WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS?
CalFresh (formerly called Food Stamps) is a government program that provides benefits so that you and your family will not go hungry. If you are eligible, you get an Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) card that you can use to buy food at most stores. CalFresh is free but you must apply to receive it.
Many people don’t know they qualify or do not know how to apply. If you need food, you should apply. Everyone has the right to apply and deserves to have enough to eat.
You can use your CalFresh card at (to find a retailer near you that welcomes SNAP EBT customers, visit https://www.fns.usda.gov/snap/retailer-locator):
- Almost every food store
- Many Farmer’s Markets
- Some meals-on-wheels programs
- Some shelters are authorized to take CalFresh as payment from clients
- Some restaurants are authorized to accept CalFresh from people who are senior, disabled or homeless.
You can use it to purchase:
• Any food item except hot foods that are meant to be eaten immediately (except at certain restaurants)
• Seeds to grow your own food.
• CalFresh cannot be used for non-food products such as soap or diapers.
Each month you get a dollar amount deposited into your EBT card to help you buy food. The amount your household will receive depends on your income and other factors. Currently the maximum you can get ranges from $250 monthly for a single person to $835 monthly for a family of 4. Few people get the maximum amount. During the pandemic, additional benefits are being added to people’s amounts a second time during the month. This supplement will end when the public emergency is declared to be over.