Georgia Assistance Programs and Benefits
Free help finding assistance programs, from the Blue Ridge Mountains to the Golden Isles
When the car breaks down, a shift gets cut or the landlord raises the rent, a Georgia family can go from fine to falling behind in one month. Helping Hands finds the Georgia assistance programs that fit your situation and tells you how to reach them.
Start by telling us what has you stuck. We'll lay out the programs, the eligibility rules and the Georgia offices that can help.
Georgia has 159 counties, more than any state east of the Mississippi, and we cover all 159 counties in Georgia. You could live in metro Atlanta, in Savannah or Augusta, in Gwinnett or Chatham County, or on a peanut farm near Albany. The guidance is free to you.
Support comes from DFCS programs, federal programs, local charities, food banks and community action agencies. We help you see how the pieces fit.
Check Your Eligibility for Free
DFCS, housing authorities and local charities each set their own terms. Your household income, family size, age, any disability, housing situation and work history can change what you qualify for.
We help you narrow the list to programs that may fit and tell you where to begin.
Georgia Financial Assistance Programs
Losing a job or landing in the hospital can burn through savings in a few weeks. Georgians have several kinds of financial help to consider, and the best match depends on your circumstances.
If paying for the basics has gotten hard, we help you find resources that fit and tell you where to apply.
Helping Hands can help you locate information about programs and resources involving:
Georgia Food Assistance and SNAP Benefits
Grocery bills eat a larger share of a small paycheck, and the total keeps rising.
We break down Georgia food assistance programs, starting with the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). Georgia puts SNAP benefits on an EBT card you can swipe at approved stores.
Cupboards getting bare? Checking your SNAP eligibility makes a good first step.
The Georgia Division of Family and Children Services (DFCS) takes applications for SNAP, TANF cash help and Medicaid, and you can apply online through Georgia Gateway.
We can also help Georgia residents locate:
Georgia Utility Bill Assistance
Long Georgia summers run up the cooling bill, and cold snaps in the north Georgia hills do the same for heat. Falling behind on power, gas or water can bring a disconnection notice.
Georgia households that qualify may find help with power and gas bills, and we show you where to look.
Resources may include information about:
LIHEAP Help in Georgia: Heating and Cooling Assistance
Georgia runs the federal Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) through the Georgia Division of Family and Children Services (DFCS), with help for both heating and cooling bills.
Local Community Action Agencies take LIHEAP applications across the state. Opening dates, funding and rules change each season, so confirm the details with the agency that serves your county.
We help you find that agency and get your paperwork started.
Georgia Rental Assistance and Housing Assistance
Rent can swallow most of a paycheck when your hours drop or an emergency hits.
Behind on rent, facing eviction, searching for something affordable, or worried about losing your home? From Atlanta to Albany, local programs and nonprofits may step in, and we point you to them.
Helping Hands provides information about housing resources that may be available to qualifying Georgia residents, including:
Section 8 and Housing Assistance in Georgia
If you need a lower rent in Georgia, learn about Section 8 Housing Choice Vouchers and other subsidized housing.
Local housing authorities run these programs, and their rules and wait lists vary from Atlanta to Valdosta.
Helping Hands can provide information and resources to help you understand:
Georgia Eviction Assistance
An eviction notice leaves you little time. If you owe back rent, reach out for help right away.
Our Georgia list includes rental assistance, eviction prevention, emergency housing, legal aid and local community resources.
Help may come from nonprofits, legal aid groups, county agencies or housing programs, depending on your case.
Foreclosure Prevention Assistance in Georgia
If you own a home and money gets tight, explore your options while you still have room to act.
You'll find information and referrals here for foreclosure prevention and housing counseling in Georgia.
Afraid of losing the house? Talk to a housing counselor and call your mortgage servicer before you miss more payments.
Georgia Assistance for Seniors
Older Georgians may qualify for help with health care, food, housing, transportation and daily expenses.
For aging services and Medicare questions, call the Georgia Division of Aging Services at (866) 552-4464.
Helping Hands provides information about resources that may be available to older adults, including:
Georgia Medicaid and Medicare Resources
Medical bills fall hardest on seniors, people with disabilities and families living on less.
