Can I apply for Food Stamps online in Georgia?

Last Updated on May 14, 2020

In today’s post, we will walk you through the process for how to apply for food stamps online in Georgia. We will also help you determine whether or not you are eligible to receive food stamps.

This post on, can I apply for food stamps online in Georgia, will provide you with a step-by-step guide for completing your online application. To check out our Georgia food stamps online application guide, continue reading below.

 

Georgia Food Stamps Program

To begin, we will provide you with some information on the Georgia Food Stamps Program. The Georgia Food Stamps program is also also known as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). It is a federally funded program that provides monthly monetary benefits to low-income households and individuals.

These benefits can be used at approved stores to help pay for the cost of food. The Food Stamps Program helps thousands of Georgia families meet their nutritional needs. The Food Stamps Program is run by the Division of Family and Children Services (DFCS) in Georgia.

How does Georgia SNAP work?

Georgia SNAP benefits are distributed to recipients on a monthly basis. All food stamps benefits are electronically distributed to a plastic debit-like card, also known as an Electronic Transfer Benefit (EBT) card.

Your EBT card can be used at a variety of stores throughout Georgia to purchase eligible food items. For a complete list of the items you can purchase with your Georgia EBT Card, check out our post here.

The Georgia Food Stamps Program promotes good nutrition and health through the distribution of food benefits to households with limited income and resources.

Anyone who lives in Georgia may apply for food stamp benefits in the state. If you would like to apply for food stamp benefits in Georgia, continue reading below.

Apply for Food Stamps in Georgia

Before you apply for food stamps, it’s important to determine your eligibility for SNAP benefits in Georgia. To be approved for benefits, your household must meet certain income requirements.

Other factors such as household size and expenses are also considered when applying for food stamp benefits. The amount of benefits you receive is dependent on these factors.

Georgia SNAP Income Eligibility

The income limit for SNAP is approximately 200 percent of the federal poverty level (FPL). To find out whether your income qualifies for Georgia SNAP benefits, please refer to the chart below:

To qualify your income must meet the monthly limit for your household size. This SNAP income eligibility chart is for October 2019 to September 2020.

Georgia SNAP Deductions

As a Georgia resident, you may also be eligible for certain deductions that help you qualify for food stamps.

Those deductions include:

• 20% deduction from earned income
• A standard deduction of $167 for households sizes of 1 to 3 people, $178 for a household size of 4 (higher for some larger households)
• Dependent care deduction when needed for work, training, or education
• Elderly or Disabled medical expenses more than $35 per month and not paid by insurance or someone else
• Legally owed child support payments
• Standard shelter deduction of $152.06 for homeless households
• Excess shelter costs that are more than half of the household’s income after the other deductions

If your income (including deductions) falls within the approved range, you may be eligible to receive food stamp benefits in the state of Georgia.

Georgia Gateway Eligibility System

If you are trying to find out if you qualify for food benefits in Georgia, there is another way to do that. Georgia has a new online system that allows residents to determine whether or not they are eligible to receive food stamp benefits. The online system, Georgia Gateway is an online eligibility determination program for a number of social benefit programs.

These Georgia programs include:

• Food Stamps or SNAP
• TANF – cash assistance
• WIC
• Medicaid
• PeachCare for Kids

To determine your eligibility for Georgia food stamp benefits, you must first determine if you meet the 2020 income requirements. If your income meets the requirements, the next step is to complete the Georgia Gateway pre-screening tool.

How to use the Georgia Gateway Pre-Screening Tool

You determine your eligibility for SNAP benefits online at the Georgia Gateway website. For help using the Georgia Gateway online eligibility system, follow the instructions below:

1. Visit the Georgia Gateway website at gateway.ga.gov
2. Click the “Am I Eligible” button
3. Follow the instructions provided and answer the questions
4. Complete the Pre-screener to determine eligibility

The Gateway pre-screening tool is a good option for determining eligibility. With that said, the only way to 100% find out if you are eligible is to submit an application.

If the Georgia Gateway online eligibility determined that you were eligible for benefits, the next step is to submit an application. For help on how to complete your Georgia food stamps application online, follow the instructions below.

