Answering FAQs During CalFresh Awareness Month
CalFresh Awareness Month is every May and is the official month dedicated to increasing public awareness of CalFresh. Known nationally as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance (SNAP), we call it CalFresh here in California. You might have also heard of the program by its former name, Food Stamps. CalFresh aims to help low-income individuals and families purchase nutritious food. Program participants receive an electronic benefits transfer (EBT) card to buy food at authorized retailers. Many food items—including fresh produce, meat and poultry, dairy products, breads, cereals, and more—are all eligible items that can be purchased using CalFresh benefits.
Feeding San Diego is here to help with your CalFresh application. Our organization is working to bring awareness, dispel myths, and assist neighbors with their CalFresh application. This federal program is essential in combating food insecurity, as it helps to improve the health and well-being of qualified households and individuals by providing improved access to healthy and nutritious foods. Unfortunately, many people are unaware they are eligible to receive benefits. According to a report from the San Diego Hunger Coalition, more than 240,000 people in San Diego County likely qualify for the program but are not enrolled. Find out today if you qualify by reaching out to our CalFresh team.
Our CalFresh team, which provides assistance in both English and Spanish, shared some answers to frequently asked questions to help you learn more about the process.
Feeding San Diego’s CalFresh team
Q: Whose information do I have to add to my CalFresh application?
A: An application must include everyone who is in the household. A CalFresh household is made up of individuals who physically live together and buy, prepare, and eat food together. Generally, parents and children would make up a household. Other living situations could be more fluid, for example, roommates who live together and do not prepare meals together. Those individuals would each be their own household. Individuals living with their parents and under 22 must apply with them, without exception. For every person in the household, an application will require their names, personal information, and income.
Q: How can I provide my documents to the county?
A: Documents are now collected electronically. When applying with assistance from Feeding San Diego, we can collect documents by taking pictures of them in person. We can also have the applicant take photos of their documents and send them via text, email, or even fax. We rarely collect documents by mail or in person. However, we can make exceptions in cases where the applicant cannot share them digitally.
When applying with our help, we first collect your documents and review them to make sure they are the proper ones to upload to the application. This step ensures the process will not be delayed by the need to collect new documents later. We do not recommend mailing documents to the county. They can become lost and add days to the process due to mailing time and having to be processed once received by the county.
Q: What is the time frame for my Calfresh application to get processed?
A: Usually, the county has a maximum of 30 days to process a CalFresh application. If applying with help from Feeding San Diego, we seek to shorten that time frame. Working with applicants, we try to speed up the time from application to approval from 30 days to 1-2 weeks. Some families can qualify for expedited benefits within three business days.
Q: When/how will I receive my EBT card?
A: Once approved for Calfresh benefits, your EBT card will be mailed to your chosen address and arrive within 7-10 days. It arrives separately from the approval letter and information packet. If the need is urgent, you can also go to the local Family Resource Center and request an EBT card to be printed out on the same day. With Feeding San Diego’s help, we let you know of approval by email or text message so that you know your status days before receiving mailed approval notices, cutting down the time to access benefits.
Q: Is a phone interview part of the application process? If so, when will the county call me?
A: The county has resumed the interview process that was previously waived due to pandemic restrictions. The county may call you for an interview if there is information they want to clarify, but it is not necessary in all cases. You may also get a letter with a scheduled time for the county to call you for your interview. Be aware of private or unknown numbers calling after your application is submitted. Missing the call could delay your benefit approval.
Q: Will my benefits change if I start receiving income? Will I still be eligible to receive my benefits?
A: If approved for CalFresh, your benefits are calculated compared to income and specific housing/living expenses. An increase in income would reduce your Calfresh benefits. Similarly, a decrease in income would increase your benefit until you hit the maximum benefit amount for your household size. Similarly, an increase in housing and living expenses could increase your benefits. A decrease would decrease your benefits. All benefit increases or decreases depend on what costs have changed for you, including rent, mortgage, HOA dues, utilities, etc.
Q: How long will I receive CalFresh?
A: CalFresh is not limited to a specific time length but rather by need. As long as a household is in need and still eligible, they can continue receiving CalFresh benefits. There are periods of recertification where the household must update their income and other essential information to assess continued eligibility and continued benefits. Most households will have to complete a Semi-Annual Report (SAR-7) at the 6-month mark to update income, household size and address to continue receiving benefits. At the 1-year mark, most households will need to complete recertification, a condensed version of an application that updates income, address, household size, and additional information. At each evaluation, applicants will continue to receive benefits without interruption if they are completed on time and still meet the eligibility criteria.
Q: How can I report my CalFresh benefits that have been skimmed/scammed?
A: Reports of fraud as part of the CalFresh program have increased. If benefits are missing or have been used up without your awareness, call the county ACCESS line (866.262.9881). They can assist with skimming and stolen benefits cases. With the county’s help, you can find where and when your last EBT transactions were made. They can verify if they were made by the benefit recipient or someone else. If your benefits have been stolen, it must be reported to the county in person or by phone. The easiest way to reach the county is the ACCESS hotline: 866.262.9881.
Get Help with Your CalFresh Application
Feeding San Diego is here to support you if you or someone you know needs assistance applying for CalFresh. Learn more and make an appointment here.
