By Gordon Chavez, Financial Reporter
When families lose access to assistance programs that help cover necessities like food and health care, those expenses don’t disappear. Instead, a larger share of the cost shifts directly onto the family’s household budget. At a time when the cost of living is already high, even a small reduction in assistance can make a meaningful difference.
Some years ago, my wife and I both worked full time, earning approximately $12 and $10 an hour. Like many working families, we received WIC while raising our children. My wife, Anahi, remembers: “Twenty years ago, we received WIC, and its dollar amount was about $200 a month. Losing that would have been a big challenge.”
That $200 represented approximately 6% of our estimated take-home income and was used to buy things like baby formula and peanut butter.
Today, families face similar challenges while prices continue to rise. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, San Diego-area prices were 2.7% higher in July than a year earlier, with energy costs up 20.5%.
At the same time, changes from the 2025 federal reconciliation law are affecting programs including Medicaid and SNAP. The Congressional Budget Office projects that households in the lowest 10% of incomes will experience an average 3.1% decrease in resources from 2026–2034.
These changes can also affect community clinics. Because many clinics depend heavily on Medi-Cal reimbursements, coverage losses can mean less revenue and potentially fewer resources for staffing and services.
Here in San Diego County, approximately 93,500 people are estimated to be subject to new CalFresh work requirements during the first year.
What can families do?
- Review your budget when benefits or eligibility change.
- Visit 211 San Diego or dial 2-1-1 for help finding food, housing, healthcare, utility and financial resources.
- Find free groceries through Feeding San Diego or the San Diego Food Bank.
- Build an emergency fund—even small amounts add up.
Inflation raises prices. Losing assistance increases the share families must pay themselves. Understanding both is an important piece of financial literacy.
