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CalFresh and EBT News and Updates

CalFresh benefits can now be used to purchase groceries online at Aldi through the Instacart App! Your EBT card also works online with Amazon, Walmart, and select Albertsons, Safeway, and Vons locations!

Important Information for New Applicants and Current CalFresh Customers!

Temporary Student Rule Change:

CalFresh eligibility has been temporarily expanded to:

  1. College students who are eligible to state or federal work study at their colleges. It is not required that a student be approved for work study and anticipate working. Verification of Work Study eligibility may include, but is not limited to, a letter from the financial aid office or a completed work study verification form confirming work study eligibility; or
  2. Students who are determined by the California Student Aid Commission (CSAC) to have a zero dollar Expected Family Contribution (EFC) for the current school year. Verification of a zero dollar EFC may include, but is not limited to, a letter from CSAC confirming a zero dollar EFC for the current school year, a student’s Student Aid Report, or a financial aid offer letter.

Still have questions? Read this Questions and Answers fact sheet.

If you meet either of the above conditions, apply for CalFresh today!

Interview Waivers:

As of October 28, 2020, Initial Certification and Recertification Interviews are not required if all of the following requirements are fulfilled:

  • If a complete application is received and it has been determined that the information provided on the application is not questionable or no further clarification is needed,
  • If the identity of the applicant/participant is verified, and
  • If there is no mandatory verification missing.

However, if the County determines that the information provided is questionable or requires additional clarification, an interview will be required.

Important Information for Existing CalFresh Customers:

  • CalFresh benefits have been temporarily increased by 15% for all CalFresh households, effective January 1, 2021 through June 30, 2021. Additional benefits for the month of January and February will be available on February 7, 2021. Beginning March 2021, the 15% benefit increase will be included in your regular monthly benefit issuance. 
  • If you or anyone in your CalFresh household are receiving Pandemic Unemployment Compensation (PUC) benefits, it will not be counted towards your CalFresh income eligibility.
  • If you have not received the CalFresh Emergency Allotments for your household for the months of December 2020, January or February 2021, you will be receiving emergency allotment benefits on March 7th, 2021. You do not need to contact us or apply for these benefits.
Banner for Mas Fresco program that links to the Mas Fresco website

¡Más Fresco! is a partnership between the University of California San Diego (UCSD) Center for Community Health, United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), and Northgate Gonzalez Market.

The program provides financial incentives to CalFresh recipients when they purchase fresh fruits and vegetables using their EBT card at participating Northgate Markets in Los Angeles, Orange and San Diego Counties.

¡Más Fresco! is now available to CalFresh recipients via online enrollment. CalFresh recipients who enroll will earn $1 for every $1 of CalFresh benefits spent on qualifying fresh fruits or vegetables with a maximum financial incentive of $40 a month for 1 year. 

The following LA County locations of Northgate Market are participating in this program:

  • 10801 Prairie Avenue, Inglewood, CA 90303
  • 944 E. Slauson Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90011

Northgate Gonzalez Market hopes to make this program available in all 41 of their locations across Southern California by the end of 2020.

Visit the ¡Más Fresco! for more information! You can also click the banner above to visit the website!

Pandemic EBT

The California Department of Social Services recently approved Pandemic EBT (P-EBT) Extension benefits for children who previously received
P-EBT benefits during the Summer 2020. Children will receive P-EBT Extension benefits for the months of August and September 2020 if they:

  • Previously received P-EBT benefits for the 2019-20 school year;
  • Are attending a California K-12 school for the 2020-21 school year; and
  • Are assumed to be attending school virtually or via a hybrid model of virtual and in-person instruction for the 2020-21 school year.

Under this "P-EBT Extension", each eligible child will receive a new
P-EBT card with P-EBT benefits for the months of August and September 2020. These new P-EBT cards will be mailed directly to families early November through the end of December. The new card will need to have the PIN set-up through the EBT Helpline. Eligible families do not need to apply to receive P-EBT Extension benefits.

If you have any questions regarding your Pandemic EBT benefits, please call (877) 328-9677.