About 70,000 more elderly and disabled homeowners in New Jersey will soon qualify for property-tax refunds.

Gov. Jon Corzine is set to sign the bill raising the income threshold to qualify for the Senior Freeze program today at a Cliffside Park senior center.

Eligible residents will get a $1,000 property tax refund check. About 132,000 people now qualify.

The bill raises the household income level to qualify to $80,000 from $53,000 during the next three years.

The bill is part of Corzine’s economic assistance and recovery package. The governor has signed a series of bills in the past two weeks aimed at providing assistance and spurring the economy during the recession.

(Source: Associated Press)