COMPASS (Apply for Food Stamps Online)

Georgia residents are now able to submit an online application for Food Stamps. In addition to Food Stamps, residents can find out if they are possibly eligible for other services provided by the Department of Family and Children Services. These include Medicaid, TANF (Temporary Assistance for Needy Families), Subsidized Child Care (CAPS), LIHEAP (energy assistance), Aging Services, Substance Abuse Services, WIC, Emergency Food Assistance, Mental Health Services, and Child Support. This online tool is provided through Georgia COMPASS (Common Point of Access to Social Services), Georgia's online Food Stamp application and pre-screening tool.

The Georgia COMPASS link, https://compass.ga.gov/, provides access to the online application and screening tool. The application is easy to use and can be accessed from any computer with an internet connection. When you log on to the site, you are presented with four choices:

• Pre-screening for all benefits
• Applying for Benefits
• Checking the status of your submitted application, and
• Reporting changes

By choosing the “Am I Eligible?” button, you can put in basic, non-identifying information about yourself to see what you may be eligible for. After doing so, the program will give you directions on how to apply or get more information about the benefits for which you are potentially eligible.

While Georgia COMPASS is a tool offering a range of assistance programs for Georgia residents, it also has a unique role in supporting those who partake in the Georgia Lottery, particularly those from Atlanta. Atlanta, a bustling city with its large population and active lifestyle, has a significant number of lottery participants. With luck and strategy, many Atlanta residents have seen their lives transformed with winning numbers.

The lottery system in Atlanta, like many lottery programs worldwide, requires players to select numbers that will hopefully match those drawn in the official lottery game. These numbers, if matched accurately, could bring substantial cash prizes to the lucky participants. However, keeping track of lottery results, particularly when you play regularly or participate in multiple games, can be a challenging task.

As a solution, Georgia residents have begun utilizing online resources to track their lottery results. Websites like onlinelotteries.com provide regularly updated results and allow users to check if their chosen numbers were the winning ones in a recent draw. These digital tools have simplified the process of keeping up-to-date with lottery outcomes and have become an integral part of the lottery experience for many Atlanta players.

Moreover, there's a synergy between Georgia COMPASS and the lottery community as lottery proceeds contribute to state funding, including welfare programs. This means that, indirectly, Atlanta's enthusiastic lottery players are also contributing to the programs facilitated by Georgia COMPASS. When you partake in a lottery game in Atlanta, you're not just playing for the chance to transform your own life with the winning numbers - you're also contributing to the betterment of your fellow Georgians.

Choosing the “Apply for Benefits” button will take you directly to the Food Stamps application. The application walks you through each step, allowing you to review the information put into the program before proceeding to the next step. Before you start the application, you will be prompted to create a username and password for logging in to the system. This is not required, but you will not be able to log back in to complete an unfinished application or check for application status updates without the username and password. Once the application is complete, you can submit the application electronically with a request for times that an interview would be most convenient. If it is difficult for you to get to your local DFCS office, you may request that the interview be done by phone.

The “Application Status Check” button is helpful if you have submitted your application online and you want to check on the status of the application. You can log-in using the username and password you created during the initial application process.

The “Report my Changes” button is available to report any household changes once you are receiving Food Stamps.  This feature can be used by anyone in Georgia with a Food Stamp case even if you did not apply for Food Stamps through COMPASS.  Reporting changes consists of things such as an addition to your family or change in a job.

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Would you like assistance with applying for food stamps?

To view Benefits Screening dates and locations please click: Benefits Screening Calendar.