The CalFresh program provides low-income households with monthly electronic benefits they can use like cash at most grocery stores to ensure that they have access to a healthy diet. The average amount of CalFresh benefits received per household is about $200 per month.

Reminder: With a CalFresh card, at select stores, you can purchase seeds and plants to grow for household use.

Are You Eligible?

Eligibility is determined at your local county welfare department office. Click here to contact your county office for your eligibility requirements.

The basic eligibility are as follows:

CITIZENSHIP/IMMIGRATION STATUS
Citizens receive the benefits of the CalFresh program, but certain non-citizens such as those admitted for humanitarian reasons and those admitted for permanent residence are eligible for CalFresh benefits. Eligible household members can get CalFresh benefits even if other members of the household are not eligible.

CalFresh eligibility is available to most legal immigrants who:
•    Have lived in the country for five (5) years, or
•    Are receiving disability-related assistance or benefits, regardless of entry date, or
•    Are children under 18 years of age regardless of entry date.

Non-citizens who are in the U.S. temporarily, such as students, are not eligible. A number of states have their own programs to provide benefits to legal immigrants who do not meet the regular CalFresh Program eligibility requirements. California's program is the California Food Assistance Program.

INCOME
CalFresh households, except those containing an aged or disabled member or where all members receive cash assistance, are subject to gross and net income determination tests. Gross Income – all non-excludable income from any source including all earned income and all unearned income. The maximum gross allowed is 130% of the Federal poverty level (FPL) or 165% of the FPL if the household has an elderly or disabled person who qualifies to be a separate household. If the household passes the gross income test, then the net income test is computed. Net income is computed by deducting the following, if applicable, from gross income. The resultant amount cannot exceed 100% of the FPL.

To find more specific income information, please click here. 

REPORTING CHANGES
CalFresh recipients must notify their local County Welfare Department about changes in their income or other circumstances. Such changes may affect their eligibility for benefits. To find out about the two kinds of reporting, Change and Quarterly, please click here. http://www.calfresh.ca.gov/PG841.htm#report

RESOURCES
A resource is something the household can draw upon or sell for financial assistance. Resource limits are $2,000 for all households except those that have a member who has a disability or who is 60 years of age or older. These households can have up to $3,000 in resources. Any countable resource will be added to the household's resource limit when making an eligibility determination.

WORK REQUIREMENTS
All able-bodied persons (ages 18-49) without dependents must work 20 hours per week (monthly average 80 hours) or participate 20 hours per week in an approved work activity or do workfare. If not, these persons receive only 3 months of CalFresh benefits in a 36-month period. There are some exceptions, so contact your local County Welfare Department to find out if you are eligible.

FINGERPRINT IMAGING
All applicants for and recipients of aid under the CalFresh Program, other than dependent children and persons physically unable to provide the necessary images, will be required to provide two fingerprint images and a photo image as a condition of issuance. 

Additional, households in which all members are authorized or receiving cash aid, such as CalWORKS or GA/GR, are considered categorically eligible. This means the CalFresh Program accepts eligibility determinations made by the other program for resources, gross and net income limits, sponsored alien information, county residency, and social security number information. CalFresh Households containing California Food Assistance (CFAP) recipients are not categorically eligible.

How to Apply

Apply online at the E-Benefits California Website, http://www.benefitscal.org/BenefitsPortal/landing.html.

You can mail or deliver your application in person to your local county office. You can download and print an application here. http://www.dss.cahwnet.gov/cdssweb/entres/forms/English/DFA285A1.pdf

County specific information is here: http://www.myfoodstamps.org/apply.html.

One adult household member or authorized representative must sign the application for CalFresh benefits under penalty of perjury before you turn in your application.

After the local county CalFresh office has received your completed application, the application will be accepted on the same day it is turned in, even if there is no interview on that day.

Interview
An interview is required before certifying your household to get CalFresh benefits. The interview can occur in the county office or by telephone (in most counties). The interview may be held with the head of household, spouse, the authorized representative or any other responsible household family member. An interview is required annually.

An eligibility worker will explain the program rules and help your household complete any parts of the application that have not yet been completed.
After the interview, the CalFresh office will send a notice. If your household does not qualify for CalFresh benefits, the notice will explain why. If your household does qualify, the notice will explain how much the CalFresh benefit will be for your household. It will also explain how many months you can receive CalFresh benefits (certification period) before being recertified.

Local CalFresh office officials may waive the face-to-face part of the interview requirement if traveling to the county welfare department would be a hardship for your household. The face-to-face feature must be waived if your household is composed only of elderly or disabled members with no earned income.

What to Bring to the Interview

When your application has been turned in, the county welfare department will set up an interview to go over your application.

You will need to bring:
•    Proof of identity (driver’s license, etc.), alien status
•    Social Security Numbers for all household members.
•    If employed, proof of income (wage stubs, earnings statements, etc.) for the past 30 days.
•    Bank statements for checking accounts, savings accounts, certificates of deposit, credit union accounts, retirement accounts, stocks, bonds, dividends, etc.
•    Proof of shelter costs (rent or mortgage payment, lot rent, household, real estate, taxes, utility bills – heat, electricity, water/sewage/garbage, telephone, etc.)

As soon as all necessary information is provided and verified for eligibility, you will be able to receive your CalFresh benefits within 30 days of your dated application.

Expedited Services

You may qualify for expedited service and receive your CalFresh benefits within three (3) days if you meet the requirements.

Households that qualify for expedited service (ES) go through the same application process as all other clients, but not all information has to be verified before benefits are issued.

Households may qualify for (ES) based if the household:
•    Has less than $150 in monthly gross income and liquid resources of $100 or less; or
•    Migrant or seasonal farm workers who are destitute; or
•    Combined monthly gross income and liquid resources which are less than the household monthly rent or mortgage and utilities; or
•    Is homeless.

ES CalFresh benefits will be made available to the household no later than the third calendar day following the date the application was filed. Applicants are informed of and are automatically considered for expedited service at the time the application is filed.


Other Helpful Resources

CalFresh Program Information: http://www.calfresh.ca.gov/
CalFresh Card: www.ebtproject.ca.gov
CalFresh Application: http://www.calfresh.ca.gov/entres/forms/english/DFA285A1.PDF

CA Department of Social Services
http://www.dss.cahwnet.gov/cdssweb/Default.htm
1-916-651-8848


Need more Food Assistance?
Find a food bank in your area. Search by zip code.

California Association of Food Banks
http://www.cafoodbanks.org/Find_A_Food_Bank.html

Feeding America
http://feedingamerica.org/foodbank-results.aspx?state=CA

Emergency Food Assistance Program
http://www.dss.cahwnet.gov/efap/