Beginning November 1, a new mandate will enforce stricter work requirements on CalFresh recipients in California, a state-level counterpart to the national Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).
Under this new rule, individuals using the CalFresh program will have three months to secure employment or face the risk of losing their benefits.
These changes stem from President Donald Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill Act, with the U.S. Department of Agriculture announcing the earlier deadline for states to comply on October 3.
California had anticipated that the changes would take effect in January, largely due to a previous waiver that exempted all “able-bodied” adults without dependents from such requirements.
The state had obtained this waiver after presenting evidence indicating a lack of sufficient job opportunities.
However, the USDA unexpectedly revoked California’s waiver, along with similar waivers in six other states and territories, as well as partial waivers in 25 additional states.
Currently, County officials are preparing to address the fallout of these new requirements, which are estimated to affect around 96,000 individuals in San Diego County alone.
Previously, adults aged 18 to 54 without disabilities could receive SNAP benefits for up to three months within a three-year span without needing to demonstrate employment of at least 80 hours monthly.
Under the new regulations, exemptions will now be limited to individuals aged 65 and older, and parents with children under the age of 14.
Moreover, previous exemptions established during the Biden administration for specific groups, including veterans, homeless individuals, and former foster youth under 24, have been removed.
“This new guidance effectively ends food assistance for thousands of San Diegans overnight,” expressed Alondra Alvarado, president and CEO of the San Diego Hunger Coalition.
“We’re already hearing confusion and fear from community partners, and we expect food banks and meal programs to be overwhelmed as people lose benefits far sooner than expected.
This policy punishes people for being poor, rather than for failing to work.”
The impact of this shift is anticipated to extend beyond individual recipients, affecting California’s state and county budgets significantly.
Before the enactment of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, the federal government fully funded food distributed via SNAP.
However, starting in 2027, states will be partially responsible for these costs.
The amount that states will need to pay will be determined by their rates of accurate or inaccurate benefit disbursement in the immediate future.
As of November 1, California is responsible for ensuring correct benefit payments under the new rules, with any mistakes resulting in increased financial liabilities for the state regarding SNAP benefits.
California is currently facing significant penalties for errors, already estimated at around $2 billion, which could worsen if the state is unable to lower its mistake rate.
In light of the new administrative requirements, California counties are braced for significant challenges in implementing these changes, which they will have to fund independently.
San Diego County estimates that it will require 426 additional staff members to handle the administration of the CalFresh program.
Graham Knaus, CEO of the California Association of Counties, voiced that the changes brought by H.R. 1 could lead to considerable administrative burdens, diverting resources from other essential programs.
He cautioned, “Unless the state backfills federal cuts or relieves us of state mandates, we’ll be forced to slash core local services from public safety to parks.
The state’s recent CalFresh funding is an important start.”
The California Association of Counties requested approximately $91 million to manage the increased administrative workload but received only half of that amount in a recent budget package.
A spokesperson for San Diego County has confirmed that all SNAP recipients will be notified of any benefit cancellations once the state issues guidance on the matter.
The California Department of Social Services stated that it is currently evaluating the recent federal changes and remains committed to ensuring that Californians continue to have access to food support.
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image source from：timesofsandiego
