SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Approximately 47,000 Californians are expected to lose their monthly CalFresh food assistance benefits beginning this month, in October 2026, as expanded federal work requirements under the Republican-backed budget law H.R. 1 are projected to cut off assistance for 562,000 Californians over the next year.
CalFresh benefits, federally known as Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits, provide food assistance to people with low incomes. The loss of benefits for 47,000 Californians could have catastrophic effects on people who rely on the program for food, according to a news release from Assemblymember Alex Lee’s office.
H.R. 1, the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act,” was passed by Congress and signed into law in July 2025. According to the news release, “The federal policies are part of the Trump Administration’s agenda to deny people’s access to food assistance.”
“H.R. 1’s expanded work requirements are red tape traps to cut off vital food aid for low-income people,” said Assemblymember Alex Lee. “This is yet another cruel and punitive policy by the Republican federal government to starve our families.”
According to the news release, budget cuts instituted by the Trump administration beginning in November 2025 were expected to reduce monthly benefits for thousands of recipients by $39. This has forced California to invest more of its budget in providing food assistance.
“In the face of H.R. 1’s sweeping cuts, the 2026-27 state budget is bolstering California’s food aid funding, including $223 million for counties to respond to H.R. 1’s expanded work requirements and $118 million for CalFood.”
Under the law, able-bodied adults without dependents must demonstrate that they are working, volunteering or enrolled in school or job training for at least 20 hours per week. According to the news release, SNAP participation has already dropped by 5 million people nationwide because of the budget cuts and new requirements.
According to the news release, the gap left in CalFresh and SNAP funding because of federal budget cuts cannot be filled by the state alone.
“As demand continues to rise, we are grateful to California leaders for investing in CalFood and CalFresh Outreach this year to mitigate some of the harm caused by H.R. 1.
“At the same time, state investments alone cannot fill the gap. We continue to urge Congress to reverse these cuts and cost-shift federally through any legislative vehicle to prevent further hunger in our state,” said Stacia Levenfeld, chief executive officer of California Food Banks.
The law’s passage and its projected effects have prompted calls for action among California politicians, according to the news release.
“California is not powerless in the face of these cruel cuts: we thank the Legislature and Governor for prioritizing investments in the county eligibility workforce, who are critical to help hundreds of thousands of Californians cut through H.R. 1’s red tape and keep their CalFresh benefits,” said Carlos Marquez III, executive director of the County Welfare Directors Association.
“We thank Assemblymember Lee for continuing to highlight this issue and underscore the need for ongoing investment in the human-centered, technology empowered eligibility workforce to protect Californians from H.R. 1.”
As hundreds of thousands of Californians face the loss of critical food assistance, state leaders, counties and food banks are working to mitigate the harm and ensure vulnerable communities can access the nutritious food they need. However, state investments alone cannot offset the projected impact of H.R. 1, underscoring the urgent need for federal action to reverse these cuts and protect food security for all Californians.
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