CalFresh / SNAP

CalFresh Minimum Nutrition Benefits pilot

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The CalFresh Minimum Nutrition Pilot (MNP) will provide 12 months of state funded food assistance to eligible households receiving less than sixty dollars ($60) from CalFresh or California Food Assistance Program (CFAP). Eligible households will receive no less than sixty dollars when the MNP benefit is combined with either CalFresh or CFAP.  The implementation will occur when  automation is complete in the California Statewide Automated Welfare System. When MNB starts, it will be subject to available funding. Households that are eligible for this program are:

  • Meeting the Elderly Simplified Application Project,
  • Receiving monthly food benefits of less than sixty dollars, and
  • Having two or more CalFresh eligible members in the household.

To participate in the MNB program, households must be already receiving CalFresh or have a pending application approved with a set beginning date of aid on or before the MNB start date. Households getting less than sixty dollars due to repaying a CalFresh overissuance will be eligible for MNB and the overissuance reduction will be deducted from their final benefit amount. Households that are not eligible for MNB are:

  • Households that apply to CalFresh after the MNB start date,
  • If the household receives more than sixty dollars of benefits, but that amount is reduced to less than sixty dollars because of grant adjustment to recoup an overissuance,
  • Households in the Supplemental Nutrition Benefit program.

Once a household is eligible for MNB, they will have it for 12 months after the start date unless they lose access for any of these reasons: household is no longer eligible for CalFresh, household no longer has at least 2 CalFresh eligible members, and if they no longer qualify for ESAP. If the household has a CalFresh allotment of over $60, but that allotment is reduced because of overissuance recoupment, the households will not be eligible for MNB because full benefits from CalFresh have been put at $60.

Households that lose eligibility will lose the benefit in the next month following a timely notice. Households that lose eligibility for MNB but get it back without a break in aid they will be able to continue with the program. However, if they are discontinued from CalFresh and there is a break in aid before they can re-apply, they will not be able regain access to MNB. If the county determines that a household is eligible for more than sixty dollars through CalFresh, they will be ineligible for the MNB program and the county will correct the amount of CalFresh benefits they receive while removing them from the MNB program.

Counties may not use MNB benefits to repay CalFresh overissuance. If the county finds an error in CalFresh calculations, or there is an error in the MNB program, the county will have to re-calculate and determine the MNB amount. Any MNB errors must be corrected no later than June 30, 2026.

MNB benefits will be automatically transferred into the person’s EBT card. The person can use the funds in the same way as CalFresh and CFAP, including restaurant meal plan and market match. The county will provide forms for when a person is approved for MNB that are required to be filled out. The county will also provide a notice if services are discontinued from MNB. If there is a request for hearing, MNB benefits will not continue until there is a decision in the hearing.  (ACL 25-01, January 8, 2025.)

CalFresh and CalWORKs electronically reported information

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The California Department of Social Services has clarified requirements about how the County Welfare Departments (CWDs) will accept information for participants of CalWORKs and CalFresh electronically.  Electronically submitted information can include reporting changes, submitting verification, and other information that might affect the participants’ case.

CWDs must accept and process all information submitted by participants by e-mail, fax or the BenefitsCal Portal, even if that information is sent fby email to individual staff, general, shared or unencrypted. CWDs will not be cited in error for confidentiality if the participant has sent an unencrypted email. While all of these will be acceptable forms of information, CDSS says submitting by email may lead to some operational challenges and encourages participants to submit information via the BenefitsCal Portal. Making a BenefitsCal account is encouraged but information may be submitted anonymously without an account. (ACIN I-01-25, January 29, 2025.)

 

SAR 7 and recertification waiverer because of Los Angeles fires

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The requirement to submit SAR 7s or annual recertifications for CalWORKs and CalFresh has been waived for January, February and March, 2025 because of the Los Angeles wildfires.  The waiver applies to designated zip codes. Recipients will need to complete their next SAR 7 or annual recertification after March 2025 as scheduled.  Recipients who had already completed their January, 2025 SAR 7 or recertification and had been found ineligible for benefits will not be redetermined.  (ACWDL, February 10, 2025.)

CalWORKs Family Reunification benefits

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Effective January 1, 2025, participants who were members of a CalWORKs family when CalWORKs-eligible children were removed from the home will remain eligible for CalWORKs cash aid, child care and reunification services when: 1) all CalWORKs-eligible children were removed by the county Child Welfare Services (CWS), 2) the AU received CalWORKs cash aid when removed, and 3) the child welfare services agency or court has determined that the services mentioned above are necessary for reunification.

CalWORKs family reunification cash aid is limited to six months.  Other CalWORKs family reunification services can continue after six month with good cause granted by the CWS.

Upon notification that all CalWORKs eligible children have been removed from the home, children are considered temporarily absent for one month. After one month, CalWORKs Family Reunification will take effect if either there is a case plan in effect or under development by the CWS agency that includes providing cash aid, or there is a court order for a case plan that includes providing cash aid.

Pregnant Person Only cases when there is immediate removal of the child upon birth can be eligible for CalWORKs Family Reunification cash aid.

Non-needy caretaker relatives are not eligible for CalWORKs Family Reunification cash aid.

CWS removal of a child is considered an action that is verified upon receipt, which means that it changes CalFresh benefits mid-period.

If CalWORKs is terminated because of removal of the children by CWS, the household can be eligible for Transitional CalFresh.  (ACL 25-05, January 7, 2025.)

CalFresh automatic benefit replacement

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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.)

CalFresh hot food waiver

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In general, CalFresh cannot be used to purchase hot food.  California requested a waiver to allow purchase of hot food because of the Los Angeles wildfires.  The Food and Nutrition service granted that waiver.

The hot food waiver is not extended until March 10, 2025.  This allows purchase of hot food with CalFresh benefits in Kern, Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Diego and Ventura Counties through March 10, 2025.

The waiver does not allow purchase of food from restaurants unless the household is eligible for the Restaurant Meals Program (which are elderly, disabled, or homeless households.)   (Letter from Food and Nutrition Service, February 4, 2025.)