Millions of California residents qualify for SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) benefits but don’t use them, according to a new report from Nourish California.
SNAP, otherwise known as CalFresh in the state, supplies monthly funds for low-income Americans to buy food with an EBT card. But not everyone takes advantage of the program. Many may be unaware that they qualify for the program or miss key information about deadlines and income requirements.
Nourish California estimates there are 2.7 million people eligible for CalFresh who do not receive any benefits. If the state approved the benefits for the 2.7 million, it would receive an extra $3.5 billion in CalFresh money from the federal government yearly.
California has a significant food insecurity problem, with UCLA’s Center for Health Policy and Research finding 3.4 million residents went hungry in 2021, and 39 percent of adults could not afford enough food for themselves.
Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images
“While California has gotten better at enrolling more people into CalFresh in the past decade, we still have a long way to go,” Eli Zigas, food and agriculture policy director at the San Francisco Bay Area Planning and Urban Research Association (SPUR), told Newsweek.
“As the report highlights, other states do a better job of enrolling people who are eligible for this federally funded food assistance. We can, and must, do better so Californians can get critical food assistance and the recommendations in Nourish California’s report point the way forward.”
Nourish California attributed an “overly complicated and burdensome application process” for the low numbers of SNAP beneficiaries.
“We urge the state to immediately prioritize improving CalFresh participation to help the millions of families who need help putting food on the table,” Jared Call, director of policy at Nourish California, said in a statement.
“One in five Californian’s struggle with food insecurity, yet the state is missing out on billions of dollars in federally-funded food assistance each year. As the Governor and Legislature look for solutions to solve the budget shortfall, they should do everything to maximize federal resources — including CalFresh — which is proven to reduce hunger, improve health, and boost the state’s economy.”
It also said some groups, like college students, face extra hurdles to get food support. Even when Californians apply for CalFresh, one-quarter of Nourish California’s respondents said they experienced unfair treatment.
“Many of California’s issues with SNAP enrollment have to do with a cumbersome application process that makes enrollment more difficult, especially for certain groups,” Alex Beene, a financial literacy instructor at the University of Tennessee at Martin, told Newsweek.
“The issue here is the lack of enrollment profoundly affects federal funding,” Beene said. “The less you have taking advantage of SNAP, the less money the state will receive. That creates long-term issues for those with food security. Ultimately, it’s a lose-lose where no one benefits.”
There’s another rebate available in California, but funds are running out. Similar to SNAP or CalFresh, the CalFresh Fruit and Vegetable EBT Pilot Project gives low-income residents an instant rebate for the purchase of fruits and vegetables specifically.
While it was proposed for a budget of $95 million, it received only $9.65 million in funding. Lawmakers have been sounding the alarm as the money available will be gone by June, which is the end of the fiscal year.
Uncommon Knowledge
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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.