DisasterCalFresh

What Is Disaster CalFresh?

Disaster CalFresh (D-CalFresh), federally known as the Disaster Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (D-SNAP), is a way to meet the temporary nutritional needs of disaster victims within a 30-day period, following a natural disaster such as a flood, fire, earthquake or any other natural disaster. D-CalFresh provides a month's worth of benefits on an Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) card which can be used to purchase food at authorized retail stores.  D-CalFresh is only available when all of the following elements occur: 

  • A Presidential Declaration for Individual Assistance has been declared in the affected area;
  • Commercial channels of food distribution have been disrupted and those commercial channels have been restored; and
  • The State of California has been approved to operate a D-CalFresh program. 

The 58 County Welfare Departments (CWDs) administer CalFresh and in the event of a disaster administers D-CalFresh.  The affected county is responsible for submitting an application request to implement a D-CalFresh or program waivers, whichever is the most appropriate response, to CDSS for review.  CDSS will forward the application request to the United States Department of Agriculture, Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) for final approval. 

If you are a current CalFresh recipient affected by the disaster and you meet the household eligibility requirements listed below, please contact your local County Welfare Department for additional information on how to request supplemental disaster benefits.

If you are a new applicant affected by the disaster, meet the household eligibility requirements listed below, and you would like to apply for D-CalFresh, you can apply in person at your local County Welfare Department or other designated D-CalFresh application site.

In order to qualify for a temporary disaster benefit all disaster victims must meet the household eligibility requirements listed below.

Household Eligibility Requirements under D-CalFresh

Residency
The household must have lived in the disaster area at the time of the disaster.
In some cases, D-CalFresh approvals may include eligibility for people who worked in the disaster area.

Purchase of Food
To be eligible, households must plan on purchasing food during the disaster benefit period.

Adverse Effect
The household must have experienced one of the following adverse actions:

  • Damage to home or self-employment property
  • Disaster-related expenses
  • A disruption in income
  • Inaccessible liquid resources
  • In some cases, D-CalFresh approvals may include eligibility for households that lost food, but had no other disaster-related expenses. 

Income and Resources 
Modified Categorical Eligibility (MCE), in the regular CalFresh program, wherein the CalFresh households resources are excluded when determining CalFresh eligibility does not apply in the D-CalFresh program. Income and resources must be counted in order to determine eligibility in the D-CalFresh program for households who have suffered a disaster loss.

Note: The total net (take-home) income received during the benefit period plus accessible liquid resources, minus eligible disaster-related expenses, shall not exceed the disaster gross income limit. Click to view disaster gross income limitsfor the period of 10/01/18 - 09/30/19.