Changes to CalFresh Eligibility Requirements for Certain Non-Citizens
Beginning April 1, 2026, CalFresh eligibility will be limited to individuals who reside in the United States (U.S.) and are:
Certain non-citizens, such as but not limited to asylees, refugees, parolees, an individual with deportation or removal withheld, conditional entrant, battered non-citizens, and victims of trafficking will no longer be eligible to receive CalFresh benefits. However, you may be eligible for CalFresh if your immigration status changes to Legal Permanent Resident (LPR) and you meet all other eligibility requirements.
If you are currently receiving CalFresh benefits, it will continue until your renewal if you meet all other eligibility criteria. Make sure to let your worker know at renewal if your immigration status has changed and provide verification.
Impacted households may experience a reduction or discontinuance of benefits at their renewal.
For new households, applying as of April 1, 2026, this change will take effect at application.
Changes to Issuance of State Utility Assistance Subsidy (SUAS) to allow Standard Utility Allowance Deduction
Beginning November 1, 2025, only households that include a member 60 years of age or older or who has a disability and doesn’t have heating or cooling utility expenses separate from their housing costs, will receive the Standard Utility Allowance or “SUA” deduction with the issuance of SUAS payment. Allowing the SUA deduction may increase a household’s monthly CalFresh benefits or make the HH eligible to benefits.
Currently, households that do not have heating and cooling costs separate from their housing costs and do not qualify for the SUA are provided with a State Utility Assistance Subsidy (an annual $20.01 energy assistance payment) that entitles them to claim the SUA. Under H.R. 1 this option is now limited to households with a member 60 years or older or with a disability.
If your household includes a member 60 years or older or with a disability, we will continue to issue this annual energy assistance payment automatically so that you can be allowed the SUA deduction.
Because of this change, households without a member 60 years or older or with a disability who previously received an annual energy assistance payment for this purpose may experience a reduction in their monthly CalFresh benefit. A smaller number of these households may lose CalFresh eligibility.
For new households, this change will take effect at application beginning November 1, 2025. For existing households, this change will take effect at your next renewal.
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