How to Fill Out and Submit Georgia Form 528: SNAP Periodic Report

Georgia SNAP Form 528 is the mid-certification periodic report that keeps your food stamp benefits flowing, and it is due by the fifth of your assigned report month. Fill in every section that applies to your household, sign it, and send it to your county Division of Family and Children Services office through Georgia Gateway, mail, fax, or in person. Miss the deadline and DFCS gives you a ten-day reminder; miss that too and your case closes.

Who Still Has to File in 2026

Georgia is phasing out periodic reporting for most SNAP households starting March 2, 2026. Once you complete a recertification on or after that date, you will not be assigned another periodic report.¹ Until then — if your current certification period started before March 2, 2026, and you have not yet renewed — Form 528 is still required at the midpoint of your certification period.

For twelve-month certifications, that midpoint is the sixth month. DFCS mails a reminder notice on the fifteenth of the month before the form is due, so expect it two to four weeks ahead of your deadline.² One narrow group will keep filing after the phase-out: Senior SNAP cases that transition to regular SNAP mid-certification must complete periodic reports until their next recertification.¹

What to Gather Before You Start

A blank section counts the same as a missing form, so pull everything together before you sit down.³

Your case number and the head-of-household’s name, date of birth, and Social Security number as they appear in your DFCS file.
Recent pay stubs or employer statements showing gross wages, hours, and pay frequency for every working household member.
Benefit letters or statements for Social Security, SSI, child support, unemployment, or similar payments, but only if the amount changed by more than $100 since your last report or renewal.²
Names, dates of birth, Social Security numbers, and move-in or move-out dates for anyone who joined or left the household.
Your new rent or mortgage amount, annual property tax, and homeowner’s insurance if you moved or your housing costs changed.
Current work hours for any able-bodied adult without dependents whose hours dropped below twenty per week or eighty per month.
Date and gross amount of any single lottery or gambling win of $4,500 or more.
Child support paid by anyone in the household: amount, frequency, and recipient.
Updates to bank accounts, vehicles, stocks, or other countable resources.

Filling Out the Form Section by Section

Client Identification

Enter your full name, date of birth, Social Security number, and current street address. If you are homeless, check “Yes” — benefits can still be issued through a mailing address or shelter. Add a working phone number and email. Note any need for an interpreter or an ADA accommodation in this section; DFCS is required to provide both.³

Authorized Representative

If a family member, caseworker, or community organization handles your paperwork, list their name, phone, and address, and check which duties they are authorized to perform: signing applications, completing periodic reports, receiving notices, or acting on your behalf. Skip this section if you manage the case yourself.

Household Composition and Shelter Costs

List anyone who moved in or out since your last report or renewal, along with their relationship to you, date of birth, Social Security number, and the date of the change. Even if nothing changed, answer the question rather than leave it blank.

If you moved or your housing costs changed, enter the new rent or mortgage, property tax, and homeowner’s insurance amounts. The form also asks about utility costs and whether you receive energy assistance. Include your landlord’s name and contact information where it applies.

Income and Self-Employment

Report any change in wage rate, salary, employment status, or income source for every household member. If someone started or stopped a job, give the date and the first or final pay amount. For self-employment, indicate whether the business is incorporated and break out expenses.

Unearned Income

This section applies only when a household member’s unearned income changed by more than $100. If it did, list the source, the new amount, and how often it is paid.² Otherwise, mark it accordingly and move on.

Signature

The signature line is a sworn declaration under penalty of perjury. An unsigned form is treated as incomplete and your case will close. If an authorized representative is filing for you, they sign here instead.³

How to Submit the Completed Form

You have several options for getting the form to DFCS by the fifth of the report month.²

Georgia Gateway. Log in at gateway.ga.gov to complete the report online, or upload a scanned copy or clear photo of the paper form. The portal timestamps your submission, which is your proof of filing.¹
Mail. Send the paper form to your local county DFCS office, not a centralized processing center. The address is on your reminder notice, or you can look it up in the DFCS county office directory. Allow time for delivery.⁴
Fax. Fax it to your local DFCS office with a cover sheet that includes your name and case number. Keep the confirmation page.
In person. Drop the form at your county office or hand it to a caseworker during a home visit.
SNAP outreach partner. Some community organizations can accept the form and forward it on your behalf.

The form says to return it no later than the fifth. Submit after that and your benefits for the month may be delayed.³ Keep a copy of the completed form and any delivery confirmation.

After You Submit

DFCS reviews the income, household, and shelter information and decides whether your benefit amount stays the same, goes up, goes down, or stops. A Notice of Decision arrives by mail or through Georgia Gateway once the review is done, and you can watch the status under “My Cases” in your Gateway account.

If a piece of verification is missing — a pay stub, for example — DFCS will ask for it. Respond quickly, because unverified information can trigger a benefit cut or case closure. The automated customer service line at 1-877-423-4746 runs around the clock; live agents are on Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.⁵

What Happens If You Miss the Deadline

If DFCS does not receive a complete Form 528 by the filing date, the agency sends a reminder notice giving you ten additional days to submit.⁶ That is the last safety net. If the form still does not arrive within that window, the case closes and benefits stop.¹

A closed case usually means starting over: a new SNAP application, a full eligibility interview, and fresh supporting documents, the same as a first-time applicant. That restart can take thirty days or more before benefits reload on your EBT card. If you are only a few days late, submit the form immediately and call your county DFCS office to ask whether the case can be reinstated without a full reapplication.

Changes You Cannot Wait Until Form 528 to Report

Filing the periodic report does not cover every change during your certification period. Georgia uses simplified reporting, which means you must notify DFCS within ten days from the end of the month in which any of the following happens:⁷

Your household’s gross monthly income rises above 130 percent of the federal poverty level for your household size.⁸
An able-bodied adult without dependents in the household drops below twenty hours per week or eighty hours per month of work or qualifying activity.
Anyone in the household receives a single lottery or gambling win with a gross value of $4,500 or more.⁷

Other changes, like a new address, a shift in shelter costs, or someone moving in or out, can generally wait for the next periodic report or recertification. Georgia law still requires recipients to notify the county whenever income or circumstances change enough to affect eligibility, so reporting sooner is always safer than waiting.⁹

1
Georgia Department of Human Services Division of Family & Children Services. Periodic Reporting
2
Division of Family and Children Services. Georgia Division of Family and Children Services SNAP Policy Manual – Periodic Reporting
3
Georgia Department of Human Services Division of Family & Children Services. Form 528 – Periodic Report
4
Georgia Department of Human Services Division of Family & Children Services. Contact Information
5
Georgia Department of Human Services. Family Independence Online Contact Form
6
eCFR. 7 CFR 273.12 – Reporting Requirements
7
Division of Family and Children Services. Georgia Division of Family and Children Services SNAP Policy Manual – Reporting Requirements
8
Food and Nutrition Service. SNAP Eligibility
9
FindLaw. Georgia Code Title 49 – Section 49-4-12