Helping Hands helps you find information about Medicare, Medicaid, health-care assistance and other medical resources that fit your needs in Georgia.
You apply for Medicaid through DFCS and for Medicare through Social Security, so read the current rules for each one.
Disability Assistance in Georgia
Georgians with disabilities may qualify for specialized programs and community support.
Every program sets its own qualifications, so look at each one separately.
Helping Hands can help Georgia residents locate information about resources involving:
Legal Assistance for Georgia Residents
Denied benefits, housing disputes and debt problems sometimes need a lawyer's eye.
Georgians who qualify can turn to legal aid and free legal resources, and we help you find the right office.
Offices set their own income and case limits for free or low-cost help.
Legal assistance may be particularly relevant for issues involving:
Education, Employment and Training Assistance
Emergency help covers today. Training and a better job cover the years after.
Helping Hands also shares education, job training and workforce resources that can help Georgians earn more and build steadier income.
Resources may include:
Georgia Food Banks and Emergency Food Resources
Need food today? Georgia food banks and pantries hand out groceries and meals in cities and rural counties across the state.
Families, seniors, people with disabilities and anyone in a rough patch can find food nearby, and we help you locate it.
For urgent help with food, shelter or bills, dial 2-1-1 in Georgia. United Way 211 connects you with local services in your area.
Assistance Available Throughout All 159 Georgia Counties
Program information and guidance from Helping Hands reach all 159 counties in Georgia.
Our Georgia list runs from the Atlanta suburbs to coastal and south Georgia towns, including:
- Atlanta
- Columbus
- Augusta
- Macon
- Savannah
- Athens
- South Fulton
- Sandy Springs
- Roswell
- Johns Creek
- Warner Robins
- Albany
- Alpharetta
- Marietta
- Valdosta
- Fulton County
- Gwinnett County
- Cobb County
- DeKalb County
- Chatham County
- And communities throughout Georgia
From a Midtown Atlanta apartment to a farmhouse in the Wiregrass, the help open to you depends on your household and the programs running in your county.
How Helping Hands Can Help
Finding the right program can mean sorting through agencies, rules, forms and wait lists.
Think of Helping Hands as a guide through the options open to Georgians.
Our goal is to help you:
- Identify programs that may match your situation.
- Understand basic eligibility requirements.
- Find the appropriate agency or organization.
- Learn where and how to apply.
- Locate additional resources if one program does not meet your needs.
Georgians never pay for our help or resource information.
Need Help in Georgia? Start Here.
Food, rent, the power bill, a medical debt, or all four at once? You can skip the hours of searching agency by agency.
Tell us what you need and we'll match you with DFCS, community action agencies and local groups that may help.
Common Georgia Assistance Programs
Food & Nutrition
- SNAP / Food Stamps
- EBT information
- Food banks
- Food pantries
- Emergency food assistance
Housing
- Rental assistance
- Section 8
- Low-income housing
- Eviction assistance
- Foreclosure prevention
- Emergency housing
Utilities
- LIHEAP
- Electric assistance
- Gas assistance
- Utility bill assistance
Financial Assistance
- Emergency financial assistance
- Cash assistance
- Family assistance
- Single-parent resources
- Community grants and assistance
Health & Senior Services
- Medicare
- Medicaid
- Senior assistance
- Disability resources
- Health-care assistance
Other Resources
- Legal assistance
- Education
- Job training
- Workforce resources
- Community services
Immediate Georgia Assistance
In a crisis? Dial 2-1-1 for United Way 211, which links Georgians to local food, shelter and utility help.
For SNAP, TANF cash help and Medicaid, contact the Georgia Division of Family and Children Services (DFCS).
For aging services and Medicare questions, call the Georgia Division of Aging Services at (866) 552-4464.
Helping Hands gives you a clear place to start in Georgia.
Check what you may qualify for and take the first step toward Georgia assistance today.
Helping Hands is a resource and information service. Program eligibility, availability, funding, and application requirements are determined by the applicable government agency, nonprofit organization, housing authority, or other program administrator. Providing information about a program does not guarantee eligibility or approval.
