Enrollment Drops, Eligibility Snags, Cyber-Errors In Ga. Benefit Programs Spark Concern

Eligibility for some Georgia safety-net programs is based on family income, and enrollment declines in these programs are at least partially due to an improved economy. Consumer advocacy groups acknowledge the economic factor. But they also point to more restrictive processes and to barriers they attribute, in part, to the state’s new IT system for benefits eligibility.

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Georgia Medicaid and PeachCare saw a drop of 20,000 kids last year, a recent report found.

Food stamp use has fallen in the state as well, continuing a steady drop since 2013.

The Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program, which aids pregnant women and families with dependent children, hit a six-year low in Georgia recipients in the state’s 2018 fiscal year. And a child care assistance program has plunged in enrollment.