Previously, California imposed a comparable CalFresh disqualification when an individual was sanctioned for noncompliance with CalWORKs welfare-to-work, Unemployment Insurance, or substitute programs such as General Assistance and Refugee Resettlement programs participation requirements. Effective May 15, 2025, the California will no longer impose the comparable disqualification for CalFresh or the California Food Assistance Program.
When an individual does not comply with participation requirements of CalWORKs, Unemployment Insurance, or substitute programs, the CalFresh allotment cannot increase because of the decreased CalWORKs grant. CalFresh can increase if the individual becomes ineligible for CalWORKs for another reason, or the household’s CalWORKs case is closed.
Individuals who were disqualified from CalFresh because of a comparable disqualification may participate without completing the sanction. One person households must reapply. Existing households can request to add the individual to the household.
Counties must continue to ensure that CalFresh recipients who do not comply with participation requirements of CalWORKs, Unemployment Insurance, or substitute programs are registered for work unless they are exempt.
Individuals who do not comply with CalFresh work registration requirements without good cause may be disqualified if they not exempt. Work registrants must participate in an Employment and Training Program (which is voluntary in California), provide enough information to determine employment status or availability for work, report to an employer when referred by the county, accept an offer of suitable employment, and not voluntarily quit a job of 30 or more hours a week, earning the equivalent of Federal minimum wage for 30 hours per week, or reduce work to less than 30 hours per week without good cause.
Good cause for noncompliance with CalFresh work registration is circumstances beyond the individual’s control, including, but not limited to: illness, illness of another household member that requires the work registrant’s presence, a household emergency, lack of adequate child care for children age 6 to 11, lack of transportation, declaration of disaster, language barriers, discrimination or workplace rights violations, or unpredictable or inconsistent employment hours. Verification of good cause is not required unless the good cause is questionable.
Counties must screen for CalFresh work registration exemptions before imposing a disqualification. Individuals are exempt from CalFresh work registration when they are: under age 16 or over age 59, a 16 or 17 year old who is attending school or enrolled in a training program on at least a half-time basis, physically or mentally unfit for employment, complying with CalWORKs work requirements, parent of a child under age 6, responsible for care of a disabled person, applying for or receiving Unemployment Insurance, a regular participant in a drug or alcohol addiction treatment and rehabilitation program, employed or self-employed for at least 30 hours per week or earning the equivalent of Federal minimum wage for 30 hours per week, or enrolled in a school, training program or institution of higher learning on at least a half-time basis.
If an individual is disqualified from CalFresh, the disqualification period is one month for the first disqualification, three months for the second disqualification, and six months for the third or subsequent disqualifications. Counties cannot count prior comparable disqualifications for future disqualifications.
A household is ineligible for Modified Categorical Eligibility if the head of household does not comply with work requirements. This means that these households must meet the CalFresh resource limit.
A CalFresh disqualification period can end when the period ends and the work registrant meets work registration requirements, the disqualified person complies during the disqualification period, or the disqualified person qualifies for an exemption during the disqualification period. When the disqualification period ends, one person households must reapply, and existing households can request to add the individual to the household.
Counties must issue a notice within 10 days of discovering CalFresh work registration noncompliance, and must provide notice at least 10 days prior to imposing the disqualification. (ACL 25-32, May 15, 2025.)