Step 1 (optional): Find out if you are eligible by taking the prescreening test here.
Step 2: If you are eligible, apply for food stamps in any of these ways:
- Apply in person at your local Department of Family and Children Services (DFCS) office. Click here to find your local office.
- Apply online here.
For assistance, call toll-free 1-800-869-1150 or call (404) 657-9358 if you live in the Atlanta area.
Georgia Food Stamps
Food stamps, or SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) as it is currently technically named, was set up to aid those located in the U.S. that are undergoing difficulty purchasing food items due to the fact they’re making a low income. In 2010 alone, SNAP benefited more than 40 million men, women and children obtain enough to eat.
Requirements For Food Stamps
It won’t matter what their own race, gender, or faith is – applying for food stamps is available to all people living in the United States. In the year 2008, folks getting help from SNAP averaged $101 in food assistance each month.
As expected, to be able to get benefits from SNAP, there’s a list of requirements which a person needs to meet. Specific documents of proof of your eligibility are required when you apply.
In many instances, if you are under 60 years old, it is a requirement for you to not have any more than $2,000 in assets. If you or another person in your home is no less than 60 years old, that limit is raised to $3,000. Assistance from TANF (Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program), or SSI (Supplemental Security Income), will not count as assets when applying for food stamps. Although, cash, what is in a bank account, and perhaps your current vehicle, are counted as assets.
One other requirement is an income limit, which is impacted by the number of people you’ve got residing in your house when you are requesting for food stamps.
How much your expenses are will also be taken into account while making a request for SNAP benefits. The total you pay for child or elderly care, rent or mortgage and utilities will all be considered. In addition to that, there are also particular medical expenses that may add up towards your total expenses while applying for food stamps.
An EBT (Electronic Benefits Transfer) card is supplied to those who are found eligible and pass the application and interview process. The EBT card is used like a debit card to buy food at certain grocery stores, convenience stores, or possibly farmer markets.
When will my food stamps money be available?
When you first receive food stamps, your EBT card will be ready to use as soon as you activate your card and set your pin number. That means that you can use your food stamps as soon as you receive it or set your pin. Initially, you may not receive your full months benefit allotment because you may receive your card in the middle or near the end of the month. Your caseworker at DFCS will determine how much you receive before they send you your EBT card.
After the first month, your balance will be ready to use depending on the last digit of your social security card. For instance, if your social security number is 123-123-1234, the day that you receive food stamps will be on the fourth of each month. If the last four digits of your social security card were 1235 instead, you would receive your benefits on the fifth of each month instead of the fourth.