Senior benefits in DeKalb County, Georgia

The Atlanta Regional Commission (ARC) is the Area Agency on Aging for DeKalb County, serving older adults, people with disabilities, and caregivers through its Empowerline service. ARC's aging team is a No Wrong Door / Aging & Disability Resource Connection (ADRC) access point: one call connects you to in-home care, home-delivered and group meals, transportation, caregiver support, benefits screening, and the Medicaid Community Care Services Program waiver. Services are for adults 60 and older, with priority for those in greatest need. Reach Empowerline at 404-463-3333.

Estimated service value: $500–$6,000 a year

Partnership for Community Action (PCA) delivers the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) for DeKalb County. LIHEAP makes a one-time payment toward a household's home heating or cooling bill to reduce the energy burden on income-eligible households. Households qualify with income at or below 60% of the state median income, and seniors 65 and older and the medically homebound can apply early each season. PCA also offers other utility, family self-sufficiency, and Community Services Block Grant supports. Apply through PCA; help is first-come, first-served until seasonal funds run out, so apply early.

Estimated bill savings: $400–$810 a year

Grady Health System is the public safety-net hospital serving DeKalb County (DeKalb and Fulton are Grady's two owner counties). Grady's Financial Assistance Program provides free or discounted hospital care to patients who cannot afford to pay. Eligibility is based on household income measured against the federal poverty guidelines, along with family size and county of residence; qualifying patients receive a charity-care discount or a sliding-scale reduction. You can apply before a scheduled service or up to 240 days after your first billing statement. A financial counselor can help you apply. For questions, call Patient Financial Services at 404-616-2991, Monday through Friday.

Estimated bill savings: $500–$20,000 a year

In this county: Grady financial assistance is income-tested against the federal poverty guidelines (sliding-scale discounts plus full charity care for the lowest incomes) and considers family size and county of residence. Because the discount is set by individual review, this shows as a may-qualify result. Apply before service or within 240 days of the first bill.

DeKalb CARES fixes serious plumbing problems at no cost for income-eligible homeowners in DeKalb County. It covers water leaks, broken plumbing, and septic-to-sewer connections that affect health and safety. The home must be your main home, and household income must be at or below 60% of the area median income. Call 404-401-4514 or download the application.

In this county: Help depends on available funding. The screen uses the 60% AMI limit the county's Community Development Department publishes for one or two people ($45,180 / $51,600); bigger households have higher limits. The county makes the final decision.

DeKalb County helps homeowners 62 and older, and adults 21 and older with a disability, fix serious problems that make a home unsafe. Repairs can include a failed furnace or air conditioner, plumbing leaks, water heaters, unsafe wiring and roofs. The program pays up to $14,000, plus up to $2,000 for accessibility items such as grab bars. The help is a loan that is fully forgiven if you keep living in the home for five years. Household income must be at or below 60% of the area median income. The home must be a single-family house you have owned for at least 12 months, outside the City of Atlanta. Applications are taken during a yearly open period, and applicants are chosen at random. Call 404-371-2727 to ask when the next period opens.

In this county: Applications are taken only during a yearly open period, and the county picks pre-applications at random to review. Townhomes, condos, duplexes and mobile homes are not eligible, and homes that already got county repair help cannot apply again. The screen uses the county's published 60% AMI limit for one or two people ($45,180 / $51,600); bigger households have higher limits. The county makes the final decision.

DeKalb County has its own senior homestead exemptions that cut property taxes for homeowners 62 and older, on top of Georgia's statewide exemptions. Each one has an income limit. At 62 or older, households with Georgia net income up to $10,000 pay no school taxes, and households with Georgia net income up to $37,500 or gross income up to $40,000 get larger school and county exemptions. At 65 or older, the county exemption grows to $14,000. At 70 or older, households with income up to $113,664 (federal adjusted gross income plus municipal bond interest) pay no school taxes. Georgia net income leaves out much of your Social Security and retirement income, so many retirees qualify. Every DeKalb homestead also gets a freeze on the county assessed value. You must already have the basic homestead exemption. Apply with the Tax Commissioner's Office by mail, in person, by drop box or online; call 404-298-4000.

In this county: You must own and live in the home as your legal residence on January 1 and already have the basic homestead exemption. Every senior exemption has an income limit: $10,000 or $37,500 in Georgia net income or $40,000 gross income at 62 or 65, and $113,664 at 70. Apply by the mid-July deadline for this year's taxes. The Tax Commissioner's Office makes the final decision.

MARTA operates the bus and rail system serving DeKalb County. Riders 65 and older qualify for a Reduced Fare Breeze card and pay just $1 per trip instead of the standard fare. People with a qualifying disability and Medicare cardholders are also eligible. To get the card, show a valid photo ID with your date of birth (driver's license, state ID, or passport); the first card is free. The reduced-fare Breeze card works system-wide on MARTA bus and rail — just tap and ride.

Estimated service value: $200–$1,500 a year

DeKalb County Human Services gives rides to residents 60 and older. Rides go to medical appointments, dialysis and neighborhood senior centers. Vouchers also cover quality-of-life trips. Call the Senior Transportation Unit at 770-322-2967 to learn how to sign up.

In this county: Rides depend on capacity and county funding, so this shows as a may-qualify result. The Senior Transportation Unit explains how to sign up.