ANCHOR payments start September 15 — here’s what you’ll actually get

I wrote earlier this month about ANCHOR confirmation letters landing in mailboxes, and those letters have now actually gone out, sent August 10 to qualifying taxpayers. Now that the letters are in hand, here's what actually comes next, the real dollar amounts and the date that matters most.

How much you're actually getting

Homeowners with New Jersey gross income up to $150,000 can receive up to $1,500. Homeowner earning between $150,001 and $250,000 may receive around $1,000.  Renters with income up to $150,000 may receive around $450. Senior renters get an additional $250 on top of that. These numbers apply based on your 2025 residency, income, and age, the same as always.

Payments start September 15, and so does something else

The Division of Taxation will begin issuing payments to eligible homeowners and renters starting September 15. For most people under 65 who aren't collecting Social Security or Railroad Retirement disability, that payment goes out automatically based on last year's filing, no action needed on your end.

SEE ALSO: Your ANCHOR letter is landing in NJ mailboxes this month

PAS-1 Form | screenshot by EJ

Here's the part worth paying close attention to

September 15 isn't just the date payments start. It's also the deadline if you need to update your banking information or want to switch from direct deposit to a paper check. If your bank account changed since last year and you don't update it in time, your payment could bounce back to the state instead of landing in your account, which then means a delay while it gets sorted out and reissued. Two different things are happening on the same date, and it's an easy detail to miss buried in the confirmation letter.

The bigger deadline is still November 2

If you're 65 or older, collecting Social Security or Railroad Retirement disability, or you simply didn't receive a confirmation letter and believe you're eligible, you'll need to file the combined PAS-1 application yourself, the same form that covers ANCHOR, Senior Freeze, and Stay NJ together. That filing deadline is November 2. Miss the September 15 window for a banking update, and you've got a temporary headache. Miss the November 2 filing deadline entirely, and you could miss the benefit altogether for this year.

If you want to double-check where things stand, the state's online benefit status tool will tell you exactly where your specific application is in the process.