BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KERO) \u2014 SNAP benefits are set to change in February as the current administration shifts funding, leaving many families unsure of what the changes will mean for their households.<\/p>\n
For the past year, Ralph Soto has volunteered at Stay Focused Ministries, a local food bank serving families across Bakersfield. There, he helps stack shelves and assist those in need while also relying on the food bank himself.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m getting a bag also just one day out of the week,\u201d Soto said. \u201cEven though they give them three days, you only get them once a week.\u201d<\/p>\n
Soto recently retired, but that retirement may be short-lived. Starting February 1st, changes tied to President Donald Trump\u2019s \u201cBig Beautiful Bill,\u201d signed into law last July, will impact the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, known in California as CalFresh. Soto says he\u2019s already feeling the effects.<\/p>\n
\u201cI was getting around three hundred dollars with food stamps. I didn\u2019t really have a problem with that,\u201d he said. \u201cNow it\u2019s been cut back so much I\u2019m down to about one twenty-five.\u201d<\/p>\n
According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the changes affect people considered \u201cable-bodied adults\u201d those required to work or volunteer at least twenty hours a week to receive benefits. That includes adults without children between the ages of eighteen and sixty-four, like Soto.<\/p>\n
The law also removes exemptions for people with children ages fourteen to eighteen, veterans, adults aging out of the foster care system, and individuals experiencing homelessness. The changes are part of a broader effort to reduce SNAP spending over the next few years.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe impact is not just other families,\u201d Soto said. \u201cIt\u2019s families outside it\u2019s me too.\u201d<\/p>\n
In Kern County alone, nearly 200,000 residents rely on SNAP benefits. Local food banks are already preparing for an increase in demand.<\/p>\n
Kelly Lowery with the Community Action Partnership of Kern (CAPK) Food Bank says the organization expects the changes to affect thousands of residents.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re guessing this will affect thousands of Kern County residents,\u201d Lowery said. \u201cBut one thing I want to highlight is the resiliency of the food bank network. We saw that during the government shutdown, and we\u2019re ready to respond again.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Kern County Department of Human Services says anyone receiving CalFresh who does not meet the new requirements could lose SNAP eligibility and is encouraging residents to review their status.<\/p>\n
When asked whether the changes would allow him to retire comfortably, Soto said he\u2019s already considering his next step.<\/p>\n
\u201cWell\u2026 now I might have to get a part-time job, if that\u2019s what it\u2019s coming down to,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
You can click here for more information from CALFresh<\/a>.<\/p>\n