Category: Clare S. Richie

The 5th poorest state needs to step up

Posted by Clare S. Richie Nearly one in five Georgians — and one out of four children — lives in poverty. That’s a lot: in only four other states is the poverty rate higher. We’re talking about an income of

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Georgia TANF Funds Sink to New Low

Despite the drop in federal TANF funds, Georgia policymakers continue to use federal TANF funds to replace state funds without regard to prioritizing state programs that directly promote family self-sufficiency.  For FY 2013, lawmakers allocated 43 percent of the federal

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The Shell Game Continues

Posted by Clare S. Richie The game of robbing Peter to pay Paul continues in Georgia. To keep one critical budget intact, the Department of Human Services (DHS) is proposing cuts to two other critical programs. In the end, everybody

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New Law Unfairly Burdens the Unemployed

Posted by Clare S. Richie Things are about to get worse for as many as 190,000 Georgia families struggling to make ends meet because of unemployment. Starting in July, unemployed Georgians will lose between $260 and $1,820 in unemployment insurance

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FY 2013 Budget Analysis: Human Services

The FY 2013 Budget Analysis: Human Services report examines key trends within the Department of Human Resources (DHS), including budget cuts and staff reduction and restructuring all while demand for services has increased. What takes DHS to a new low in

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Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF)

The TANF federal allocation, which states receive each federal fiscal year (October – September) has several components. For Georgia, the relevant components are the TANF Federal Block Grant and the TANF Supplemental Grant.  Although Congress extends the TANF program, without

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Critical SNAP Updates

The Georgia Department of Human Services has clarified that SNAP recipients can use their EBT card with any unspent SNAP benefits in November.  

DHS states: “Households may continue to redeem benefits issued to their electronic benefit transfer (EBT) card prior to Nov. 1, 2025, at any SNAP authorized retailer.” 

However, as DHS reported before, the November SNAP benefits will be suspended until federal funds are available. 

If you are in need of food, you can find a local food bank here 

Submit your comment on the Georgia Pathways to Coverage Program

Submit public comment on Georgia’s Pathways to Coverage program extension by February 20th – just complete this easily fillable form: