If you’re a CalFresh recipient or just curious about how the program works, here’s a friendly breakdown of what to expect during the first week of February 2025. CalFresh, California’s version of the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), helps individuals and families access healthy food. Let’s dive in!
CalFresh benefits are designed to support low-income individuals and families who meet certain eligibility criteria. This includes, for instance, families with children or seniors, both in a financial position that requires a little help. Some college students (who meet specific requirements) could qualify, as well as individuals experiencing homelessness, or even working adults with limited income.
How Does California Organize the CalFresh / SNAP Payments?
If you’ve been approved for CalFresh, you’ll receive an Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) card, which works like a debit card to purchase eligible food items at grocery stores, farmers’ markets, and online retailers like Amazon, Costco, Trader Joe’s, or and Walmart (among hundreds of other places).
California distributes CalFresh benefits over the first 10 days of each month. The exact day you receive your benefits depends on the last digit of your case number. Here’s how it works: If your approval case number ending in 1, your benefits are loaded on February 1 …and so on, up to case number ending in 0 with the deposit date being February 10.
California completes its full CalFresh payment schedule in the first ten days of the month, as follows:
- Case number ending in 1: Benefits available on February 1
- Case number ending in 2: Benefits available on February 2
- Case number ending in 3: Benefits available on February 3
- Case number ending in 4: Benefits available on February 4
- Case number ending in 5: Benefits available on February 5
- Case number ending in 6: Benefits available on February 6
- Case number ending in 7: Benefits available on February 7
- Case number ending in 8: Benefits available on February 8
- Case number ending in 9: Benefits available on February 9
- Case number ending in 0: Benefits available on February 10
The maximum SNAP / CalFresh payments in 2025
As of February 2025, the amounts the CalFresh pays to beneficiaries depends on several factors, but there are maximums set according to the size of the household (in number of members).
For fiscal year 2025, the maximum monthly SNAP benefits vary depending on household size. A one-person household can receive up to $292 per month, while a two-person household is eligible for up to $536. For three people, the maximum benefit increases to $768, and for four people, it goes up to $975.
Larger households can receive even more: five people qualify for up to $1,158, six people for $1,390, seven people for $1,536, and eight people for $1,756.
For each additional household member beyond eight, an extra $220 is added to the maximum monthly benefit.
