Georgia SNAP Income Limit 2024

SNAP/Food Stamps 2024 Income Limit and Eligibility Georgia

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To be eligible for the benefits program and submit the Georgia SNAP application, we must fulfill the GA SNAP Income Criteria and other requirements. All low-income families in Georgia can apply for the Food Stamp program on the Georgia Gateway portal to get monthly financial assistance.

All beneficiaries will get the SNAP (Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program) benefits into their SNAP EBT card that they manage at the connectEBT GA portal and use to buy SNAP-eligible food items.

In this article, we will discuss the Income criteria for being eligible for the SNAP program. Since all other requirements are straightforward, we are sharing the Income criteria below.

To make it simple, we are dividing the income criteria calculation into two parts.

  1. General Income Limit criteria.
  2. State-specific Income Limit criteria.

1-General Income Limit criteria:

The general limit criteria include the basic net and gross income-related information and the maximum limit to qualify for the SNAP program. We have already shared the Net Income Limit, Gross Income Limit, and Gross Income Limit for elderly and disabled persons in the SNAP Income Limit 2024 article.

To make the article shorter, we are sharing the Georgia state-specific income criteria-related information but we suggest you all read the general criteria to get an idea about the income limit.

In short…

Georgia SNAP Income Limits (Oct. 1, 2023, through Sept. 30, 2024):

  • The Gross Income Limit in Georgia is 130% of the Federal Poverty Level (FPL).
  • The Net Income Limit in Georgia is 100% of the Federal Poverty Level (FPL).
  • The Gross Income Limit in Georgia for elderly (60+ or older) and/or disabled is 165% of the Federal Poverty Level (FPL).

2-State-specific Income Limit criteria:

State-specific income limits include the information related to the shelter deduction in Georgia state and its calculation process. Further, we will also share how to calculate the SNAP payment amount that we will receive every month.

Georgia SNAP Income Limit 2024

Several changes have been made to the SNAP Income Criteria by the USDA for the Financial year 2024. We will have to look into different factors that affect the income limit such as gross income, net income, and asset tests.

As we already know qualifying the net and gross income limit criteria is the first step to determining eligibility for the SNAP program. We have to further look into the shelter deduction calculation to find out how much we can claim to increase our monthly SNAP payment.

Please note that elderly or disabled person has to qualify for the net income criteria only. It means they will not be disqualified if fail in the gross income criteria set by USDA.

Georgia SNAP Income Limit 2024

Deductions and Allowances – Georgia State

The most important point here is how we can calculate the total deductions. Calculating the deductions requires a good knowledge of all types of utility expenses, gross and net income-related information, and any new updates related to income criteria.

Please check the different types of deductions below that a citizen in Georgia can claim.

1-A 20 percent deduction of all gross earned income is allowed.

2-Standard Deductions:

Allowed standard deductions are given below which are $198 for a family of 1 to 3 members, $208 for a family of 4 members, $244 for a family of 5, and $279 for a family of 6 or more members.

3-Maximum Shelter Deductions:

The maximum allowed Shelter Deductions for Georgia is $672 which was $624 last year. If there is an elderly or disabled member in the household then all shelter costs may be deducted if the shelter costs are more than half of a family income.

4-Maximum Homeless Shelter Deductions:

The maximum allowed Homeless Shelter Deductions for Georgia is $179.66 which was $166.81 last year.

5-Maximum Asset Limits:

There is no asset limit in Georgia. Asset limit will be applicable if there is any 60 years or older or disabled person in the household who did not meet the Gross Income test we have shared above. In this case, the asset limit is $4250.

6-Standard Medical Deduction:

Elderly (60 years or older) or disabled persons can deduct the monthly medical costs after subtracting $35.

Standard medical deduction = medical expenses – $35.

