 December 30, 2004
The on-line application on the PFD web-site (www.pfd.state.ak.us) will be turned on at 12:00:01 on January 2, and will be available 24 hours a day until midnight March 31, 2005. The PFD Division is hoping that the public will like what they see in the improved on-line application. "We took good notes in our conversations with applicants last year when they were having problems applying on-line, and we have implemented many changes," said Sharon Barton, Director of the Permanent Fund Dividend Division. "We asked the public to test our changes earlier this fall at shopping malls in Juneau and Anchorage. We received very positive comments as well as suggestions for additional improvements and we have implemented many of those suggestions. Folks who tried the on-line application last year will find a much more 'user friendly' application process this year," Barton said. "Filing on-line has several advantages over paper. The system is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week; on-line filing requires no postage and no trip to the post office; and on-line filers receive immediate confirmation when they submit their applications, while paper filers receive no confirmation," Barton said. Application booklets will go into USPS and private mailboxes beginning January 3, 2005, and additional forms are available at community locations such as libraries, city clerks' offices, and Legislative Information Offices. The application deadline is March 31, 2005. "We urge Alaskans to file early in the application period to avoid last minute problems," Barton said. "Every year we have some very disappointed people who just miss the deadline by hours or days. Last year, one father of eight children tried to file on-line for himself and his children at 11:50 pm on March 31 and time simply ran out." Dividends will be paid to those
who select direct deposit on October 12, 2005. Checks will be
mailed to those who do not select direct deposit beginning October
26, 2005. In the meantime, all applicants can check the status
of their applications on the PFD web-site.
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