CalFresh work rules take effect Monday for ages 18 to 64

California's CalFresh food assistance program will begin enforcing new work and community engagement requirements Monday for recipients ages 18 through 64 who have no disabilities and no dependent children under 14, ABC7 Los Angeles reported.

The policy shift could affect hundreds of thousands of Southern Californians — including Orange County residents — in a region where 1 in 7 people already face food insecurity, according to ABC7 Los Angeles.

Under the new mandate, eligible CalFresh recipients must submit monthly documentation proving they are employed, enrolled in job training, completing volunteer work or fulfilling community service hours, ABC7 Los Angeles reported.

The requirements apply to program participants between 18 and 64 years old who have no qualifying disability and are not the primary caregiver of a dependent child younger than 14, according to the report.

Hundreds of thousands of recipients across Southern California and statewide could face benefit disruptions if they are unable to verify qualifying activity each month, the outlet reported.

Food security advocates have long pointed to the region's hunger burden — 1 in 7 Southern Californians face food insecurity — raising concern that the new documentation requirements could push vulnerable residents off the rolls even when they otherwise meet eligibility criteria.

Recipients who do not document qualifying work or community engagement risk losing access to CalFresh, which provides monthly food purchasing assistance to low-income Californians statewide.

CalFresh serves millions of low-income Californians statewide. Benefit recipients are advised to gather documentation of qualifying work or community activity before their next eligibility review, ABC7 Los Angeles reported.