The federal government shutdown continues, forcing scores of federal workers to face furloughs and leaving Americans in limbo while congressional Democrats and Republicans point fingers at who to blame.

While Californians should continue to get their Social Security benefits and can get their mail as normal, other impacts remain to be seen.

The TSA, for example, warned that an extended shutdown could mean longer wait times at airports in a series of posts on X. And a previous government shutdown led to vandalism and littering at National Parks.

BenefitsCal, the portal where Californians can get and manage their benefits such as CalFresh or financial assistance through CalWORKS, announced that “there is no impact to October benefits” on Oct. 1.

That includes CalFresh, confirmed H.D. Palmer with the California Department of Finance in an email to the Desert Sun on Oct. 2. Palmer noted that if the shutdown continues for several weeks, “it could conceivably affect November benefits.”

CalFresh is known federally as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, and provides lower-income Californians with food benefits. In June 2025, over 3.2 million California households participated in CalFresh, according to state data.

How Long Is the Government Shutdown Expected to Last?

It’s not immediately clear how long this government shutdown will last. The Committee for a Responsible Budget, a nonpartisan organization, reported that the longest-lasting shutdown was 35 days (December 2018 to January 2019) during President Donald Trump’s first term.

In 2013, a government shutdown lasted 16 days. There’s also been funding gaps, defined as when funds were not appropriated for at least one day, that lasted three days or fewer, according to the Committee for a Responsible Budget.

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Paris Barraza is a trending reporter covering California news at The Desert Sun. Reach her at pbarraza@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: Is CalFresh affected by government shutdown? What to know for October benefits
Reporting by Paris Barraza, Palm Springs Desert Sun / Palm Springs Desert Sun
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