Applying for CalFresh and Medi-Cal in Fresno County: Offices, Phone Hours and Coming Changes
Fresno County's Department of Social Services handles CalFresh food benefits and Medi-Cal health coverage under one roof, and one application can start both. Getting through is the hard part. Phone lines don't reach a worker on Wednesdays, lobby hours differ by office, and new federal rules are changing who has to work for benefits and how often Medi-Cal has to be renewed. Below are the ways to apply, the office list, the fast-track food rules and the 2026–2027 Medi-Cal changes, all taken from the county's own pages.
AT A GLANCE
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One application, two programs
CalFresh is California's version of SNAP. It puts money for groceries on an EBT card each month. Medi-Cal is California's Medicaid program. It covers medical and dental care, and Fresno County says you can enroll any time of year.
BenefitsCal handles CalFresh, Medi-Cal and cash aid, and people applying for CalWORKs or General Relief can add CalFresh to the same application. If you already get benefits, the county suggests linking a BenefitsCal account to your case.
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Ways to apply
Method | How it works | Good to know |
|---|---|---|
Online | BenefitsCal.com, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week | Medi-Cal applicants can also use coveredca.com |
PO Box 1912, Fresno, CA 93718-1912 | Request a paper application at 1-855-832-8082 | |
Fax | (559) 600-7706 | The county's central fax line |
Drop box | Secure boxes at the front of DSS lobbies | The county says they're available 24/7, with paper applications nearby |
In person | Any DSS location listed below | Self-service stations are in the lobbies |
Which paper form to use
The CalFresh page links two state forms:
CF 285 is the standard CalFresh application. It comes in English, English large print and Spanish. A large-print Spanish version isn't available.
CF 485 is the Elderly Simplified Application. Use it only if everyone in the household is 60 or older and/or disabled, nobody has income from work, and you all buy and prepare food together. It comes in English and Spanish, each with a large-print version.
Don't wait for a complete packet
A CalFresh application needs only a name, address and signature to count. The county's FAQ says benefits arrive within 30 days of your dated application, once everything has been provided and verified. Since that clock starts on the date you file, turn in the short version today and gather pay stubs and rent receipts afterward.
After you apply, the county's ABAWD page says you'll get a phone call to schedule a telephone interview with an eligibility worker. Keep your phone on and check your voicemail.
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Expedited CalFresh: food in about three days
All CalFresh applications are automatically screened for Expedited Service, so you don't have to request it. You must show identification and meet the other CalFresh rules. Your household must also fit one of these situations:
Emergency test | What the county lists |
|---|---|
Very little money | You earn less than $150 a month and have less than $100 available now |
Housing costs more than you have | Your combined monthly income and available money is less than your combined monthly rent and utility bills |
Migrant or seasonal work | You're a migrant or seasonal worker with $100 or less in liquid resources |
Our example: a worker whose hours were cut to $120 this month, with $60 in checking, passes the first test because both amounts are under the limits. If the household qualifies, benefits may come within three business days instead of up to 30.
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Who can get CalFresh in Fresno County
The county lists these groups as possibly eligible:
Residents with low or no income, including people experiencing homelessness
Students in higher education
SSI recipients
People applying for CalWORKs or General Relief
Immigrants, depending on immigration status
WIC participants
Who goes on the application
You have to include everyone who buys and prepares meals with you, and everyone living at the address such as a spouse, parents and children under 22.
How your amount is figured
Benefits are based on gross monthly income and household size, minus certain monthly costs:
Child support payments
Child care costs
Medical costs, if someone in the household is 60 or older or has a disability
Rent or mortgage
Utility and phone bills
Savings, investments and property you own don't count against you. Income from them does. Income limits depend on household size, and a household with an older or disabled member may have a higher gross limit. The county's FAQ chart is labeled 2025–2026, so ask your worker for the current figures.
Immigrant families
Even if you don't qualify, other people in your household might, and parents can apply for their U.S.-born children. The county says CalFresh won't count against you when you apply for citizenship or a green card. Ask a worker about the California Food Assistance Program (CFAP) for some qualified non-citizens.
The county also runs a Restaurant Meals Program, SUN Bucks summer EBT for kids, and CalFresh for students.
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The new CalFresh work rules
Since June 1, 2026, federal H.R. 1 rules have changed work requirements for some CalFresh recipients ages 18 to 64 who don't have a disability and don't have a child under 14. These adults are called ABAWDs. They can get CalFresh for only three months in three years unless they work, train or volunteer at least 20 hours a week.
Common exemptions on the county's list include being under 18 or 65 and older, being pregnant, being unable to work for health reasons, caring for a child under 14 or a disabled person, attending school at least half-time, experiencing domestic violence, getting or applying for unemployment or disability benefits, and being an Indian, Urban Indian or California Indian.
If you already get CalFresh, the new rules apply at your next annual renewal, and your worker will explain them at the interview. If you're not sure you'd qualify, the county says to apply anyway and let a worker decide.
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Medi-Cal in Fresno County
Who may qualify
The county's Medi-Cal page lists children under 21, pregnant people, low-income families, adults 19 to 64 without children, people 65 and older, and people with disabilities. A single adult with income under 138% of the federal poverty level can get no-cost Medi-Cal. Families may have higher limits. If your income is too high, you may qualify for help through Covered California instead.
