CalFresh recipients in Alpine County lose their SNAP time-limit waiver on Oct. 31. Seven other California counties, including Tulare, Merced and Imperial, are covered by a waiver that starts Nov. 1 and runs through Oct. 31, 2027.
The California Department of Social Services lists both changes on its CalFresh work rules page. The state’s notice says Alpine County’s waiver of the time limit ends on October 31, 2026. For many adults in that county, the rule that limits CalFresh to three months comes back into play.
What the time limit is and who it reaches
The rule applies to adults the program calls able-bodied adults without dependents. California’s page says it covers people between the ages of 18 and 64, and that they can get 3 full months of CalFresh benefits every 3 years unless they work, qualify for an exemption or live in a waived area. The work standard is an average of 20 hours a week.
The age range is new. A USDA memo to state agencies says that since July 4, 2025, people aged 18 to 64 are subject to the time limit, and the exception for a household member responsible for a child now applies only when the child is under 14. The memo also removed the old exceptions for homeless people and veterans.
That matters for older Californians in particular. Someone who is 58 and living in Alpine County without a child at home is inside the age range now, even though the same person would have been outside it before the 2025 change. Anyone in that spot should check each exemption before the waiver ends on Oct. 31.
What changed this year: Social Security and Medicare change every year, and nobody sends you a memo. The Retirement Money Brief breaks down what changed and what to do.
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The statewide numbers are large. Assemblymember Alex Lee’s office says roughly 47,000 people a month will lose food assistance under the federal work requirements starting in October 2026. That figure comes from a lawmaker’s office, and it covers the whole state, not just the counties where waivers end.
For a household in Alpine County, the practical point is smaller and more personal. The benefit does not stop on Oct. 31. What changes is that months of CalFresh begin to count against the three-month allowance for anyone who is 18 to 64, has no exemption and is not working the required hours.
Which seven counties are waived from Nov. 1?
California’s page names seven counties where the time limit is waived from November 1, 2026 through October 31, 2027. They are Colusa, Imperial, Kings, Merced, Monterey, Plumas and Tulare. CalFresh recipients who live in any of them are not subject to the three-month limit while the waiver lasts.
Alpine County is not on that list, and the state page does not extend its waiver. For the moment, California holds only partial waivers like these. The USDA status report for the first quarter of fiscal 2027 lists no statewide waivers anywhere and puts California among 12 states with partial waivers, as of Oct. 1, 2026.
The seven-county waivers run for 12 months, which is the usual length. USDA’s status report notes that waivers are generally approved for a period of 12 months and that a state has the authority to discontinue a waiver before it expires. Recipients in Colusa, Imperial, Kings, Merced, Monterey, Plumas and Tulare should expect the protection to last through Oct. 31, 2027, but should watch for county notices if anything changes.
A waiver pauses the clock, not every work rule
Living in a waived county does not erase all work requirements. USDA’s time-limit waiver page says a waiver suspends the time limit but not the general work requirements. Those general rules, according to the California page, cover ages 16 to 59 and have their own exemptions.
The state also says the county can help connect people subject to the rules with local work opportunities. The CalFresh Information Line, 1-877-847-3663, is the number the state lists for questions. People who are unsure which rule applies to them can start with the county office that handles their case.
Who is excused from the three-month limit?
California’s page lists exemptions that keep the limit from applying. They include being under 18 or over 64, being unable to work 20 hours a week because of a physical or mental health problem, being pregnant at any stage, and living with a CalFresh household member who is under 14. People who identify as Indian, Urban Indian or California Indian are also exempt, along with those in certain qualifying training programs.
The page also mentions earnings. Under the general work rules, people who earn at least $217.50 a week before taxes are excused. A person who works part-time at a wage near that figure should compare their weekly pay with the number, because it can change which rules apply.
Anyone who thinks an exemption fits should report it to the county before the three months are used up, and keep the paperwork that shows it. GetCalFresh.org, which Code for America runs for the state, explains CalFresh in plain terms, though applications go through the state’s BenefitsCal site.
Living in Alpine County and under 65 on CalFresh?
The detail that costs people is the exemption they never reported. A recipient who is pregnant, caring for a child under 14 or unable to work 20 hours a week could still lose CalFresh after three full months simply because the county never saw proof.
The SNAP & Medicaid Renewal Organizer lays out the SNAP work-rule time limit and who is exempt, next to a renewal and reporting calendar so the dates do not slip. It includes a part on the 2025 work-rule change and state packs for all 51 states, which covers California’s version of the rules.
See the work-rule exemption checklist for CalFresh households in Alpine County →
More Financial Reading
- 21 Ways to Stretch a $2,087 Social Security Check
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- 21 Ways Retirees Can Raise $1,000 Fast Without a Job
This article was produced with AI assistance and edited for accuracy against the sources linked above.
