VSthe alifornia version of the United States‘ food stamp program, CalFresh is available in all 58 counties of California and provides vital access to nutrition for many low-income Californians.
Anyone between the ages of 18 and 49 must comply with federal work requirements, unless they have a child living at home, and the CalFresh program has a number of virtual or in-person checks to help people meet these requirements.
Households are also required to report when their household income exceeds their Income Reporting Threshold (IRT) and submit proof of income within 10 days of an increase.
Six months after receiving CalFresh benefits, most households must complete a SAR 7 (semi-annual report) to continue participating in the program.
Likewise, they must recertify after a year, or two if they meet certain requirements.
To do so, households must complete and submit the recertification application form either in person or by mail, fax or online.
Following this, the county CalFresh will arrange a mail-in interview to discuss the application, and you must attend the telephone or in-person interview and then await the decision.
Who is eligible for CalFresh?
California residents are entitled to CalFresh if their current bank balance is less than $2,001, or $3,001 if they share a household with someone over the age of 60 or with a disability.
Immigrants living in California are also eligible, provided they have lived in the United States with qualified status for five years, are currently receiving disability-related assistance, or are under the age of 18 after being legally admitted to a place of legal residence.
Residents over 60 can purchase low-cost meals at restaurants using a California EBT card, although there are more requirements for doing so.
And higher education students, aged 18 to 49, could also be eligible if they meet the conditions.