SANTA CRUZ COUNTY — Santa Cruz County officials on Monday advised that anyone who receives CalFresh benefits will receive an early issuance of benefits for February, beginning the week of Jan. 16-20.
Recipients are advised that no additional benefits will be issued during the month of February.
“The CalFresh program is critically important to thousands of Santa Cruz County families, providing them with a lifeline to nutrition and healthy meals,” said Santa Cruz County Human Services Director Ellen Timberlake. “While we are pleased to deliver February benefits on time, we want clients to know that additional funding will not be forthcoming through February, and to plan accordingly.”
The early disbursement comes due to the federal government shutdown.
According to Santa Cruz County spokesman Jason Hoppin, there are 23,615 CalFresh beneficiaries in Santa Cruz County. Of those, more than 10,000 are children under the age of 18.
The program provides approximately $3.5 million in monthly spending for the local economy.
The change impacts most CalFresh recipients in Santa Cruz County. Clients who do not receive an early issuance will receive benefits on a normal schedule as long as they remain eligible.
New applications will be handled according to normal processing guidelines, and clients who apply after the early issuance or after Feb. 1 will receive February benefits under a normal schedule. However, there is no projection on how long Federal Reserve funds will continue to be available.
The EBT system continues to be operational.
