SNAP benefit changes could affect millions in June

CalFresh work – California’s CalFresh program is set to adopt updated federal SNAP work and community engagement rules on June 1, with new requirements for many adults ages 18 to 64. The shift comes as nationwide SNAP participation has fallen sharply since last summer’s feder

On the calendar, June 1 is close enough to feel like a deadline.

For millions of Californians who rely on food assistance through the state’s CalFresh program. the change is straightforward on paper: new work and community engagement rules tied to a federal overhaul of SNAP benefits begin in June. The timing arrives after a year in which SNAP enrollment dropped nationwide—numbers that show how quickly policy can translate into lost access for families that were already stretched thin.

CalFresh is California’s largest food assistance program. About 5.1 million people in the Golden State collect the benefit. Nationally. the number of Americans receiving SNAP benefits has fallen by millions since last summer’s passage of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA). which introduced stricter eligibility standards and expanded work rules for many recipients.

The federal changes that ripple into California trace back to legislation passed in July 2025. While states have rolled out those rules on different timelines, preliminary data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture shows SNAP participation dropped from 42.8 million people in January 2025 to fewer than 38.6 million by January 2026. The drop is largely attributed to the stricter work requirements.

Beginning June 1, California is set to implement updated federal work and community engagement rules for CalFresh recipients.

Under the new guidelines, some adults will need to meet work-related conditions to continue receiving benefits. California says the rules generally apply to recipients between ages 18 and 64, people who do not have a disability, and those who do not have a dependent child under age 14.

For people covered by the requirements. eligibility may depend on participating in work-related activities—working. volunteering. attending school. or joining a job training program. The main change. according to California’s framing of the update. broadens the categories of recipients who could now be required to meet work standards.

That expansion matters because some groups who previously qualified for exemptions may now have to comply. California lists adults ages 55 to 64; parents whose youngest child is 14 or older; veterans; individuals experiencing homelessness; and people in foster care or who were in foster care on their 18th birthday as groups that had been exempt but may now need to meet the new standards.

Exemptions are not disappearing. People may still qualify for exemptions if they are pregnant; unable to work because of physical or mental health conditions; caring for a child under 14; receiving disability-related benefits; participating in certain refugee training programs; or meeting other qualifying criteria.

California’s Department of Social Services has said people dealing with addiction, domestic violence, or chronic homelessness tied to a physical or mental health issue may still qualify for exemptions.

The ABAWD framework sits at the center of the shift. Under federal law, ABAWD recipients can receive only three full months of benefits within a three-year period unless they meet work participation standards or qualify for an exemption.

To remain eligible beyond that limit, recipients generally must do at least one of the following: work an average of 20 hours per week; earn at least $217.50 weekly before taxes; volunteer or participate in qualifying education or job training programs.

For those enrolled in school or training programs, attendance rules are specific. They must either attend at least half time or complete 20 hours of class time each week. Those who fail to meet those requirements could lose access to benefits after three months during the three-year window.

Not every part of California will be pulled into the ABAWD work rules on the same schedule. Some areas of the state will not be required to follow the new ABAWD rules through October 31. The waiver currently applies to these counties: Alpine, Colusa, Imperial, Merced, Monterey, Plumas, and Tulare. Residents in those counties may continue receiving CalFresh benefits beyond the standard three-month ABAWD limit even if they are not working.

The enrollment declines that prompted this moment have been steepest in the period after the OBBBA became law. For much of early 2025, participation numbers declined gradually and stayed above 42 million recipients through July. But after the law took effect, enrollment fell more rapidly. Between August 2025 and January 2026, participation dropped by about 3.4 million people.

The single largest one-month decline came between October and November 2025. During that stretch, the number of recipients dropped by more than 1 million after states were required to begin complying with the law’s new standards.

Governor Gavin Newsom has not specifically commented on the CalFresh changes coming in June. But last year, he criticized the broader federal legislation that set these rules in motion.

“The so-called ‘Big, Beautiful bill’ is not cost-saving. It is not smart. It is cruel. costly. and a significant encroachment on states’ rights—the opposite of what Republican leadership claims to stand for. ” Newsom said last June. about a week before President Donald Trump signed the OBBBA into law.

He continued: “Big government is getting bigger under Trump and Speaker Johnson, as they attempt to dictate every move states make and micromanage Americans through even greater bureaucracy,” and added, “It’s dangerous, and anyone with common sense should oppose it.”

The federal standards are now moving from the national level to daily eligibility decisions in local offices and case files. For the people who depend on CalFresh. June isn’t just another month on the calendar—it is the point when compliance. exemptions. and work requirements collide with real schedules. real health limits. and real lives that have already been tested by earlier drops in assistance nationwide.

CalFresh SNAP June 1 work requirements ABAWD California Department of Social Services Gavin Newsom OBBBA SNAP enrollment decline