You may qualify automatically if you get SSI/SSP, CalWORKs, Refugee Cash Assistance, or Foster Care or Adoption Assistance. The FAQ also lists people diagnosed with breast or cervical cancer, people in a skilled nursing or intermediate care facility, and parents or caretaker relatives of a child under 21.
Asset limits now and after July 2027
The county's FAQ says asset limits apply only to the non-MAGI programs, such as Aged, Blind and Disabled Medi-Cal, the 250 Percent Working Disabled Program, Medically Needy programs, and the Medicare Savings Programs (QMB, SLMB and QWDI).
Household | Limit on the county FAQ | Limit starting July 2027 |
|---|---|---|
1 person | $130,000 | $21,000 |
2 people | $195,000 | $31,000 |
Each extra person, up to 10 | Add $65,000 | Add $1,550 |
The FAQ figure for two people is $130,000 plus one $65,000 step. Countable assets include bank accounts, cash, a second home or vehicle, stocks, bonds, boats, trailers and land. Starting July 2027, the county says your home, one vehicle, household items and some savings such as retirement accounts won't count.
Our example: a retired couple with $40,000 in savings is under today's $195,000 limit but would be over the $31,000 limit after July 2027. Ask a worker which of your accounts would count.
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Medi-Cal changes on the calendar
The county's H.R. 1 page lists these changes:
When | Change | Who it affects |
|---|---|---|
October 2026 | Moves from federally funded to state-funded full-scope Medi-Cal | Some adults with humanitarian or temporary immigration statuses, such as refugees and asylees without a green card, parolees, and survivors of domestic violence or trafficking |
January 2027 | 80 hours a month of work, volunteering, school or job training, or earnings of at least $580 a month | Adults 19 to 64 in the new adult group without children under 13 |
January 2027 | Retroactive coverage cut to one month for the new adult group and two months for everyone else | All new applicants |
January 2027 | Move from managed care plans to fee-for-service Medi-Cal | People without satisfactory immigration status, some green card holders in their first five years, and PRUCOL individuals |
March 2027 renewals onward | Renewals every six months instead of yearly | The new adult group, ages 19 to 64 |
July 1, 2027 | Restricted-scope coverage only (emergency and pregnancy care) | Some non-citizen groups, including humanitarian parolees and people granted withholding of removal |
July 2027 | Monthly premiums to keep full-scope coverage | Non-pregnant adults in the new adult group who are undocumented or lack satisfactory immigration status |
Exemptions from the work rules include being pregnant, caring for a child 13 or younger or a child with a disability, and meeting the "medically frail" criteria.
Moving to fee-for-service doesn't mean you pay. Medi-Cal still pays, but you'll need a doctor or clinic that takes fee-for-service Medi-Cal. To pick or change a managed care plan, Health Care Options is 1-800-430-4263.
The retroactive cut matters if you have recent hospital bills. Apply as soon as you can after care, because fewer past months can be covered.
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Fresno County DSS locations
Office | Address | Lobby hours |
|---|---|---|
Clovis Campus, Building 1 | 3500 Never Forget Lane, Clovis, CA 93612 | 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. |
West Fresno Regional Center | 142 E. California Ave, Fresno, CA 93706 | 8:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. |
Sunnyside Regional Center | 5693 E. Kings Canyon Rd, Fresno, CA 93727 | 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. |
Coalinga Regional Center | 311 Coalinga Plaza, Coalinga, CA 93210 | 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. |
Kerman Regional Center | 15180 W. Whitesbridge, Kerman, CA 93630 | 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. |
Reedley Regional Center | 1195 E. Manning Ave, Reedley, CA 93654 | 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. |
Selma Regional Center | 3830 McCall Ave, Selma, CA 93662 | 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. |
All seven handle CalFresh, CalWORKs, General Relief and Medi-Cal. The Clovis campus is served by FAX bus Route 28.
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Getting through on the phone
Avoid Wednesdays. Since May 21, 2025, nobody can reach an eligibility worker on Wednesdays. The county uses that day to clear applications, renewals and interviews. The automated line still works.
Use the callback. Starting July 2026, the Contact Center offers a callback while you wait on hold. You keep your place in line, and the county calls you back. If you miss the call, it leaves a voicemail and tries once more 10 minutes later.
Check a case anytime. The automated IVR at (559) 600-1377 runs 24/7.
Lost EBT card or PIN: call the 24-hour EBT line at 1 (877) 328-9677. Agencies never ask for your card number or PIN by text, phone or email.
YOUR NEXT STEPS
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More help in Fresno and California
Official sources
Last checked: October 30, 2026. Application methods, phone hours, office addresses, expedited rules, ABAWD exemptions, asset limits and the H.R. 1 timeline come from Fresno County Department of Social Services pages.
This is general information. Fresno County DSS decides CalFresh and Medi-Cal eligibility, and federal and state rules are changing through 2027. Call the DSS Contact Center at 1-855-832-8082 to confirm before you rely on any figure here.
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