While many residents now have access to their CalFresh benefits part of the SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program), legal battles continue at the federal level creating uncertainty, impacts for federal workers, and possible delays in access to benefits for some individuals. Read the full update from Sacramento County below:
“The weekend was marked by significant developments in the ongoing legal battle surrounding the distribution of SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) benefits.
Federal Sequence of Events
- Friday Morning: The Rhode Island courts ruled that the USDA must access additional funding to ensure full SNAP benefits are issued to recipients. This decision sparked a series of legal challenges.
- Friday Evening: After an unsuccessful appeal in a Boston court, the Administration took the matter to the U.S. Supreme Court. The Court granted a temporary stay, pausing any distribution of benefits until an appeals court made a final ruling.
- Sunday: The USDA issued new guidance, stating that all full benefit funding should cease immediately. Only partial benefits would be allowed for distribution going forward.
- Monday Morning: The 1st Circuit Court of Appeals issued a decision upholding the lower court’s ruling that the Administration must issue full SNAP benefits.
- Later Monday Morning: The Administration renewed its appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court, seeking to keep SNAP benefits frozen while the legal battle continues.
California & Sacramento County: Full CalFresh Benefits Distributed
- After receiving the initial court order Friday, the state moved forward with issuing full benefits to California residents. The payment files were processed, ensuring families received their full benefit payments for November.
- By the evening and through the weekend, individuals scheduled to receive benefits between November 1st-10th saw their accounts credited with full payments.
- While we await further clarity, there is no definitive guidance on whether the federal government can retract funds once they have been deposited onto EBT cards. We are awaiting guidance from the state.
- The situation remains dynamic, and we will provide updates as soon as we have more information. Please continue to check our website for timely and accurate information.
Continuing to support the community
Federal Employees & Families Struggling: We still have federal employees who are not receiving wages – many have multiple federal workers per household, families that were without food benefits for a week, and the uncertainty of future funding going into the holidays.
How You Can Help: Our food bank networks are more essential than ever. We encourage you to donate and support local food banks. If you or someone you know is in need of food assistance, don’t forget to use the Food Locator to find available resources in your area.”