Can I apply for Food Stamps online in Georgia?

Yes, you can apply for food stamps online in Georgia by using the Georgia Gateway online benefits portal. You can also apply for benefits by phone, mail, fax, or in-person at a Georgia DFCS office.

How to Apply for Georgia Food Stamps Online

Follow the step-by-step instructions below to apply for Georgia Food Stamp benefits online.

Step 1 – Visit the Georgia Gateway website

The first step when applying for Georgia food stamps online is to go to the Georgia Gateway website. Once on the site, click the “Apply for Benefits” button located in the top right-side of the blue box.

For help, see the screenshot below.

Step 2 – Create a Gateway online account

Next, you will be asked to create a Georgia Gateway account. If you already have an account, skip down to step 3.

If you do not have account, you will be asked to provide you first name, last name and email address.

Select a User ID & Password

Then, you will need to choose a User ID and Password for your Georgia Gateway account. Your Gateway User ID must be 6-15 letters or numbers and not contain special characters.

Your Gateway Password must be 8-15 characters with one upper-case letter, one lower-case letter, and one number. Special characters are allowed for passwords.

 

Choose your Security Questions

After that, you will need to select three security questions from the drop-down menu. Provide your answers in the box below each question. These will be used to reset your account if you forget your login information.

Accept the User Agreement

The last step when creating your Georgia Gateway account is to access the User Agreement. To do this, just check the box and click the “Create Account” button.

 

When your account has been successfully created, you will see a confirmation message like the one below.

If you need additional help creating your Georgia Gateway account, check out our in-depth account setup post here.

Step 3 – Login your Gateway Account

Once you have successfully created your Geoegia Gateway account, you will now be asked to login to start your application for SNAP benefits.

To login, enter your User ID and Password, then click the “Login Now” button as shown below.

Step 4 – Accept the Terms

The first time you login your Georgia Gateway account you will be asked to agree to a Confidentiality Agreement. Please read the statement and proceed by click the “I Accept” button.

Step 5 – Apply for Benefits

After that, you will be taken to your Gateway account homepage. This is where you can start applying for benefits. To begin your application, click the blue “Apply for Benefits” button located on the right-side of the page.

Step 6 – Select your Applicant

The first question you need to answer is about who is applying for benefits. Are you applying for yourself, a friend, a family, etc. Please select your answer, as well as the application. In this case, click the Food Stamps application.

 

Step 7 – Complete the SNAP Pre-Screener

Then you will need to answer a series of quick questions for your application. These questions determine if you are eligible for benefits before completing the full application.

Please answer all the questions, then click the “Next” button.

If you are determined eligible for Georgia SNAP benefits, you will see a message like the one below. Proceed by clicking the “Next” button.

 

Step 8 – Provide your Contact Information

Now you will be able to get started on your application for Georgia food benefits. You will be asked to provide the following contact information:

• First Name
• Last Name
• Language
• Driver’s License Number
• Driver’s License State
• Driver’s License Expiration Date

After that, complete your

 

You can currently apply for Georgia food stamps in the following ways:

1. By Phone – Call your local DFCS office and they will help you apply on the phone
2. By Mail – Print out the Georgia Food Stamp Application (linked below) and fill it out. Once complete, mail it to your local DFCS office
3. In Person – You can apply for food stamps in person by going to the local DFCS office in your county. They will give you an application that you can fill out and turn in there.

As you can see, there is currently no online option to apply for food stamps in Georgia. To address our popular question – Can I apply for food stamps online in Georgia? The answer is no. Currently, there is no way to apply for foods stamps online in Georgia. In order to apply for food stamps in Georgia, you must do so using one of the three methods listed above. If you need help applying for food stamps by phone, mail, or in-person, check out our step-by-step application guide here.

We hope this post was helpful to you! If you have any additional questions regarding how to apply for food stamps in Georgia, please leave your feedback in the comments section below. We are always happy to help! Also, be sure to check out the links below for the Georgia Food Stamps application, pre-screening tool, and Georgia Gateway online portal.

Georgia Food Stamps Application

GA Gateway Gov Online Portal

Georgia Gateway Eligibility Pre-Screening Tool

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