Thousands of Santa Barbara Residents Set to Lose Food Assistance

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This article was underwritten in part by the Mickey Flacks Journalism Fund for Social Justice, a proud, innovative supporter of local news. To make a contribution go to sbcan.org/journalism_fund.

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Thousands of people in Santa Barbara County will lose access to the country’s largest food assistance program. Monday marks the rollout of new eligibility requirements for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), known as CalFresh in California. The changes, passed as part of the Trump administration’s budget bill last July, expand work requirements for able-bodied people in the program. The work requirement to receive SNAP payments (that’s about $6.20 per day in Santa Barbara) mandates a person work or volunteer 80 hours per month. 

Here’s what’s changing: 

• The federal government has moved the work requirement exemption for seniors to 65 and older. Previously, that number was 55 and older. 
• People with dependents ages 14-17 will now need to fulfill the work requirement. Previously, people with dependents under 18 did not need to work to get food assistance. 
• Veterans, people experiencing homelessness, and those 18-24 who have aged out of foster care are no longer exempt from the work requirement. These changes were slated to occur in 2030 before the budget bill passed. 

Additionally, refugees and asylum seekers will lose eligibility for SNAP benefits, unless they have a green card. Refugees must wait at least one year to apply for a green card, and then must wait for the government to process their application, which can take months or years. 

Santa Barbara’s Department of Social Services estimated that 5,400 people could lose their eligibility over the course of the next year, based on the renewal date for their benefits. It reported that for the first time since fiscal year 2019-2020, the county had a drop in SNAP recipients (a 2 percent decrease). The Public Policy Institute of California reports that statewide, approximately one in eight participants may lose assistance. 

SNAP helps low-income Americans buy groceries. You need to make less than $2,600 per month to qualify for SNAP as an individual. In Santa Barbara County, more than 55,000 people received SNAP benefits as of March; 40 percent of those people are children.

Statewide, the number of Californians participating in SNAP is falling. The Center on Budget Policies and Priorities, a research nonprofit, reported that from February 2025 to 2026, the state recorded a more than 6 percent decrease in participants. The center said that, based on unemployment data, it’s unlikely reduced need is the reason for the decrease. 

Data suggest food insecurity in California is still prevalent. Earlier this month, the California Association of Food Banks reported that, based on a survey conducted by the nonpartisan research nonprofit Urban Institute, one in four adults in the state experienced food insecurity. 

The U.S. Department of Agriculture used to collect federal data about food insecurity. The federal government canceled that research in September, 2025. 

Foodbank, Santa Barbara County’s largest foodbank nonprofit, said it is taking steps to help meet a possible increased need. Foodbank said in a statement to the Independent that it has budgeted $2.5 million for food purchases — the biggest budget increase outside of COVID. That food will come, in part, from its Farm-to-Foodbank program, which buys from local farmers. 

“Some of this food is currently being stockpiled for those who find they no longer qualify for SNAP,” the statement said. 

Foodbank said it also plans to advocate at the state and national level for relief from the shift in costs, as the federal government requires states to pay more into the program and imposes penalties for error rates. 

“We stand ready to whatever is needed to ensure that no one in S.B. County goes hungry,” Foodbank said.