Thousands of county residents who were affected by the Jan. 22 storm and floods and who meet income guidelines are eligible to receive hundreds of dollars worth of food benefits for a limited time.
The deadline to apply online, by phone or in person is Friday.
The state is offering a month’s worth of CalFresh food benefits through a federal program that provides aid to victims of natural disasters.
The state estimates about 4,500 new households in San Diego County may be eligible for CalFresh benefits worth $1.4 million. That’s in addition to another 800 affected households that are already receiving CalFresh benefits; those households could receive another $140,270 in benefits.
Who’s eligible?
People who lived or worked in San Diego County on Jan. 21 are eligible for benefits if they meet certain income requirements and if they experienced at least one of the following things as a direct result of the storm:
- They spent money because of the storm or related power outages
- They spent money because of damage to a home or business
- They lost food
- They lost money from work
- At least one person in their household stopped getting regular CalFresh benefits
In addition to meeting one of those criteria, their household’s monthly take-home income and accessible liquid financial resources, minus disaster expenses, must have fallen below one of the following thresholds during that period:
- Household of 1 person: $2,085
- 2 people: $2,514
- 3 people: $2,942
- 4 people: $3,380
- 5 people: $3,845
- 6 people: $4,308
The income limits for disaster food benefits, which are published by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, are the same for the 48 contiguous states and do not take into account cost-of-living differences.
Households that already receive CalFresh benefits can receive additional benefits if they were impacted by the storm. However, they will not be eligible if they already receive the maximum monthly allotment for their household size.
How to apply
People can apply by doing one of the following:
- Register online at benefitscal.com
- Call the local county social services office at (866) 262-9881
- Apply in person at one of the following sites through Friday between 7 a.m. and 5 p.m.:
- 1255 Imperial Ave. (Fifth floor), San Diego, 92101
- 220 S. First St., El Cajon, 92019
- 7065 Broadway, Lemon Grove, 91945
- 1130 10th Ave., San Diego, 92101
- 5055 Ruffin Road, San Diego, 92123
- 3708 Ocean Ranch Blvd., Oceanside, 92056
- 649 W. Mission Ave. No. 3, Escondido, 92025
- 690 Oxford St., Chula Vista, 91911
- 5101 Market St., San Diego, 92114
- 401 Mile of Cars, National City, 91950
There are two steps to getting benefits: Residents must submit an application, then complete an interview with a state official to verify eligibility. The interview will be conducted by phone or in person.
What happens next?
People should be receiving their benefits within three days of completing their interview, the state says. Benefits will arrive on an EBT debit card.
Recipients will receive a month’s worth of benefits. The maximum amounts of disaster benefits that households can receive are:
- Household of 1 person: $291
- 2 people: $535
- 3 people: $766
- 4 people: $973
- 5 people: $1,155
- 6 people: $1,386
Recipients can spend their EBT benefits on food at SNAP-authorized stores or approved online retailers, which include grocery stores, Amazon, Walmart and Costco, among others.
