The Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) has granted California’s request for a waiver to allow automatic CalFresh replacement because of wildfires and utility shutoffs. FNS granted replacement of 40 percent of CalFresh benefits for households who were issued January benefits before January 6, 2025 in parts of Butte, Fresno, Imperial, Inyo, Kern, Los Angeles, Mono, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Mateo, Tuolumne, and Ventura Counties. California requested 70 percent replacement.
Counties must process individual request for replacement benefits received before or after waiver implementation. Households that receive replacement based on an individual application do not receive the mass replacement. Households can individually request more than the mass replacement amount. (Letter from Food and Nutrition Service, January 28, 2025.)