14.6% of SoCal residents to lose CalFresh benefits amid government shutdown

Nearly 3 million Southern California residents will lose CalFresh benefits on Nov. 1 amid the federal government shutdown.

Barring a resolution to the shutdown, the U.S. will have a gaping hole in its safety net, particularly for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, which helps about one in eight Americans buy groceries. In California, SNAP is called CalFresh.

The Trump administration said Friday that it won't use a roughly $5 billion contingency fund to keep food aid flowing in November in the government shutdown, but a new lawsuit by Democratic state officials Tuesday seeks to uncork the emergency money - enough to pay for the benefits for more than half a month - or another larger fund.

How many people in Southern California will lose CalFresh benefits amid the government shutdown?

In Southern California, that means 14.6% of people will not be able to buy groceries unless funds are made available for CalFresh.

The SoCal county with highest percentage of CalFresh recipients is Kern County, where 20.5% of people could lose access to buying groceries during the shutdown.

In Los Angeles, 15.9% of people will lose access to CalFresh benefits if the fund runs dry.

How many people in California will lose CalFresh benefits if the government shutdown continues?

More than 5 million Californians will lose access CalFresh benefits and will not be able to buy groceries if funds run out. That's 13.5% of the state's population.

This also means starting Nov. 1 grocery stores could lose more than $1 billion in spending from CalFresh recipients.

The county with the highest percentage of people receiving CalFresh benefits is Imperial County, where 27.3% of people set to lose access.

Tulare, Lake and Fresno counties also have more than 20% of their population receiving CalFresh benefits.

Who will be impacted if SNAP benefits run out?

Most SNAP participants are families with children, more than 1 in 3 include older adults or someone with a disability, and close to 2 in 5 are households where someone is employed. Most have incomes below the poverty line, about $32,000 for a family of four, according to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities. The USDA says nearly 16 million children received SNAP benefits in 2023.

The average monthly benefit is $187 per person.

Beneficiaries say that without the aid, they'll be forced to choose between buying food and paying other bills. Food banks are preparing for a spike in demand that they'll have to navigate with decreased federal aid themselves.

Not everyone receives their SNAP benefits on the first day of the month, though many beneficiaries get them early in the month, with some differences by state.

States expect retailers will be able to accept cards with balances on them.

How to get help if your CalFresh benefits run out

Between the January fires and inflation, demand at the food bank has been up about 25% this year compared to last year and things are about to get worse -- with the government shutdown, demand is about to go up even more.

Gov. Gavin Newsom fast-tracked $80 million in state funds to support food banks and has deployed the California National Guard to assist.

The governor's office said he's building off of his efforts to combat food insecurity during the COVID-19 pandemic. Newsom ordered the National Guard and volunteers from a state-run program in 2020 to work with food banks across the state to identify needs. Troops helped pack and deliver 800 million meals to people, Newsom's office said. The governor will share additional details on the new effort as Nov. 1 approaches.

To find food, financial and other resources near you, go to FindHelp.org. The website connects nonprofits like food banks and pantries to people in need of resources. All you have to do is enter your zip code and hit search.

The Los Angeles County Parks and Recreation department is reminding the public of its free meal programs at county parks for youths, teens and seniors. Find locations on the food programs website.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.