CalFresh

CalFresh (CF) Program

What is CalFresh?

CalFresh was formerly named Food Stamps and is called SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) in other states.

The CalFresh Program is designed to supplement the food budget of low-income households to meet their nutritional needs. Individuals granted CalFresh benefits can buy food at a grocery store or other authorized places using an Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) card. The amount of CalFresh benefits a family receives is based on household size, family income and resources.

Who may be eligible for CF?

• All US citizens
• Most immigrants – Legal Permanent Residents
• Individuals and families may be eligible to receive CalFresh benefits, whether or not they work, if they have low income.

To be eligible for CF benefits you must:

• Have a Social Security Number (SSN). Everyone who receives CalFresh benefits must have a Social Security Number, including children.
• Report all household members’ income and property owned. Property and income limits vary depending on the number of persons in your household and their ages. (Personal vehicles are not included in determining CalFresh eligibility.)

How much income can I have?

Income depends on the number of people in your household.

Note: Income and maximum benefit amounts are subject to change.

Re-certification/Continuing CalFresh Benefits

Once a customer starts to receive CalFresh, the customer must keep the Eligibility Specialist (ES) informed about changes, in order to:

• Ensure CalFresh benefits are correct.
• Make sure CalFresh benefits, Notices of Action, and other correspondence are sent to the correct address.

All CalFresh recipients, with the exception Change Reporting Household cases are required to submit a Semi-Annual Eligibility Status Report (SAR 7) once per year (due in the sixth month of the first semi-annual period) followed by the re-certification of eligibility in the sixth month of the second semi-annual period.

Your Eligibility Specialist will inform you if you are a Change Reporting Household recipient and what the reporting requirements are for your specific case.

To learn more about CalFresh visit: CDSS – https://www.cdss.ca.gov/inforesources/calfresh