CalFresh recipients between 18 and 64 who have no child under 14 in the home now have to average 20 hours a week of work, school or training to keep getting food stamps in most of California. The state’s able-bodied adults page says only seven counties are waived from the rule from Nov. 1, 2026, through Oct. 31, 2027: Colusa, Imperial, Kings, Merced, Monterey, Plumas and Tulare.
The rule reaches people many assume are too old for it. Anyone aged 55 to 64 who was once excused now falls under it unless another exemption fits, and people in the other 51 counties are on a clock that allows only three full months of benefits in three years if the hours are not met.
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Who has to meet the 20-hour rule?
The California Department of Social Services says the work rule for able-bodied adults without dependents covers people aged 18 to 64. It is separate from CalFresh’s general work rules, which apply to ages 16 to 59. People under 18 or over 64 are excused.
The state’s page says that as of June 1, 2026, certain people who used to be excused now have to meet the requirement unless another exemption applies. They include people 55 to 64, parents whose youngest child is 14 or older, people experiencing homelessness, veterans and certain former foster youth.
What counts as 20 hours, and how long does the clock run?
A person who works must average 20 hours a week. For school or job training, the rule is 20 hours a week of total class time or enrollment at least half-time. The state also lists volunteering as a way to meet it, and counties can connect people with local work opportunities.
The time limit is the part that costs people benefits. Someone who is covered and not meeting the rule can get CalFresh for only three full months in a 36-month period. A federal letter to California on an earlier waiver adds that people on the time limit must work or join a work program for at least 80 hours a month, or complete workfare, and that CalFresh Employment and Training is one way to do it.
Which seven counties are waived, and what changed on Nov. 1?
The waiver covers Colusa, Imperial, Kings, Merced, Monterey, Plumas and Tulare. Those are the counties where the time limit does not apply to CalFresh recipients in the coming year.
Alpine County moved the other way. Its waiver ended Oct. 31, and the page says it began applying the rule on Nov. 1, 2026. USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service approved the previous waiver in a Feb. 10 letter signed by Ronald Ward, acting associate administrator for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. That earlier approval ran through Oct. 31, 2026, and named Alpine, Colusa, Imperial, Merced, Monterey, Plumas and Tulare.
Even in a waived county, the clock is still being kept. The federal letter told the state it must continue tracking the three-year period and time-limited participants on a continuous basis, even in waiver areas, so it is ready to end a waiver and reinstate the time limit. A recipient in one of the seven counties who is not working could therefore find the three-month count starts quickly if a waiver is later withdrawn.
A person in one of the other counties cannot assume the waiver applies because a neighboring county has it. The waiver follows county lines, and the state’s page lists no partial exceptions.
Who is excused, and how can someone check?
California lists a set of exemptions from the able-bodied adults rule. People are excused if they live with a household member under 14, are pregnant, or have a physical or mental health limit on working, including addiction, domestic violence, chronic homelessness, or child welfare or juvenile justice involvement tied to a health issue. Others are excused if they are exempt from the general work rules, identify as Indian, Urban Indian or California Indian, take part half-time in a federal refugee resettlement training program, or live in a waived county.
The state offers a CalFresh Work and Community Engagement Requirements Pre-Screening Tool in English and Spanish that shows whether someone must meet the requirements or may be excused. The CalFresh Information Line is 1-877-847-3663, and the state links county resources including a revised Notice of Work Rules, form CF 886.
Anyone who thinks they qualify for an exemption but has not told the county should raise it before the three-month limit runs out. A household member who is already working part-time may be closer to the 20-hour average than they think, and pay stubs and school schedules are the records that show it. The state’s page also says people who cannot work 20 hours a week, or 80 hours a month, because of a physical or mental health issue may be excused, so a medical limit is worth raising with the county early.
Does California’s 20-hour CalFresh rule apply to your household, and who counts as excused?
A recipient who is aged 18 to 64, has no child under 14 at home and lives outside one of the seven waived counties can lose CalFresh after three full months without the hours. Missing a county notice or an exemption can end benefits sooner than expected.
The SNAP & Medicaid Renewal Organizer is a 20-page guide that explains the SNAP work-rule time limit and who is exempt, with 51 state packs that include California’s.
Get the organizer that explains the SNAP work-rule time limit and who is exempt →
This article was produced with AI assistance and edited for accuracy against the sources linked above.
David M. Keller is a finance writer based in Columbus, Ohio, covering personal finance and consumer-focused economic topics. He earned his degree in journalism from Ohio University and began his career reporting on local business and economic trends for a regional media outlet. Since then, he has contributed to a variety of online publications, focusing on clear, practical coverage of topics such as cost of living, debt, and everyday financial decision-making.
