What to Know
- Individuals and families impacted by the Woolsey Fire in Los Angeles County may be eligible to receive one month of CalFresh.
- A family of four with a monthly income up to $2,755 per month may be eligible to receive up to $640 in food assistance.
- On Wednesday, the U.S. Department of Agriculture approved California's request for Disaster CalFresh food assistance.
Individuals and families impacted by the Woolsey Fire in Los Angeles County may be eligible to receive one month of Disaster CalFresh food assistance, state and local officials said Thursday.
A family of four with a monthly income up to $2,755 per month may be eligible to receive up to $640 in food assistance through the Disaster CalFresh program, according to the California Department of Social Services. On Wednesday, the U.S. Department of Agriculture approved California's request for Disaster CalFresh food assistance to aid in the fire recovery effort. The program is known nationally as the Disaster Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or D-SNAP.
The benefits are generally available within three days of the date of application. According to the Los Angeles County Department of Public Social Services, individuals and families may be eligible for assistance if the household experienced at least one of the following as a direct result of the wildfires:
-- damage to or destruction of the home or self-employment business;
-- loss or inaccessibility of income, including a reduction or termination of earned income or a significant delay in receiving income due to disaster related problems; or
-- disaster-related expenses, such as home or business repairs, temporary shelter costs, that are not expected to be reimbursed during the disaster benefit period.
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Wildfire victims may apply for the assistance in person at local social service agency offices in Los Angeles County next Monday through Friday. The Disaster CalFresh benefits will be provided via an Electronic Benefits Transfer or EBT card, which is similar to a debit card that can be used to purchase food items at grocery stores and other authorized retailers.
Households already participating in CalFresh are not eligible to receive Disaster CalFresh food assistance, but may be eligible to receive supplemental benefits based on their household size. Households already participating in CalFresh may contact their local social service agency to request supplemental benefits by phone or in person.
Some households already participating in CalFresh may also automatically receive supplemental benefits based on the direct impact, such as mandatory evacuations, of the wildfires in their community. More information is available here, or call (562) 776-7001.
