Starting on October 1, the amounts that states paid out through their SNAP or food stamp programs started to go up. In California, this means that people who get CalFresh benefits will continue to get more money from them.
This is the first time that many people in the Golden State have seen their benefits go up since 1975. The change at the federal level means that CalFresh recipients will get a 25% pay raise. The Consumer Price Index for food has been going up at a rate that has never been seen before, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Overall, the prices of some basics, like milk, have gone up by more than 5.3% over the last year.
Calfresh: Old and Increased Benefit Amount
People who get food assistance through CalFresh have had to make do with less and less over the past year as prices have continued to rise.
When Will the Increase Be Applied to Benefits?
Those who got CalFresh benefits in October should have seen the increase in their payment.
In early October, Margareta Hodzic, the Assistant Director of Employment and Benefits Services for the County of Santa Clara Social Services Agency, talked about how the increase would affect families and the local economy. She said, “Increasing these benefits is not only important for reducing hunger and improving the health of our community, but it is also important for restoring our local economy.”
| Number in Household | Old Benefit Amount | New Benefit Amount |
| 1 | $204 | $250 |
| 2 | $374 | $450 |
| 3 | $535 | $658 |
| 4 | $680 | $835 |
| 5 | $807 | $992 |
| 6 | $969 | $1190 |
| 7 | $1071 | $1316 |
| 8 | $1224 | $1504 |
| Additional person | +$153 | +$188 |
The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), which is in charge of SNAP at the federal level, has found that for every dollar given out through CalFresh/SNAP, the economy benefits by about $1.79.
What Prompted the Federal Snap Benefit Increase?
One part of the 2018 Farm Bill was an evaluation of the Thrifty Food Plan, which is used to figure out how much SNAP benefits people get. This summer, the USDA finished the evaluation and found that food prices had gone up faster than the number of benefits.
READ MORE: Food Stamps 2022: Items You Can Buy With Food Stamps for Thanksgiving in 2022!
Many researchers have looked into this issue, and different studies have shown that some families use up all of their benefits in the first week.
10 Facts About Food Stamps in California https://t.co/tvHdfOOYdS
— iCalifornia Food Stamps (@icafoodstamps) November 7, 2022
SNAP or CalFresh benefits can only pay for a certain number of things. Researchers found it easy to show that the benefits were too low because families can’t use the money to pay for other things around the house.
What Can’t You Buy With Calfresh Benefits?
Many people have said that the limits on the benefits are too strict and make people feel bad about themselves. “Any food that will be eaten or heated in the store” cannot be bought with CalFresh benefits.
#ChooseCalFresh! Keeping your benefits is as easy as 1-2-3! This handy guides provides useful tips for reporting and renewing your benefits. @ComptonUnified @GlendaleUSD @ElMonteUHSD @inglewoodUSD @LennoxDistrict @gomusd @PalmdaleSchools @SouthWhittierSD #lacodpss #LACounty pic.twitter.com/C3UmaRBbVF
— County of Los Angeles | DPSS (@LACo_DPSS) September 10, 2018
Jon Stewart, a political satirist, used his new show, The Problem, to show how poor people are treated differently than corporations that got billions of dollars in bailouts during the 2008 financial crisis and the pandemic.
READ MORE: Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (Snap) Benefits: How to Apply for Food Stamp Benefits?
Other common things that you can’t buy with SNAP or CalFresh benefits are cleaning supplies, vitamins, and food for your pets.
