By Brandon Nguyen
Free lunch is not the only program that has been expanded in California to support families struggling to pay for groceries. California’s CalFresh program, also known as Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), is the largest food support program in the state. Low-income families who qualify are offered an electronic benefit transfer (EBT) card that they can spend on groceries and participating farmers markets.
To be eligible, CalFresh recipients must be at least 18 years old or older, but students can be listed as dependents on their parent’s applications. Furthermore, there are benefits for in-state college students who qualify for CalFresh.
To qualify, a typical family of four usually cannot make more than $4,184, and for each additional household member, the threshold goes up around $720. However, this can vary depending on each family’s specific expenses and circumstance. The average benefit each person receives is $122.67 to $229.76 per month.
To apply, families can either go online to GetCalFresh.org or call by phone at 1-877-847-3663, taking around 10 minutes to fill out the form. The application will ask for information such as monthly expenses, household income and more. It is important to have your Social Security number on hand, and for college students applying, proof of class schedule and enrollment is required.
After the application is complete, a representative from the participant’s county office will conduct a phone interview to better gauge the family’s individual circumstance and confirm the details filled out in the application. Then, the county will usually determine eligibility in 30 days or less or an expedited 3 days or less if the recipient is very low-income or currently has no source of income.
If a person qualifies and receives the EBT card, they will quickly call the number on the back of the card and go through an automated interview to select a pin number. Afterward, they can use benefits instantly.
As of April 2022, there were an estimated 2,612,764 households and 4,612,800 Californians receiving these benefits, amounting to $1,194,865,095 per month. The line to qualify for these benefits is available in English, Spanish, Cantonese, Vietnamese, Korean and Russian. The EBT card can be used like a credit or debit card, so users will be able to swipe the point of sale terminal. However, the EBT card can be used only exclusively for food, and users will have to offer another form of payment on items that are not eligible.
The offer for these benefits is currently rolling out, so any family who qualifies should sign up as soon as possible and make use of this program.
