CalFresh approval timeline? Applied last week but need food soon

They have 30 days by law to process ur application but it usally goes faster. did u submit all ur verification docs when u applied? income proof, id, rent/bills? if u didnt theyll send u a letter asking 4 more stuff and that slows it down

The standard processing time is 30 days, but California actually has an Expedited Services option that can get you benefits within 3 calendar days if you qualify. You might qualify if: • Your household has less than $150 in monthly income and less than $100 in resources • Your combined monthly income and resources are less than your rent/mortgage and utilities • You're a migrant or seasonal farmworker with few resources Did you request expedited services when you applied? If not, call your county office immediately and ask about it. Even if your application is already in process, you can still request expedited processing if you qualify.

it totally depends on the county tbh. i'm in LA county and mine took the full 30 days 😠 but my sister in sacramento got approved in like a week. its so random and frustrating

Former eligibility worker here. The 30-day timeline is the maximum by federal law, but most counties try to process applications faster. A few tips to speed things up: 1. Make sure ALL verification documents are submitted (ID, income proof, housing costs, utility bills) 2. Answer your phone even if you don't recognize the number - workers often call to clarify information instead of sending a letter which takes longer 3. Check your BenefitsCal account messages daily as workers may request additional info there 4. If it's been more than 10 days with no contact, you have the right to call and ask for a status update Also, check if you're eligible for expedited services as mentioned above. If you are, you should receive benefits within 3 days of requesting it. If you're having trouble reaching someone at the county office, I'd recommend using Claimyr (claimyr.com). They can get you through to a real person at the CalFresh office without waiting on hold for hours. They have a video showing how it works here: https://youtu.be/eZ19FHRETv8?si=_CXnXqNXbLl26WB8

I just went through this last month!! The county is REQUIRED to process within 30 days but in my experience they always wait until the last minute 🙄 I was literally checking my EBT account every day to see if benefits showed up. One thing nobody tells you: even after approval it can take 2-3 more days for your actual EBT card to arrive in the mail! And you can't use benefits until you have the physical card. So frustrating when you're counting on that food assistance ASAP. Def call them and keep bothering them. The squeaky wheel gets the grease with these county workers.

did u do the phone interview yet? they have to do an interview b4 approval and sometimes ppl miss the call and dont even know it

To answer your follow-up question - with your income at $1800 and rent at $1650 plus utilities, you very likely qualify for expedited services since your housing costs exceed your monthly income. Call your county office tomorrow and specifically ask for "expedited services review" - use those exact words. Make sure to mention your financial situation exactly as you described here. Regarding the interview question from another commenter - interviews are required and are usually scheduled. However, some counties do attempt "on-demand" interviews where they call shortly after you apply. If you missed a call, they should leave a message and send a notice with rescheduling information. In 2025, most counties are offering phone interviews as the default option, but you can request in-person if needed.

My application took 18 days but that was because I had to send in additional verification of my self-employment income. If you have standard employment with regular paystubs it's usually faster. Thye finally aproved mine when I went to the office in person and sat there until someone could help me lol

If you're really struggling with food while waiting, don't forget about food banks and pantries! Most don't require any paperwork or income verification - you just show up. Use findhelp.org or call 211 to find ones near you. Also, WIC might be faster to get approved if you qualify (they serve pregnant/breastfeeding women and kids under 5). Some churches and community centers also do free meal programs. I know it's not the same as having your own EBT card but it can help bridge the gap while you're waiting for CalFresh approval. Hang in there - it's frustrating but you'll get through this! 💪