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Application Process

Are you eligible for CalFresh? Here’s how to apply:

Book an appointment with us. One of our trained CalFresh Advocates will guide you through the entire application. We can also support you throughout your entire application process and can call the county on your behalf.
You can also apply on your own! If you have any questions please email us at calfresh@uci.edu.

Here are some extra reminders & FAQ about the next steps in the process.
There are many steps to follow but are essential to determine your eligibility and continuity in the program.

County Interview

1. Phone Interview

The county will be calling you to conduct a phone interview with you. They will ask you some further questions about the details you submitted in your application.

2. Caseworker Interview

You will be assigned a caseworker, whose information will be sent to you via mail. The caseworker will conduct the interview with you and determine whether they will approve or deny you for benefits, as well as how much benefits you will receive.

3. Don’t Miss the Call!

The county doesn’t have a specific number they call you from, so be on the lookout for unfamiliar numbers, including unknown or blocked numbers, and pick those up, as it could be the county.

If you would like to call the County on your own, check out the Social Services Agency Number by County sheet for the appropriate phone number. The best time to call Social Services is usually when they first open because that is when they are the least busy (it might be early in the morning). They might still have an hour hold at that time, but they do have a call-back feature.

We can also support you by calling the County on your behalf if you sign a Release of Information form. Contact us at calfresh@uci.edu to set this up.

Contact the County if:
✓ The county calls you and you miss your phone interview
✓ The county never calls you for a phone interview
✓ The county asks you to upload further documents and you upload the documents and you want to notify your caseworker.

List of social Services agency numbers by county

When to expect the county interview?

As stated on the application website, GetCalFresh, there are delays in applications right now since the county is experiencing high application volumes. Normally, we tell students to be on the lookout for a phone interview with the county for the next two to three weeks, but we’re unsure if that timeline may extend because of current circumstances.

If you need to submit an additional document that we talked about during the meeting, or if the county asks you to upload further documents, you can upload them on getcalfresh.org. Scroll down to where it says “Submit Documents”. Make sure to make an account with your county portal. This is where you:
1. Can view the balance of your CalFresh benefits once you receive them.
2. Where you can fill out the semi-annual SAR-7 and annual Recertification reports the county requires of you (more info below).
Please go to your settings and indicate that you would like your Social Security Number to be linked with your account.

After approval, what is next?

Your EBT Card will arrive after approval!

Every six months:

You have to fill out a report to the county called the SAR7 (to certify that you’re still eligible for benefits).

You can find this on your BenefitsCal portal (if you applied through Orange County), and it will be mailed to you as well. You can complete it online or fill out the mailed version.

You can also fill out the PDF version and mail it or upload that to your BenefitsCal account.

You can apply on your own, or if you would like extra assistance, you can make an appointment with us and we can help you fill it out.

Every year (6 months after filling out the SAR-7):

You have to complete a form called Recertification, for the same purpose, and it can be completed the same way (online or by mail), and can also book an appointment with us to help with this.

Here is the link to the PDF version.

You must fill these out on time, by when they are due, otherwise, your benefits may be delayed or discontinued.
The due date will be available on your online portal.

If you didn’t apply through Orange County, and then move to Orange County at a later date and want to keep your CalFresh benefits, you can call the county you applied in and ask them to transfer your case to Orange County.

Does CalFresh have a timeline?