Hi Joshua! I'm new to this community but have been reading through all the great advice everyone's shared. I was in a very similar situation about 6 months ago - getting CalFresh but struggling to cover all my food costs, and I was also considering applying for General Relief. After reading everyone's experiences here, I'd definitely echo what others have said about reporting your rent increase to CalFresh first. When I reported my rent going up $165, my benefits increased by about $76/month, which really helped stretch my grocery budget. The process was much simpler than I expected - just had to submit documentation through BenefitsCal and it processed in about 10 days. The General Relief program sounds way more complicated than I initially realized. The workfare requirements, loan repayment aspect, and all the bureaucratic requirements that people have mentioned would have been deal-breakers for me. Plus the fact that they can make you apply for disability and then recover money from your backpay is something I never would have known about without reading this thread. I'd also suggest checking out some of the mobile food pantries in San Bernardino County while you're waiting for any benefit changes to process. Some of them have really stepped up their programs and can help bridge the gap without any paperwork headaches. Good luck with whatever you decide - sounds like you have some great options to explore before dealing with the GR complications!

Hi Joshua! I'm new to this community but have been reading through all the helpful advice everyone's shared. Based on everything I've learned here, I'd definitely recommend reporting your rent increase to CalFresh first - it sounds like that could potentially solve your problem without all the complications that come with General Relief. I had no idea before reading this thread that rent increases could boost your CalFresh benefits! The experiences people have shared about getting $70-90/month increases from rent bumps of $150-200 sound really promising for your situation. And the processing time of 1-2 weeks that people mentioned is way better than dealing with all the GR requirements. The General Relief program sounds much more complicated than I initially thought - the workfare hours, loan repayment, forced disability applications, and all the bureaucratic hoops seem like a lot of hassle for $391/month. Plus the fact that it's actually a loan you have to pay back eventually is something I definitely wouldn't have known without reading everyone's experiences. I'd also suggest looking into the food banks and mobile pantries that people mentioned while you're waiting for any CalFresh changes to process. It sounds like San Bernardino County has some good options that could help bridge the gap without any paperwork headaches. Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences - this community is such a valuable resource for navigating these complex benefit programs! Good luck Joshua - sounds like you have some great options to explore before dealing with the GR complications.

As a new CalFresh recipient, this entire thread has been incredibly reassuring! I was actually hesitant to even take a weekend camping trip to Oregon because I wasn't sure if my benefits would work there. Learning that EBT cards work nationwide is such a relief - it opens up so many possibilities I didn't think I had. The detailed advice about Florida-specific stores, tourist areas, and practical tips like downloading the SNAP Retailer Locator app shows how knowledgeable this community is. I'm grateful for members like you all who take the time to share real-world experiences rather than just repeating official policy. It makes navigating CalFresh as a newcomer so much less intimidating when you know there are people who genuinely want to help others succeed with the program!

This thread is amazing! As someone who just started receiving CalFresh benefits last month, I had so many of the same concerns about traveling. I was actually planning to cancel a family reunion in Texas this fall because I thought my EBT card wouldn't work there and I couldn't afford to buy all my food out of pocket. Reading everyone's experiences and practical tips has completely changed my perspective. The advice about the SNAP Retailer Locator app, documenting travel with your caseworker, and being prepared for different food costs in other states is invaluable. Thank you Kiara for asking this question and everyone else for sharing such detailed, helpful responses - you've made it possible for newcomers like me to feel confident about traveling while on CalFresh!

Just wanted to share my experience since I went through this process recently! I'm 64 and had been on CalFresh for almost 2 years without knowing about RMP. When I finally called my county office (San Diego), the worker was really helpful and explained that even though I qualified by age, they don't automatically enroll people - you have to specifically request it. She activated my RMP coding right there on the call and gave me a confirmation number. Took about 48 hours to become active. The first time I used it was at a Subway and I was so nervous, but it worked perfectly! The staff there said they see RMP cards all the time so don't worry about feeling awkward. One thing I learned: make sure to ask the county worker to email or mail you the list of participating restaurants in your area. Some places that look like they should accept it (like certain fast food chains) don't actually participate, while some smaller local spots do. Having that official list saved me from some embarrassing moments at the register!

I'm 68 and just got CalFresh benefits started last month after retiring. Had no idea about this Restaurant Meals Program until reading through all these comments! This is exactly the kind of information they should be giving people when they first sign up. I live alone and sometimes cooking full meals feels like too much work, especially on days when my arthritis flares up. Being able to grab a hot meal at a restaurant with my EBT card would be a game changer. Going to call my county office tomorrow and specifically ask for "Restaurant Meals Program enrollment" - thanks to everyone who shared that tip about using the exact terminology! Also planning to ask for that official restaurant list so I know which places actually participate. Really appreciate this whole thread, you all have been more helpful than any government website I've tried to navigate!

Thanks everyone for explaining! I was getting excited but I don't qualify since I'm not homeless, elderly or disabled. It's too bad they don't consider single working parents for this program. I totally get what that one person said about it being for people who can't prepare meals, but honestly after working double shifts sometimes I PHYSICALLY can't stand up to cook either! Anyway, at least now I know what my neighbor was talking about. Appreciate all the responses!

Another option for working parents that might help - some grocery stores like Whole Foods and Safeway have hot food bars and prepared food sections where you can use EBT. You can get things like hot soup, pizza slices, fried chicken, etc. It's not as convenient as drive-through but it's faster than cooking from scratch and usually cheaper than restaurant prices. Just make sure the items are meant to be eaten at home (not restaurant-style dining). I've used this when I'm too exhausted to cook but still need to feed my kids something decent!

I went through this exact same thing about 6 months ago when my county switched to CalSAWS! I was so worried it would mess up my benefits too, but honestly it ended up being pretty seamless. The most important thing to know is that CalSAWS is just the computer system - your actual CalFresh benefits, amounts, and requirements stay exactly the same. For your June SAR7, you'll submit it the same way you always have. The form might look a tiny bit different but it asks for all the same income and household information. I'd suggest creating a BenefitsCal account online if you haven't already - it makes tracking your case so much easier and you can upload documents right from your phone. One thing that really helped me during the transition was keeping a simple folder (physical or digital) with copies of my recent pay stubs, rent receipts, and other verification docs. There were a couple times during the first month where my caseworker asked me to resubmit something, probably just due to the system changeover. Having everything organized made it super quick to send over. Don't stress too much - your $680 monthly benefit should continue without interruption as long as you keep submitting your reports on time!

I'm going through the CalSAWS transition right now too and was just as confused when I got that letter! From what I've learned talking to other people here and my caseworker, it's really just a computer system upgrade - nothing changes with your actual benefits or how much you get each month. I was worried about the same thing with my SAR7 reporting, but my county worker assured me that the process stays the same. You'll still report your income, household changes, etc. just like always. The form might look slightly different but asks for identical information. One thing that's been helpful is setting up the BenefitsCal online account early. Even though my county hasn't fully switched yet, I can already see it's going to make submitting documents and checking my case status much easier once everything is live. Plus you can upload pictures of documents right from your phone which beats having to mail or fax everything! I'd definitely recommend calling your county office early in the morning (like right at 8am) if you want to speak to someone directly. The hold times are much shorter then. But honestly, from everything I've heard, most people don't experience any issues with their benefits during the switch.