Utility Allowances in Georgia State:

Households can deduct the Utility allowance such as Heating and Cooling, Basic Utility, and Other utilities such as Electricity, Gas and Fuel, Water, Sewage, etc. Utility allowances vary state by state. If we talk about the Georgia state the the Utility Allowances are given below.

i-Heating and Cooling Utility Allowance (HCSUA): In Georgia state, $412 HCSUA can be claimed if the household pays for the heating and cooling utility bills and receives over $20 heating assistance from LIHEAP.

ii-Basic/ Limited Utility Allowance (BUA/LUA): Applicable for households that do not pay any heating or cooling expenses separate from their rent or mortgage. The LUA includes expenses for at least two allowable utility costs except heating/cooling costs. In Georgia state, $349 BUA/LUA can be claimed for at least two or more utility bills.

iii-A telephone-only allowance: Applicable for households that have no utility expenses other than telephone. In Georgia state, citizens can claim a $42 Telephone allowance.

iii-Other Utility Allowances: It include single utility allowances for Electricity, Gas and Fuel, Water, Sewage, Trash, Phone, etc other than the Heating/Cooling and Telephone allowance. Standard Utility Allowances for the Electricity, Gas and Fuel, Water, Sewage, and Trash is $0 in Georgia.

Note: Only one utility allowance can be received by a household. Households can choose the highest allowance in case eligible for multiple allowances.

How to Calculate the Shelter Deduction in Georgia State?

Now let’s check out the shelter calculation process below. We are sharing an example for a 4-member household in Georgia state to calculate the shelter deduction.

We are taking the help of the calculations available in the SNAP Eligibility by FNS USDA article and sharing it through the simple steps that all Georgia citizens can use to check their shelter deduction.

i-Shelter expenses = non-utility shelter costs (rent, mortgages) + standard utility allowance (SUA).

ii-Preliminary net income = Gross monthly income – [earned income deduction (including any child support paid out through court order) – standard deduction – any dependent care – allowable medical costs].

iii-Calculate half of the Preliminary net income.

Not your Shelter costs will be…

Excess shelter cost = Shelter expenses (i) – Half of the preliminary net income (iii).

An example to calculate the shelter Costs and Deduction:

My monthly earning is $1,600 through part-time work and I live with my wife and 2 children. I pay $700 rent per month and pay for utilities and heat.

I will calculate my shelter deduction as follows.

i-Shelter expenses = $700 (rent) + $412 (SUA) = $1,112. (Standard Utility Allowance is $412 for Georgia state)

ii-Preliminary net income = $1,600 Gross monthly income – $320 (earned deduction) – $208 (standard deduction) = $1,072

iii-Half of the Preliminary net income = $536.

My Excess shelter cost = $1,112 – $536 = $576.

My excess shelter cost of $576 is less than $672 (capped amount) so I can deduct $576.

Finally, my net income will be calculated by subtracting the max shelter deduction from the preliminary net income. Which will be $1072 – $576 = $496.

$496 is less than the $2,600 allowed for a 4-person household, I met the income test.

SNAP Benefit Calculation:

From the above calculations of my net income ($496), I can calculate how much SNAP benefits I will get each month.

SNAP benefits = Maximum SNAP allotment – 30 percent of net income.

In my case…

My SNAP benefit = $973 (Maximum for 4-member family) – $496×30/100 = $824. It means I will get $824 SNAP benefits per month.

How Much SNAP Benefit Amount I Receive in Georgia State?

As per COLA fiscal year (FY) 2024 (October 1, 2023, to September 30, 2024) there is a maximum limit on the SNAP benefit amount Georgia citizens will receive every month. It depends on the number of members in a household in Georgia.

For a 1-member household, the maximum SNAP benefit amount is $291, for a 2-member family the maximum SNAP amount is $535, for a 3-member family the maximum SNAP amount is $766. The SNAP amount has increased as compared to the 2023 data by USDA.

The minimum amount that all households in Georgia get is $23.

New SNAP Work Requirements in Georgia 2024

As reported by CBPP through the Debt Ceiling Agreement, around 19,000 SNAP beneficiaries aged 50-54 in Georgia state who do not have children and are not disabled are at risk of losing their benefits. These work requirements changes would increase Hunger and Poverty for Many Older Low-Income People in Georgia state.

Now SNAP participants will have to fulfill more harsh work requirements including the ABAWD work requirements as per the SNAP Work Requirements.

To fulfill the General Work Requirements, people aged 16 – 59 will have to work for at least 30 hours a week in Georgia, and as per the ABAWD Work Requirement, people aged 18–52 will have to work for at least 80 hours a month along with other requirements. from October 1st, 2024, people aged 53-54 will also be included in the Georgia ABAWD work requirement.

How to Apply for SNAP in Georgia?

