CalFresh

The county welfare office must give you a written notice at least 10 days before it stops your CalFresh benefits. (CalFresh is the new name for “food stamps”.)

You have a right to appeal the county’s action and be heard before an independent hearing officer. If you appeal before your benefits stop, the county must continue to pay your benefits until the hearing officer rules on your case. Even if you appeal after your benefits stop, you have 90 days from the date of the written notice to appeal your case. If you have a very good reason for appealing late, you can appeal up to 180 days after the date of the written notice.  If your notice does not meet legal requirements, such as not giving a reason or not being in your primary language, you can appeal even after that.

Once you appeal, there will be a hearing scheduled to give you a chance to explain why your benefits should not stop and for a hearing officer to decide if the county is right or wrong. If the hearing officer decides you are right, the hearing officer can order the county to pay your benefits or to consider if you may still be eligible.  If the hearing officer decides the county was right and you continued to receive benefits during your appeal, you may have to pay those benefits back.

State Hearing Tips fact sheet