Free, plain-English help for seniors and families in Georgia. Education, not advice. Verify before you rely on it.
Start here (works anywhere in Georgia)
- 211 (dial 2-1-1) for local rent, utility, food, and medical help, 24/7
- Eldercare Locator 1-800-677-1116, the federal front door to your Area Agency on Aging
- BenefitsCheckUp.org screens you for every benefit you may qualify for
- Medicare 1-800-633-4227 | Social Security 1-800-772-1213 | VA Benefits 1-800-827-1000
- Alzheimer's Association 24/7 Helpline 1-800-272-3900 | National Elder Fraud Hotline 1-833-372-8311 | Crisis Lifeline 988
Free Medicare counseling (Georgia SHIP / GeorgiaCares)
Georgia's program is Georgia SHIP, long known as GeorgiaCares, run by the Georgia Department of Human Services Division of Aging Services. Free, unbiased one-on-one Medicare counseling. Call 1-866-552-4464 and select option 4 (Mon-Fri, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.). Online: aging.georgia.gov. That same 866 number is Georgia's main aging services line, so it is the front door for far more than Medicare.
Medicaid in Georgia
Georgia Medicaid eligibility runs through the Division of Family & Children Services. Apply online at Georgia Gateway (gateway.ga.gov), by phone at 1-877-423-4746, by mail, or in person at your county DFCS office. You will hear back by mail, typically within 45 days. Medicaid can help pay Medicare premiums and long-term care costs for those who qualify.
Prescription help
Georgia does not run a general statewide pharmaceutical assistance program (SPAP) for seniors. Start with Medicare's Extra Help / Low-Income Subsidy (apply through Social Security, 1-800-772-1213) and screen at BenefitsCheckUp.org. Georgia SHIP counselors (1-866-552-4464, option 4) can walk you through Part D and Extra Help.
Energy and utility help
Georgia LIHEAP is administered by DFCS and delivered through local Community Action Agencies, first-come, first-served until funds run out. Heating season opens in winter (seniors 65+ often get an early application window) and a separate cooling season opens in spring. Find your local agency through dfcs.georgia.gov (search LIHEAP), by calling 404-657-3426, or by dialing 211.
Property tax relief (Georgia)
Georgia is a county-driven state: the statewide senior exemptions are small, and most of the real savings live in local county exemptions. Apply with your county tax commissioner (deadline is generally April 1).
- Statewide senior exemption (age 65+): $4,000 off assessed value for county taxes when the income of the owner and spouse is $10,000 or less (Social Security and most retirement income is excluded from that count, up to the Social Security maximum, $96,432 for 2025).
- Statewide school tax exemption (age 62+): up to $10,000 of assessed value for school taxes, same $10,000 income test with the same retirement-income exclusion.
- Floating inflation-proof exemption (age 62+, income under $30,000): shields the growth in your home's value above $10,000 from county taxes. It replaces other county homestead exemptions and does not touch school or city taxes.
- Disabled veterans: exemption of $121,812 (2025 amount) from all property taxes, extended to unremarried surviving spouses.
- Statewide floating homestead exemption (HB 581): effective for 2025, this caps how fast the taxable value of a homestead can grow, to the rate of inflation, using a 2024 base year. Important: local governments could opt out, and many of the largest metro counties and school systems did (including Fulton, Gwinnett, Cobb, DeKalb, and Chatham), so it does not apply everywhere. Ask your county tax commissioner whether it is in effect where you live.
- The big one: local exemptions. Many Georgia counties (including Cobb, Forsyth, Fulton, DeKalb, Gwinnett, Cherokee, and Chatham) offer senior exemptions far more generous than the state's, some eliminating school taxes entirely at 62 or 65, and over 35 counties freeze your home's valuation at a base year. ASK YOUR COUNTY. Two neighbors across a county line can have wildly different senior tax bills.
Food, in-home help, caregiver, transportation, and legal help
The Division of Aging Services (1-866-552-4464) and Georgia's Area Agencies on Aging handle home-delivered meals, in-home care, caregiver support, and transportation. You can also use the Eldercare Locator (1-800-677-1116) or 211. For free civil legal help, ask 211 or your Area Agency on Aging for the legal aid program serving your county.
Frequently asked questions
What is Georgia's SHIP program? Georgia SHIP, long known as GeorgiaCares, run by the Division of Aging Services. Free Medicare counseling at 1-866-552-4464, option 4.
Does Georgia offer senior property tax relief? Yes, but the county-level exemptions are where the real money is. The state offers a $4,000 senior exemption and a school tax exemption with low income limits, while many counties cut school taxes entirely for seniors. Apply with your county tax commissioner by April 1.
How do Georgia seniors get help with energy bills? Through LIHEAP at your local Community Action Agency. Seniors often get an early application window for heating season. Call 211 or 404-657-3426 to find your agency.
How do I apply for Georgia Medicaid? Online at gateway.ga.gov or by calling 1-877-423-4746.
Sources
- Georgia DHS Division of Aging Services, Georgia SHIP / Medicare assistance: https://aging.georgia.gov/georgia-ship . Verified June 4, 2026.
- Georgia Medicaid, how to apply: https://medicaid.georgia.gov/how-apply and https://georgia.gov/apply-medicaid . Verified June 4, 2026.
- Georgia DFCS, LIHEAP: https://dfcs.georgia.gov/services/low-income-home-energy-assistance-program-liheap and DHS press releases (cooling season opened April 2026): https://dhs.georgia.gov/press-releases/2026-04-06/liheap-cooling-open . Verified June 4, 2026.
- Georgia Department of Revenue, Property Tax Homestead Exemptions (all state exemption figures and the county valuation-freeze list): https://dor.georgia.gov/property-tax-homestead-exemptions . Verified June 4, 2026.