CalFresh Recipients and Counties Brace for Impact of New Work Requirements

Hundreds of thousands of Californians could lose access to food assistance through CalFresh in the coming months, even if they remain eligible under new work requirements that took effect Monday. The new rules target individuals classified as "able-bodied adults without dependents" (ABAWDs).

Recipients must now undergo longer recertification processes to prove eligibility or exemption under the policy, which mandates 80 hours of work per month for anyone able to work under age 65. The work requirements were added to the program's eligibility rules in 2025 with the passage of the federal budget bill House Resolution 1 (HR 1), known as the "Big Beautiful Bill." CalFresh is California's version of the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).

The new rules apply to all new applicants after June 1 and require current recipients to prove compliance or exemption at their annual recertification. Those who do not meet the work requirements can receive only up to three months of food assistance over a three-year period.

Previously, such recipients were eligible as long as they registered for workforce development programs, with no time limit. Exemptions for disability, caregiving, and other reasons require a more complex recertification process that can take hours per client, according to Marla Stuart, director of Contra Costa County's Employment and Human Services Department.

The increased workload for county staff and social workers is expected to overwhelm current capacity. The County Welfare Directors Association of California, county workforce development representatives, and state lawmakers have called on Governor Gavin Newsom to increase funding for eligibility workers by $221 million starting with the upcoming fiscal year, which begins July 1.

The budget is due by June 15. State Senator Jesse Arreguin said a Senate committee advanced a $175 million increase for county eligibility assistance, and negotiations with the Assembly are ongoing.

Newsom's office did not respond to a request for comment. Thousands of immigrants on humanitarian grounds who have applied for asylum could also lose eligibility, and some of the 72,000 such California residents, including those with approved asylum claims, could see benefits drastically reduced, according to the California Budget and Policy Center.

Insufficient staff to process applications and conduct screenings could cause roughly 260,000 Californians to lose CalFresh benefits despite still being eligible, according to Carlos Marquez, executive director of the County Welfare Directors Association. Lawmakers and advocates pointed to staff shortages in Massachusetts' SNAP program, where about 75% of callers in February and January received an automatic message and were disconnected due to high call volume.

Stuart said Contra Costa County has about 51,000 residents subject to the new work requirements, including 4,276 recipients who need to recertify this month. The county has invested in new workforce development programs but needs state funding to hire an estimated 86 additional workers.

"Our workforce development systems do not have sufficient capacity to absorb the huge increase in individuals that will need employment assistance," Stuart said. In San Francisco, about 19,000 recipients (one in six) will be subject to the new work requirements.

Mayor Daniel Lurie announced an additional $34 million to fund 150 new staffers. In San Mateo County, more than 5,000 current recipients are estimated to be ineligible, and more than 600 immigrants will lose benefits or see reductions.

The recertification process there takes about 1 to 1.5 hours per client. In Santa Clara County, about 52,000 recipients will be subject to the new work requirements, along with about 1,500 people who could lose eligibility due to immigration status.

County Executive James Williams said HR 1 is "intentionally cruel" and creates barriers that will result in people losing access to food assistance even if they meet work requirements.