CalFresh Task Force
The Humboldt County CalFresh Task Force brings together community-based organizations and County agencies serving CalFresh eligible households in Humboldt County and is facilitated by Food for People. Together, we stay up to date on local CalFresh enrollment statistics and processes, in addition to state and federal legislation that impacts the seniors, children, and families we serve. We work toward making the doorways to applying for CalFresh accessible to all who need it, and work in partnership with the County on methods that suit the unique needs of our rural county's many communities.
CalFresh Task Force member organizations share current and upcoming projects and events that reach low-income Humboldt County households with CalFresh information and application assistance, ranging from farmers' market incentive programs, application assistance at an increasing number of local nonprofits, home and community gardening initiatives through CalFresh, integrating CalFresh outreach with health programs, localized outreach at family resource centers, community centers and through senior programs county-wide, trainings for community members and nonprofit providers, and so much more.
Community partners with questions about the CalFresh Task Force can get in touch with us by emailing CalFresh@foodforpeople.org
Subscribe to the e-newsletter by filling out the form at the bottom of our Advocacy page
CalFresh Task Force Topics
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Unfortunately, a new third-party app (Ebt edge - food stamps) has been released for smartphones that imitates the official FIS ebtEDGE Mobile app and charges users a $4.99 weekly fee or $60 for lifetime access.
Do NOT download or use this app. California will never charge EBT cardholders to use the official EBT app: FIS ebtEDGE. To protect customer benefits, please only use the official, state-supported app (with the image of a fried egg).
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CalFresh income guidelines typically update annually on October 1st, which is the start the federal fiscal year. This is a Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA).
Visit our CalFresh Outreach page for current CalFresh income guidelines.
Applicants previously denied CalFresh because they were over income should consider reapplying if their income falls within the new limits.
Inform customers about the verifications they will need to take deductions and maximize their benefit amounts (e.g., pay stubs, medical expense receipts, etc.). Make sure the county has the household’s most recent expenses.
Make sure households are deducting their dependent care expenses and households with members who are age 60+ or disabled are deducting out-of-pocket medical expenses and full shelter costs.
California implements “Categorical Eligibility,” which means that most households can have gross monthly incomes up to 200% of the Federal Poverty Level (FPL) and their resources are not counted. These households must still meet the net monthly income standards in order to qualify for CalFresh. Visit our Categorical Eligibility page for more details.
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The State has completed sending out new replacement chip/tap EBT cards. The new card has updated security features to help reduce instances of fraud and stolen benefits.
Did you or someone you know NOT receive a new chip/tap card…and the old card stopped working?
Learn more about next steps, security features, and how to use the chip/tap card.
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Many CalFresh recipients will need to complete semi-annual reports in order to continue to receive benefits. In addition, most households will need to complete a recertification form at the end of one year of benefits (or 3 years for some seniors and people with disabilities).
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EBT theft by skimming and scamming is on the rise!
Customers can download the ebtEDGE app to a smartphone to protect their benefits:
*With real-time tracking
*Freeze/unfreeze your card
*Stop online and out of state transactions
*Reset your PIN
*View the last 365 days of transactions
*Order EBT card replacements
*and more!
The ebtEDGE app is specifically for controlling and monitoring EBT cards.
BenefitsCal is different, is NOT an app, and is just focused on your CalFresh case itself.
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Access forms and more information at the CalFresh Application Assistance and Training page here
This includes:
Download a CalFresh application in English or Spanish
Info & Downloads for SAR 7 (Semi-Annual Report) form; SAR 3 (Mid-Period Status Report); or a Recertification form
Verification Documents Checklist
Release of Information (ROI) form in English and Spanish
Ways to talk about CalFresh
Legal Services of Northern CA Guide to CalFresh Benefits
CalFresh Outreach tools & trainings
Informational fact sheets on Humboldt County DHHS programs
Webinar trainings on specific CalFresh Outreach topics
Reducing "churn" (falling off the program)
Benefit Over-issuances
Inter-County Transfer of CalFresh Benefits
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There are specific rules used to determine whether a college student (age 18 through 49) is eligible for CalFresh.
If you or a member of your household are currently attending college or university half time or more (as defined by your school’s degree/transfer requirements, often 7.5 units), you MAY be eligible to participate in the CalFresh Program if you meet any one of the criteria listed on our Student Eligibility page.
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Summer EBT, known as SUN Bucks, is a program that helps families buy food for their school-aged children during the summer. Families will get a card with $120 for each eligible child to buy groceries during the summer. Families must use SUN Bucks within 122 days of funds being loaded to their card. Children who get SUN Bucks can still participate in other summer meal programs.
Some children are automatically enrolled, and some are not and would need to fill out a form to submit to the school.
