GA · benefits by state
Georgia benefits: SNAP, Medicaid, ACA, WIC and Section 8
Georgia did not expand Medicaid, runs its own Pathways program with an activity requirement, left HealthCare.gov for its own exchange, and keeps SNAP at the federal income line.
Federal and Georgia figures read on official sources on · Checked by Radif Partners · How we calculate
- SNAP maximum, 4 people
- $1,023
- FY 2027, from October 1, 2026
- SNAP gross income limit, 3 people
- $2,960/mo
- 130% of poverty (BBCE)
- Medicaid, single adult
- not expanded
- no adult group
- Children, family of 3
- $5,737/mo
- 252% of poverty, CHIP
- WIC limit, 3 people
- $50,542/yr
- 185% of poverty, to June 30, 2027
- Section 8 very low income, 4 people
- $38,500 to $58,900
- 159 counties or towns, FY 2026
Georgia sets the SNAP gross income line at 130% of poverty, $3,575 a month for four people in fiscal year 2027, with no asset limit, so the cut-off is sharp: a Savannah family of four earning $3,400 with $1,150 rent would receive about $368 a month, and after a raise to $3,700 it would receive $0. On health, Georgia has not adopted the ACA expansion. Parents qualify for regular Medicaid only below about $907 a month for a family of four, 33% of poverty. Georgia Pathways to Coverage offers another Medicaid route for adults, tied to a qualifying-activities reporting requirement. Children are covered by Medicaid and PeachCare for Kids up to 252% of poverty, $5,737 a month for three people. For 2026, Marketplace plans are sold on Georgia Access, the state's own exchange, rather than HealthCare.gov.
Household income in Georgia
105% of poverty
$28,800 a year against the 2026 guideline of $27,320 for 3 people
- SNAP food benefitsFY 2027 amounts; $405 utility allowance usedLikely eligible$493/mo
- Medicaid for the parentsGeorgia: 33% of the poverty guidelineAbove the limitlimit $751/mo
- Medicaid or CHIP for the childrenChildren 6 to 18, 252% of the guidelineWithin the CHIP limitlimit $5,737/mo
- Marketplace premium tax creditAmount depends on the benchmark premium where you liveIn the 100% to 400% window108% of 2025 FPL
- Earned income tax credit (2026)2 qualifying children, single or head of householdCredit at tax time$6,282/yr
- WIC (pregnancy or a child under 5)Nutrition risk is assessed at the WIC clinicWithin 185% of povertylimit $50,542/yr
- Section 8 housing voucherLimits are set by county: check yours in the Section 8 lookup.
A first screening under each program's published 2026 rules; every agency counts income and household its own way and decides on your application. How this is calculated.
A $300 raise and the 130% edge
Georgia's broad-based categorical eligibility removes the asset test but leaves the gross income line where federal law puts it (USDA BBCE chart). That makes the line a cliff. The Savannah family's $3,400 of wages is under $3,575; after the 20% earnings deduction and the $229 standard deduction, $2,491 remains, rent plus the $405 utility allowance brings a $310 shelter deduction, and net income of $2,182 gives $368 out of the $1,023 maximum. When one parent's raise lifts wages to $3,700, the household is $125 over the line, and the federal gross test, also at 130%, gives no second chance: the estimate drops to $0. The family gains $300 of pay and loses $368 of food benefits. In a 200% state the same raise would only trim the benefit. A household with someone 60 or older or disabled is the exception, because it skips the gross test.
Pathways to Coverage and the parent line
Regular Georgia Medicaid covers parents through a dollar standard CMS converts to 28% of poverty, 33% with the disregard (CMS levels). If one Savannah parent worked part time for $1,500 a month, the family would be at 55% of the guideline: too much for parent Medicaid. Georgia Pathways to Coverage is the state's alternative for adults, a Medicaid route with a qualifying-activities, work or activity, reporting requirement; its site also has a section on changes under H.R. 1 (pathways.georgia.gov). The agency decides who qualifies. Adults who do not, and earn at least 100% of the 2025 guideline, $32,150 a year for four, can get the premium tax credit on Georgia Access, a full state-based exchange for 2026 (CMS list).
Children have a much higher line. Medicaid covers babies to 210% and older children to 138%, and PeachCare for Kids, the state CHIP, continues to 252%. Pregnant women are covered to 225%, $4,057 a month counted as two.
252% of the 2026 poverty guideline for your household
252% of poverty, per year
$68,846
| Per month | $5,737 |
| Per week | $1,324 |
| 100% guideline (2026) | $27,320 |
One Atlanta limit for Barrow County and its neighbors
HUD groups the Atlanta metro counties into one area, so Fulton, DeKalb, Cobb, Gwinnett and Barrow County share the state's top very low income limit for four, $58,900. Chatham County, around Savannah, is at $53,650, Richmond County, around Augusta, at $45,200, and Bibb County, around Macon, at $38,500, the floor shared with most of rural Georgia. Neighbors Florida, Alabama and South Carolina also did not expand Medicaid, while North Carolina did.
SNAP rules in Georgia, FY 2027
Run by the Georgia Department of Human Services, Division of Family & Children Services · apply online. All households: gross income up to 130% of the poverty guideline, no asset limit.
| Household | Gross income limit | Net income limit | Maximum benefit |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | $1,729 | $1,330 | $306 |
| 2 | $2,345 | $1,804 | $562 |
| 3 | $2,960 | $2,277 | $808 |
| 4 | $3,575 | $2,750 | $1,023 |
| 5 | $4,191 | $3,224 | $1,217 |
| 6 | $4,806 | $3,697 | $1,463 |
| 7 | $5,421 | $4,170 | $1,616 |
| 8 | $6,037 | $4,644 | $1,841 |
| Allowance area | Heating or cooling (HCSUA) | Other utilities (LUA) | Telephone |
|---|---|---|---|
| Georgia | $405 | $358 | $47 |
Medicaid and CHIP income limits in Georgia
Georgia has not adopted the ACA Medicaid expansion. Children's coverage above Medicaid is called PeachCare for Kids. Agency: Georgia Department of Community Health · apply. Marketplace for 2026: Georgia Access.
| Group | Limit (% of poverty) | Program | 1 or 2 people | 3 people | 4 people |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adults 19 to 64 without children | not covered | – | – | – | – |
| Parents and caretakers | 33% | Medicaid | $595 | $751 | $907 |
| Pregnant women | 225% | Medicaid | $4,057 | $5,122 | $6,187 |
| Babies under 1 | 252% | CHIP | $4,544 | $5,737 | $6,930 |
| Children 1 to 5 | 252% | CHIP | $4,544 | $5,737 | $6,930 |
| Children 6 to 18 | 252% | CHIP | $4,544 | $5,737 | $6,930 |
Section 8 income limits by county in Georgia
HUD sets the limits for each of the 159 counties or towns of Georgia (112 HUD areas). For a family of four, the very low income limit that opens a Housing Choice Voucher ranges from $38,500 (Appling County) to $58,900 (Barrow County).
Appling County, GA: FY 2026 income limits
Within the voucher limit
Very low income limit for 3: $34,650 a year
| Extremely low income (ELI), 3 people | $27,320 |
| Very low income (50%), the voucher limit | $34,650 |
| Low income (80%) | $55,450 |
| Your band | Very low income (50%) |
| Adjusted income after HUD deductions | $29,500 a year |
| Estimated tenant payment (30% of adjusted income) | $738 a month |
HUD FY 2026 limits (effective May 1, 2026) and 2026 deductions ($500 per dependent, $550 for an elderly or disabled family). The housing authority decides, and most have waiting lists. How this is calculated.