In Georgia, the Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program is known as the ‘Food Stamp Program‘, the EBT Card is known as the ‘Georgia EBT‘, and the SNAP portal name is ‘Georgia Gateway‘.

if you are a Georgia citizen and want to apply for the SNAP program then you can fill out the Georgia SNAP application form. We have shared different ways to submit the Georgia SNAP application. You can download Form 47, fill out this form, and visit the Georgia DFCS office in your county. You can also submit your application online through the Georgia Gateway portal.

Please read our Georgia EBT Food Stamp Balance Check article to find out the different ways to check the balance of your SNAP EBT card.

If you already have the SNAP EBT card then check out our ConnectEBT GA Portal Login, Registration guide to set up your online account. You can also download the GA Gateway Mobile App and access all the services that Georgia Gateway offers.

When will I get my SNAP benefits every month?

SNAP benefits issuance schedule is made available every year by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). The benefit issuance schedule for Georgia will also be available at the same time.

The monthly SNAP payment gets transferred into the beneficiary EBT account every month as per the scheduled date.

In Georgia state, SNAP payments are issued from the 5th to the 23rd of every month. The benefit issuance date is based on the last two digits of the client’s ID # as shared below…

  • Benefits are available on the 5th of the month if the last two digits of ID # are 00-09.
  • Benefits are available on the 7th of the month if the last two digits of ID # are 10-19.
  • Benefits are available on the 9th of the month if the last two digits of ID # are 20-29.
  • Benefits are available on the 11th of the month if the last two digits of ID # are 30-39.
  • Benefits are available on the 13th of the month if the last two digits of ID # are 40-49.
  • Benefits are available on the 15th of the month if the last two digits of ID # are 50-59.
  • Benefits are available on the 17th of the month if the last two digits of ID # are 60-69.
  • Benefits are available on the 19th of the month if the last two digits of ID # are 70-79.
  • Benefits are available on the 21st of the month if the last two digits of ID # are 80-89.
  • Benefits are available on the 23rd of the month if the last two digits of ID # are 90-99.

Helpline

For further assistance or inquiry, please get help through the contact details below.

  • Phone number: 877-423-4746
  • Email: [email protected]
  • Mail to: 47 Trinity Ave. S.W.
    ​​​​​​​Atlanta, Georgia 30334

Summary:

ParticularsSummary
Program nameFood Stamp Program
EBT cardGeorgia EBT
Offline application formDownload here
Georgia EBT Websitewww.connectebt.com/gaebtclient/
Administrative agencyDivision of Family & Children Services, Georgia
Article typeIncome Limit
ObjectiveTo find the Income eligibility of Georgia citizens for the SNAP program
BeneficiaryAll citizens residing in Georgia State
Who can apply for SNAP benefitsAll Georgia citizens fulfilling the eligibility and income limit criteria
Official SNAP websiteVisit here
Apply onlineVisit here
Local DFCS Georgia officeSearch here
Employment and trainingVisit here
SNAP Phone number1-877-423-4746
EBT Phone number1-888-421-3281

Final Take

We have shared all the key information related to Georgia’s SNAP Income limit in this article. We have also shared how Georgia citizens can calculate the Earnings and Deductions and SNAP benefits amount they will receive. Now citizens can easily check their eligibility criteria for the GA SNAP benefit program with the help of the information we have shared above.

In short,

Georgia SNAP Income Limits (Oct. 1, 2023, through Sept. 30, 2024):

Household sizeGeorgia Net monthly income 2024 (100% of federal poverty level)Georgia Gross monthly income 2024 (130% of federal poverty level)Georgia Gross monthly income 2024 for elderly or disabled (165% of federal poverty level)
1$1,215$1,580$2,005
2$1,644$2,137$2,712
3$2,072$2,694$3,419
4$2,500$3,250$4,125
5$2,929$3,807$4,832
6$3,357$4,364$5,539
7$3,785$4,921$6,246
8$4,214$5,478$6,952
Each Additional Member$429$557$707

Finally, please write in the comment section below and share your views or questions related to this article.

References:

We are not affiliated with the Georgia government or any other government agency. All the information has been taken from USDA (U.S. Department of Agriculture), Georgia Division of Family & Children Services (DFCS Georgia), and other official government sources. We do not claim to be a government official or legal advisor. Please check government websites for authentic and updated information

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