covers the next income tier, currently up to $33,500 for a single person or $41,500 for a married couple, with slightly higher copays. Participating pharmacies bill the state directly, so there is no paperwork at the counter.
A significant expansion is on the way. Act 49 of 2025 raises PACENET income limits to $45,000 for a single person and $55,000 for a married couple, effective July 1, 2026.7Justia. Act 49 of 2025 Amending State Lottery Law Regarding Pharmaceutical Assistance That will open the program to a much larger pool of seniors who currently fall just above the cutoff.8Pennsylvania General Assembly. PACE/PACENET Fiscal Note
Senior Centers and Community Meals
Lottery money flows through local Area Agencies on Aging to a network of senior centers in every Pennsylvania county.9Pennsylvania Association of Area Agencies on Aging. Supporting Pennsylvania’s Safety Net for Older Pennsylvanians These centers offer health screenings, wellness activities, benefits counseling, and legal services, and they operate as social hubs that keep isolated seniors connected to their communities.
A large share of the funding supports congregate meal programs, where seniors eat together in group settings. For people who can’t get to a center because of a physical or cognitive limitation, lottery dollars pay for home-delivered meals, the program most people know as Meals on Wheels. A care manager assesses whether someone qualifies for home delivery, generally based on whether the person can safely prepare their own meals.
Transportation
Lottery money funds two statewide transit benefits for seniors who no longer drive.
Riders aged 65 and older can use local fixed-route buses for free whenever the public transit system is running, with no time-of-day restriction. To use the benefit, pick up a free senior citizen transit ID card from your local transit office.10Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Transportation
For seniors who need door-to-door service rather than a fixed route, the Shared-Ride program subsidizes 85 percent of the fare for coordinated van trips. Riders pay the remaining 15 percent, and PennDOT reimburses the transportation provider with lottery funds.11Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Guidelines and Policies for Administering Pennsylvania’s Senior Shared-Ride Transportation Program This is especially valuable for medical appointments and pharmacy runs in rural areas without fixed-route transit. Shared-ride trips must generally stay within Pennsylvania; the main exception is a medical trip where the closest appropriate facility happens to be across a state line and is actually closer than any in-state alternative. Whether trips cross county lines is decided locally, so coverage varies by provider.
Caregiver Support and In-Home Services
Lottery funds help keep seniors in their own homes rather than in nursing facilities. The Pennsylvania Caregiver Support Program reimburses primary caregivers for out-of-pocket costs such as medical supplies, respite care, and consumable goods. Caregivers can receive up to $600 per month in ongoing reimbursements, plus up to $5,000 over their lifetime for home modifications and assistive devices like grab bars, ramps, or stair lifts.12Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Caregiver Support Program Those caps were set by Act 20 of 2021, which gave the Department of Aging authority to adjust them going forward.
Beyond caregiver reimbursement, the Department of Aging uses lottery revenue to fund personal care assistance, home health services, and specialized medical equipment for daily living. A single intake call to a local Area Agency on Aging can connect a family with multiple programs at once.13Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Apply for the Caregiver Support Program
Elder Abuse Protective Services
Lottery funds support investigations of elder abuse, neglect, and financial exploitation. If you suspect an older adult is being harmed, whether they live at home or in a care facility, call the statewide Elder Abuse Helpline at 1-800-490-8505. The line is staffed 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and reports can be made anonymously.14Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Report Elder Abuse Financial exploitation of seniors is widespread, and the investigative teams funded through lottery proceeds are often the only line of defense.