Riverside County residents who lost food during recent winter storms and used CalFresh benefits to purchase that food have until Jan. 22 to report losses and request replacement benefits.
The state extended the standard food-loss reporting period from 10 days to 30 days, giving affected households in several counties, including Riverside, additional time to assess damage and recover losses.
State officials estimate 1.7 million CalFresh households statewide were affected, at a cost of about $580.6 million in benefits. Some benefits were used to purchase food later destroyed by storms that began Dec. 23, bringing blizzards, heavy rain, strong winds, flooding, mudslides and power outages across California.
The storms prompted evacuations, damaged homes and infrastructure, closed roads and left many residents without electricity, heat or the ability to prepare meals.
“We want to help our impacted customers recover as quickly as possible,” said Allison Gonzalez, assistant director of the Self-Sufficiency Division at the Riverside County Department of Public Social Services, which includes CalFresh. “Residents should be sure to request replacement benefits before the Jan. 22 deadline.”
Residents can request replacement benefits for food lost by calling 1-877-410-8827, reporting online at BenefitsCal.com, or visiting a Self-Sufficiency office. Requests must include contact information, a brief description of how the food was lost, and the date the loss occurred.
CalFresh provides monthly food benefits that can be used at grocery stores, farmers markets and select online retailers. Residents not currently receiving CalFresh may apply online at BenefitsCal.com, call 1-877-410-8827 or visit a nearby office. Office locations are available at rivcodpss.org/office-locations.
