The first round of “Anchor” property-tax relief payments for the 2020 tax year was announced last week by Gov. Phil Murphy and state Treasurer Elizabeth Maher Muoio. They said direct deposits would be made to 700,000 accounts Thursday, with paper checks to be mailed to those who chose the latter form of payment starting this week.

More than 1.7 million homeowners and renters applied for and received a payment ranging from $450 to $1,500 under the program covering the 2019 tax year, according to the Department of the Treasury. Most of those payments were made between March and May this year.

This time around, even more people are expected to apply. Many recipients should receive a bump in the amount of relief. That’s because the payments for seniors have been increased by $250 and will now range from $700 to $1,750 while those under 65 will receive between $450 and $1,500.

The promise is that “Nearly every ANCHOR applicant who has applied to date should receive their benefit by November 1st and payments will continue to be made on a rolling basis as eligible residents apply.”

People can check the status of their Anchor benefit payment by using the Division of Taxation’s online status inquiry tool. Note that the Division asks applicants to use the online tool first before calling the hotline (888 238-1233).

There is still time to file for the Anchor tax rebate. Those who have not filed and did not receive a benefit confirmation letter, can still apply online. People can also file a paper application.