UPDATE: County hands out 800+ food boxes Monday; CalFresh funds seem to be mostly available

This is a developing story. Check back for updates.

Contra Costa County on Monday is reporting that its CalFresh recipients have received all of their November benefits, following a chaotic weekend of confusing SNAP news and court battles.

President Donald Trump’s administration is demanding states “undo” full SNAP benefits paid out under judges’ orders last week, now that the U.S. Supreme Court has stayed those rulings, marking the latest swing in a seesawing legal battle over the anti-hunger program used by more than 107,000 in Contra Costa County and 42 million Americans in total.

But California had already issued funds for its program, CalFresh.

“The message now is that benefits are available on your card,” said Christina Navarro, manager of Contra Costa County’s Employment and Human Services office in Richmond. “But if you’re seeing any concerns, please reach out and we’re looking at those cases.”

Morning foot traffic at county EHSD offices was more than double the usual volume, the county said, with 821 community members seeking help, compared to an average morning count of 337. Residents were checking whether their CalFresh dollars were available and/or picking up boxes of food to tide them over if funds were delayed. The boxes, paid for by the county, contain enough food to feed a family of four for two weeks. Since last week 6,630 food boxes have been distributed countywide.

So far, there were very few cases of residents not able to access their benefits, which were delayed this month due to the federal government shutdown.

Patricia T., a mother of two who lives in El Cerrito, said she is relieved the benefits were restored, especially ahead of the holiday season. She showed up at the Richmond office Monday morning because she couldn’t use her card despite seeing a balance.

“Apparently, they just didn’t process my paperwork,” she told Richmondside. “They said everything looked good on my end…so hopefully I will have access this week.”

Patricia said the ever-changing SNAP/CalFresh news has been stressful for her family of four. She said she prioritizes giving her children three meals a day filled with fiber and protein, but that means she and her husband end up just eating rice to make ends meet.

“It’s definitely anxiety-inducing. You kind of have to call (to check for funds) before you hit the grocery store. It’s not like, ‘OK, no, I have this money on my card. Let’s go shopping now,’ ” she said, as her son, 2, snacked on some rice cakes. “Now it’s like ‘let’s double check, triple check,’ you know, cross our Ts and dot our Is because (it hasn’t been consistent).”

States fighting Trump’s request that they ‘undo’ SNAP payments

The demand from the U.S. Department of Agriculture came as more than two dozen states warned of “catastrophic operational disruptions” if the Trump administration does not reimburse them for SNAP benefits they authorized before the Supreme Court’s stay.

According to a press release, California Attorney General Rob Bonta on Monday took the lead in a multi-state filing of a temporary restraining order to stop the USDA from ordering states to do “undo” SNAP distributions.

A hearing is scheduled to take place today.

“The Trump Administration does not want full November SNAP benefits to be issued. That should be clear as day by now. It is fighting us tooth and nail to stop vital food assistance from reaching more than 41 million low-income Americans. My fellow attorneys general remain undeterred. We have not shied away from a fight, and we certainly have no plans to start now,” Bonta said in the release. “We are back in court because President Trump and his Administration have issued public threats against states that have already issued full November SNAP benefits.”

In the motion for the restraining order, the attorneys general state that:

• USDA failed to explain how it was “unauthorized” for the states to send full benefit files while the Rhode Island District Court’s orders were in effect and after USDA had itself assured the states on No. 7 that it was implementing full benefits.
• USDA also failed to explain how the states could “undo” the issuance of full SNAP benefits or make any effort to grapple with the severe consequences of its about-face.
• Before USDA’s Nov. 8 guidance, and in reliance on the District of Rhode Island’s order and USDA’s promise of “mak[ing] funds available,” many states acted swiftly to do their part to get benefits to their citizens by sending benefit issuance files to their EBT vendors. Quickly thereafter, vendors received the benefit files and loaded EBT cards with SNAP benefits, and SNAP recipients began using their November benefits to purchase critically needed food. Those steps cannot be unwound easily, if at all.

Also on Monday: The Trump administration returned to the Supreme Court in a push to keep full payments in the SNAP federal food aid program frozen while the government is shut down, even as some families struggled to put food on the table.

The request is the latest in a flurry of legal activity over how the program that helps millions of Americans buy groceries should proceed during the historic U.S. government shutdown. Lower courts have ruled that the government must keep full payments flowing, but the Trump administration is asking the Supreme Court to keep them frozen for now.

The high court is expected to rule Tuesday.

What initially happened in California?

The California Department of Social Services (CDSS) on Friday confirmed the distribution of CalFresh benefits to EBT cards for November-eligible recipients, according to a press release issued by the Contra Costa County EHSD office. At that point is appeared that money would continually be made available for those who are regularly scheduled to receive CalFresh benefits from Friday through Nov. 10.

