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What is CalFresh?

The CalFresh program, formerly known as Food Stamps and federally known as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), can add to your food budget to put healthy and nutritious food on the table. The program issues monthly electronic benefits (similar to a bank debit card) that can be used to buy most foods such as bread, cereal, fruits, vegetables, meat and fish at many markets, grocery stores and farmers’ markets.

The CalFresh program helps to improve the health and well-being of qualified households and individuals by providing them a means to meet their nutritional needs.

At the Federal level, the program is administered by the United States Department of Agriculture’s Food and Nutrition Service. In California, the CalFresh Program is supervised at the state level by the California Department of Social Services and is administered at the local level by each County Welfare Department.

COVID-19 ISSUANCE OF CALFRESH EMERGENCY ALLOTMENTS ARE COMING TO AN END FEBRUARY 2023

California has provided emergency allotments to eligible households during the COVID-19 Emergency since March 2020.  Emergency benefits raise each household’s regular monthly CalFresh allotment to the maximum allowable benefits based on their CalFresh household size. Effective with emergency allotments issued May 2021 for benefit month April 2021; all CalFresh households have received a minimum emergency allotment of $95 per month.  CalFresh Emergency Allotments are ending because the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2023 ends the issuance of CalFresh Emergency Allotments to households in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

• Households eligible to receive the maximum allowable allotment based on household size are now eligible to receive an emergency allotment of $95 per month.
• Households who are not eligible to receive the maximum allowable allotment based on household size, but whose emergency allotment equals less than $95 per month when increased to the maximum for their household size will receive additional CalFresh benefits to raise their emergency allotment to the new $95 minimum.
• Households who are eligible to receive more than $95 per month when benefits are increased to the maximum for their household size will continue to receive that amount.
• These extra benefits will end in the month of February 2023 and the final Emergency Allotment will be issued in March 2023.

Emergency allotments will be issued to eligible CalFresh households for the months of March 2020 through February 2023 based on the scheduled below. Emergency allotments will come to an end February 2023.

Benefit Month	Issuance Date
November, 2022	December 18, 2022
December, 2022	January 14, 2023
January 2023	February 12, 2023
February 2023	March 26, 2023

Students

CalFresh Expansion for SSI/SSP Recipients

Are You In Need Of Food Now? Eng | ESP

Current Recipients

If you are currently receiving CalFresh benefits, please call our service center at (866) 663-3225 for assistance. You will be able to talk to a courteous and professional representative who can take care of your CalFresh needs. The service center is open Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Anyone who answers the toll free line will help you immediately with things such as:

• Reporting CalFresh changes (such as a new address, income, newborn, etc.)
• Questions about your benefits
• Assistance with completing forms

Having your CalFresh Case Number or Social Security Number available will help the representative serve you more quickly. More information about the service center can be found here: MediCal/CalFresh Service Center.

Please see the following important informational videos regarding mandatory mid-period reporting for CalFresh:

English

Spanish

How to Apply for CalFresh:

In Contra Costa County you can apply for CalFresh in several different ways:

• Online at BenefitsCal.com  or www.GetCalFresh.org  from any computer 24 hours 7 days a week
• By telephone (866) 663-3225
• Fax an application to (925) 228-0310
• Mail an application to any district office listed below.
  Download a CalFresh Application: ENG | ESP
• Visit any of our 5 district office locations:

East County	Central County	West County
4545 Delta Fair Boulevard Antioch	400 Ellinwood Way Pleasant Hill	151 Linus Pauling Drive Hercules
151 Sand Creek Road Brentwood		1305 Macdonald Avenue Richmond
All office hours:	8:00AM – 5:00PM	Monday – Friday

*Minimum requirements to file a CalFresh application:

1. Applicant’s name and
2. Household’s address (unless homeless), and
3. Signature of head of household, any adult household member or an authorized representative, or responsible minor.

Expedited Services

Every application for CalFresh is reviewed for Expedited Services. Expedited Services will provide eligible households CalFresh Benefits by the third calendar day following their application date. A weekend (Saturday and Sunday) is considered one calendar day.

You can qualify for Expedited Services if you meet all other CalFresh requirements and:

• Your household has less than $150 gross monthly income and liquid resources are $100 or less; or
• Your household’s combined gross monthly income and liquid resources are less than your shelter and utility costs; or
• There is a migrant or seasonal farmworker in your household and your liquid resources are $100 or less

For questions and assistance, please call:

(866) 663-3225

For more information, please view our Frequently Asked Questions or visit the State of California CalFresh website.

Important Information About the CalFresh Able Bodied Adults Without Dependents (ABAWD) Time Limit

The State of California has been granted a Statewide Waiver to the ABAWD time limit through June 30, 2023. CalFresh recipients will still need to be screened and identified as a potential ABAWD if not exempt, however there will be no time limits imposed during the waiver.