CalFresh is California’s Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and helps low-income Californians avoid hunger by assisting them with money monthly to buy healthy food.
Who is eligible for CalFresh payment?
You are eligible to get CalFresh if you:
- Are a U.S. citizen or legal immigrant permanently residing in California
- Have an individual or household income at or below 200% of the federal poverty level.
- Have household savings and investments below $2,250 or $3,500 if you have an elderly or disabled member.
How much do you get as CalFresh benefit?
The number of people in the family determines the amount of benefit paid. This means the number of people in your household will be calculated. The more people in your family the higher the amount you will receive.
- If you are a single person, you receive $291 every month
- For a family with two people, they can receive up to $535.
- A three-person household can receive $766
- A family of four can receive up to $1,155.
- Finally, $1,386, $1,532, and $1,751 are the maximum payments for six, seven, and eight-person households, respectively.
What is the payment date and claim status?
CalFresh benefits are distributed between 1st and 10th of each month. Once you are a recipient, a case number will be assigned to you, and your benefits will be loaded to your Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) card. Your payment date is the last digit of the case number given. This means if your case number ends in ‘7’, your benefits will be available on the 7th of the month.
For example, June 2024 payment schedule will be:
- The last digit ends in 1 (June 1).
- The last digit ends in 2 (June 2).
- The last digit ends in 3 (June 3).
- The last digit ends in 4 (June 4).
- The last digit ends in 5 (June 5).
- The last digit ends in 6 (June 6).
- The last digit ends in 7 (June 7).
- The last digit ends in 8 (June 8).
- The last digit ends in 9 (June 9).
- The last digit ends in 0 (June 10).
How do I apply for CalFresh benefits?
To apply for CalFresh, you will need the following documents:
- A proof of your identity
- A proof of income
- A proof of your immigration status (if you’re an immigrant)
- Additional documents that may improve your amount.
Once you’ve gathered the required documents, you can apply on the CalFresh website.
Make sure to complete the application. You will be invited for an interview in a few weeks. You can also contact your local CDSS office at (866) 613-3777.
How can I check the status of my CalFresh payments?
If you want to check the status of your CalFresh payments, you need to log into the Benefits Cal application. Then check the next payment dates and the pending amounts. You could also visit your local CDSS office for support or call the CalFresh hotline at 1-877-847-3663.
