CalFresh, California’s nutrition assistance program (the state’s equivalent of SNAP payments), will continue to operate normally in 2025. Benefits are given via Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) cards, allowing low-income households to obtain necessary foods. According to official local government figures, approximately five million families benefit monthly every year.
CalFresh payments are made at the beginning of each month, and there are no further payments as of now, but this does not imply that payments are being delayed or suspended indefinitely. Funds were distributed between March 1 and March 10, based on the final digit of each beneficiary’s case number.
No more CalFresh payments in March 2025: What’s coming next
As of March 10, 2025, all payments for the month had been handled, and all that remained was to predict when and how the next month’s payments will arrive.
In April 2025, the same schedule will apply: beneficiaries will get their payments between April 1 and 10, depending on their case number. Users must complete eligibility requirements, such as recertification processes, on time in order for the program to continue.
Maximum benefit amounts (October 2024 to September 2025)
The amounts were modified for COLA and the federal Thrifty Food Plan. In homes with more than eight people, there is an extra increase of $220 per person.
- 1-person household: $292
- household of 2 people: $536
- household of 3 people: $768
- household of 4 people: $975
- household of 5 people: $1,158
- household of 6 people: $1,390
- household of 7 people: $1,536
- household of 8 people: $1,756
- Additional person: +$220
A practical example to help you understand: A household of two with a net income of $100 would receive $506 ($536 minus the $30 standard deduction). For larger families, such as those with 10 people, the price is $1,756 + (220 × 2) = $2,196.
Will there be cuts to the CalFresh program?
Although the 2024-25 state budget cuts human services by less than 1%, this has little impact on monthly CalFresh payments. There have also been no recent modifications to employment requirements for adults without dependents (ABAWD) that would affect eligibility.
A financial increase is proposed for the next fiscal year (2025-2026), indicating that no cuts are planned in the near future.
Although there are no direct cuts to the program, adjustments to employment requirements for specific groups, such as those aged 50 to 54, may affect eligibility for some persons; nonetheless, this does not lower overall program funding but rather complicates the benefit eligibility process.