Nonprofits and Democratic attorneys general sued to force the Trump administration to maintain the program in November despite the ongoing government shutdown. They won the favorable rulings last week, leading to the swift release of benefits to millions in several states, and the Trump administration belatedly said the program could continue.

But due to a judge’s decision to temporarily pause the two rulings ordering the SNAP disbursement while the nation’s highest court considers the Trump administration’s appeal, the Department of Agriculture on Saturday warned state SNAP directors it now considers payments under the prior orders “unauthorized.”

“To the extent States sent full SNAP payment files for November 2025, this was unauthorized,” Patrick Penn, deputy undersecretary of Agriculture, wrote to state SNAP directors. “Accordingly, States must immediately undo any steps taken to issue full SNAP benefits for November 2025.”

Penn warned that states could face penalties if they did not comply. It was unclear if the directive applies to states that used their own funds to keep the program alive or to ones relying on federal money entirely. The Department of Agriculture did not immediately respond to an Associated Press reporter’s request for comment.

The Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors last week authorized spending $21 million to help more than 107,000 county residents at risk of going hungry during the federal government shutdown and the Trump administration’s initial refusal to fully comply with a court order to use contingency funds to continue the SNAP food assistance program (called CalFresh in California).

On Sunday Contra Costa County Supervisor John Gioia told Richmondside that county offices will be open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday; closed on Veterans Day; and open Wednesday through Friday to help those who cannot access their federal benefits.

“Things are still uncertain since we are not clear if the money on (state CalFresh) cards can be spent,” he wrote via text.

“We will evaluate case-by-case how to best serve you through the distribution of an emergency debit card while also preventing confusion or duplication of benefits,” said a message posted Sunday on the county Employment and Human Services Department website.

Democrats vow to fight issue in court

Democrats have hammered Trump for targeting the anti-hunger program during the government shutdown, contending the administration could have maintained it even with other parts of the government idle. More than two-dozen states represented by Democratic attorneys general on Saturday warned in a court filing that, even before the Supreme Court put the rulings on hold, the Trump administration was refusing to reimburse them for legally-ordered SNAP payments.

The Trump administration initially said last month that it would not fund Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits for November because of the U.S. government shutdown. The twists and turns since have exacerbated uncertainty for the nearly 1-in-8 Americans who receive monthly SNAP benefits to spend at grocery stores and farmers markets.

How are SNAP recipients faring?

Most SNAP recipients have incomes below the poverty line, which is about $32,000 for a family of four.

An individual can receive a monthly maximum food benefit of nearly $300 and a family of four up to nearly $1,000, although many receive less than that under a formula that takes into consideration their income.

The delay in payments has led to a surge in demand at food banks and pantries across the country, as well as long lines for free meals or drive-thru giveaways.

Some states have provided emergency funding to food banks to help them respond to the increased need. Some states also used their own dollars to fund direct payments to people while the federal benefits were in limbo — which is what Contra Costa County is offering.

Over the weekend, some SNAP recipients took to social media to ask for advice on how to stretch their benefits, with some reporting they received far more than they are owed and others getting just a few dollars.

North Carolina’s Health and Human Services Secretary Dev Sangvai acknowledged that more than 190,000 households there received just $16 or less, after the state paused the full payment of benefits following the Supreme Court’s order.

Washington Gov. Bob Ferguson, a Democrat, said more than 250,00 households that missed their regular monthly SNAP payment during the first week of November received their full amount on Friday. The remaining beneficiaries would receive their November funds on their regularly scheduled dates later this month — if distribution does not remain blocked by legal challenges.

Officials in Colorado confirmed Saturday that about 32,000 recipients there had received their full monthly benefits before the Supreme Court’s order came down. More than 560,000 additional recipients are still waiting.

In Rhode Island, about 79,000 households received their full benefits, Democratic Gov. Dan McKee said, adding that his team is “working through the weekend” to help address what he described as a crisis.

“The President has intentionally created chaos for states across the country — playing games with people’s ability to feed their families, weaponizing hunger, and gaslighting the American people. It’s inhumane,” McKee said.

The Trump administration said in a legal filing with the Supreme Court that “there is no ready mechanism for the government to recover those funds” that already have been distributed.

Because of the federal government shutdown, the Trump administration originally had said SNAP benefits would not be available in November. After two judges ruled the administration could not skip November’s benefits entirely, the administration said it would use an emergency reserve fund containing more than $4.6 billion to provide partial benefits in November.

A judge on Thursday said that wasn’t good enough, and ordered other funds to be used to make the full monthly payment. The Trump administration appealed, asking a higher court to suspend any orders that require it to spend more money than is available in the contingency fund. That is what led to Jackson’s temporary hold issued late Friday.

The Associated Press and Richmondside reporter Jana Kadah contributed to this report.