Updated November 7, 2025: 
CalFresh benefits are now beginning to be distributed to California families – San Francisco’s Emergency Grocery Card Program will continue to be available. 

• Following lawsuits filed by California and other states, California CalFresh recipients are beginning to see the immediate restoration of their full benefits on their EBT cards.
• The Emergency Grocery Card Program will continue to be available for San Francisco CalFresh recipients to receive a one-time emergency prepaid grocery card.  

• In partnership with Crankstart, we are proud to have acted quickly to address the federal uncertainty and to still provide this additional food support to San Francisco.

Prepaid cards for San Francisco CalFresh recipients 

With support from the City and philanthropic partners, SFHSA is distributing one-time prepaid grocery cards to San Francisco CalFresh recipients to help them purchase food during this time.  

CalFresh recipients will receive a letter from the San Francisco Human Services Agency (SFHSA) letting them know they qualify for a one-time prepaid grocery card. 

The letters will be mailed during the first week of November. Each letter includes instructions and a unique activation code to claim a card. CalFresh clients will be able to access their card as a virtual card immediately or request a physical card in the mail, which will arrive in five to seven business days. The prepaid cards can be used at grocery stores and most markets that accept EBT. 

Recipients will be prompted to provide information that is unique to them in order to activate and access the funds. Clients do not need to contact SFHSA to request or receive this support. Those who are having trouble activating the card or have not received the notification letter by mid-November can contact GiveCard directly. 

How you can help 

• Help spread the word: Share accurate information with your CalFresh clients and community networks. Reinforce that this is a real program from SFHSA—not a scam.
• Help with activation: Assist clients with online activation or requesting a physical card. See our program toolkit.
• Refer to official resources: Stay informed by regularly reviewing the official information on our website, which is updated with the latest information. More detailed information is available at SFHSA.org/CalFreshAid.
• Stay informed: Check our Emergency Grocery Card Program page and our FAQ for updates about this initiative.

Fraud prevention 

CalFresh recipients will be prompted to provide information that is unique to them in order to activate and access their grocery card. Clients will never be asked to give their Social Security number or bank account information to access their card. GiveCard, the grocery card vendor, will provide customer and fraud prevention support.   

CalFresh use in November 

Clients will be able to use their EBT card with any existing funds as usual through the federal government shutdown. We will share more information if anything changes. 

Clients can still apply for new CalFresh benefits in November at BenefitsCal.com, (415) 557-5000, or in person at one of our service centers, but benefit receipt will likely be delayed. 

Other SFHSA-administered benefits 

At this time, other federally funded benefits and programs administered by SFHSA, including Medi-Cal, CalWORKs, In-Home Supportive Services (IHSS), and child welfare services, are not impacted. We will continue to provide updates as more information becomes available on SFHSA.org/FedShutdown. 

Your partnership 

Thank you for partnering with us to share accurate, timely information that helps community members get the support they need.