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Disaster CalFresh
Disaster CalFresh is a program that provides immediate food assistance for victims of natural disasters like earthquakes, floods, or fires. You could get up to a month’s benefits, or $250 per person in your household. You can get Disaster CalFresh even if you don't have immigration documentation, because it isn't considered a public benefit.
If you have moved to another county in California due to fires, you can apply for Disaster CalFresh at the local County DHHS office where you are. People who are not usually eligible for CalFresh can qualify for Disaster CalFresh if they meet the criteria. If you already get CalFresh, then you are not eligible for Disaster CalFresh. Check with your county for supplemental disaster benefits and replacement benefits.
Replacement of Benefits
If food that you bought with CalFresh was damaged or lost in an emergency, you may be able to get extra benefits to replace it. Request the replacement up to 10 days after one of these things happened: Damaged in a fire, flood, or other natural disaster; Power outage; Refrigerator or freezer stopped working; Went bad after utilities got shut off; Or food bought with CalFresh was lost in another way.
After completing a form, a county DHHS worker will figure out what percentage of your benefits can be replaced. It will depend on what happened, and when. Some people can get a full month's replacement, others might only get part of the month.
Learn more about Disaster CalFresh & How to Get Benefits Replacement here
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What is public charge?
It is part of federal immigration law to identify who might depend on the government as their main source of support in the future. If someone is considered a public charge, then the government can deny that person's application for admission into the U.S. or an application for lawful permanent resident status (LPR or "green card").
CalFresh and Medi-Cal are NOT public charge programs.
Though there was a short period of time when the definition of public charge changed, please note that the definition has returned back to what was outlined going back to 1999, making it safe for many non-citizens to access CalFresh.
Since March 9, 2021 public charge affects only some programs and some immigrants. It never impacts U.S. citizens, so it is safe to apply for the U.S.-born children of immigrants. It also does not affect MOST people with a green card, or asylees, refugees, people with U visas, T visas, VAWA, and many others.
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Food for People produces a series of Garden Growing Cards that explain how to grow many common vegetables and fruits in a Humboldt County garden, from seed or seedling. The back of each card includes information about CalFresh, how and where to apply in Humboldt County. Cards are accessible at farmers' markets and at Food for People distribution sites.
Plant starts and seeds that produce food can be purchased with CalFresh, and when you do so at a farmers' market, you receive Match bonus dollars to spend at the market!
Download Garden Growing Cards and learn more about using EBT at farmers’ markets here
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BenefitsCal is an online portal where Californians can get and manage benefits online. This includes food assistance (CalFresh), cash aid (CalWORKs, General Assistance, Cash Assistance Program for Immigrants), and affordable health insurance (Medi-Cal).
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Learn more about CalFresh eligibility requirements for specific households that contain:
People who are mixed-status / immigrants
Students
People with a felony
People experiencing homelessness
and other specific populations
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Households with people who are age 60+, or have disabilities, or are experiencing homelessness are eligible to use CalFresh/EBT at businesses participating in the Restaurant Meals Program.
Looking for flyers on this topic?
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ABAWD is a federal law that has been waived for Humboldt County for many years due to high unemployment. Individuals considered to have ABAWD status may only receive CalFresh benefits for a total of three full months within a 36-month period, unless the person meets an exemption or complies with certain “work requirements.” But the bottom line currently is that this rule does NOT apply.
California currently has a waiver, and it has been extended to Jan 31, 2027. County staff are required to share information about ABAWD at eligibility interviews. If using BenefitsCal to apply online, it will ask questions related to ABAWD, in order to establish a household’s exemptions, so that if the ABAWD waiver goes away, households that would be exempt from it are already set up.
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Current flyers and materials available from Humboldt County DHHS can be found on this list.
In accordance with Federal civil rights law and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) civil rights regulations and policies, the USDA, its Agencies, offices, and employees, and institutions participating in or administering USDA programs are prohibited from discriminating based on race, color, national origin, religion, sex, disability, age, marital status, family/parental status, income derived from a public assistance program, political beliefs, or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity, in any program or activity conducted or funded by USDA (not all bases apply to all programs). Remedies and complaint filing deadlines vary by program or incident.
Persons with disabilities who require alternative means of communication for program information (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, American Sign Language, etc.) should contact the State or local Agency that administers the program or contact USDA through the Telecommunications Relay Service at 711 (voice and TTY). Additionally, program information may be made available in languages other than English.
To file a program discrimination complaint, complete the USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form, AD-3027, found online at How to File a Program Discrimination Complaint and at any USDA office or write a letter addressed to USDA and provide in the letter all of the information requested in the form. To request a copy of the complaint form, call (866) 632-9992. Submit your completed form or letter to USDA by: (1) mail: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW, Mail Stop 9410, Washington, D.C. 20250-9410; (2) fax: (202) 690-7442; or (3) email: program.intake@usda.gov.
USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer, and lender.