CalFresh EBT Restaurant Meals Program eligibility confusion - do you need to qualify or is everyone eligible now?

The Restaurant Meals Program (RMP) has always been limited to specific groups - people who are age 60+, disabled, or homeless. There was never a time when all CalFresh recipients could use it statewide, though some counties might have had special temporary arrangements during emergencies like wildfires or COVID. For your fiancé to use his EBT at restaurants, he would need to qualify under one of those categories AND live in a county that participates in the program. Also, both the restaurant and the individual need to be qualified for the program. That's why your parents can use it (60+ qualifies them) but your fiancé can't.

my grandpa uses his ebt at restaurants all the time but my sister cant. its only for old people, homeless people, and disabled peeps. they dont let everyone do it cuz they figure if ur able bodied u can cook ur own food at home or something like that. its kinda dumb if u ask me cuz sometimes ppl are working and dont have time to cook but whatever thats just how the system works lol

I HATE how confusing CalFresh makes all this!!! I got so excited when I heard about the restaurant program but then found out I don't qualify either. The county workers act like everyone should just KNOW these rules. And each county has different restaurants that participate too! My cousin in Alameda County can use his card at different places than my aunt in Sacramento County. The whole system is such a mess!!!

To clarify some confusion here: The Restaurant Meals Program (RMP) is specifically designed for CalFresh recipients who might have difficulty preparing meals at home. This includes: 1. Adults aged 60 and older 2. People with disabilities 3. Homeless individuals 4. Spouses of eligible members (when purchasing together) During the COVID-19 pandemic, there were some temporary emergency allotments and rule adjustments, but the RMP eligibility criteria remained the same. What might have happened is that some counties expanded their participating restaurant lists during that time. To use RMP, both conditions must be met: - You must qualify under one of the categories above - You must live in a county that participates in the program Your EBT card must also be specifically coded to allow restaurant purchases. If your fiancé doesn't meet the eligibility requirements, his card will decline at restaurant terminals even if they accept EBT from qualified individuals. You can find the current list of participating counties and restaurants on the CDSS website or by calling your county office.

wait ur parents can use ebt at el pollo loco????? mine never told me about this! my mom is 67 and on calfresh too. which locations accept it? i need to tell her asap

There was definitely a temporary expansion during COVID. I remember specifically because my caseworker told me about it in 2021. But it was temporary and went back to normal rules after the emergency period ended. It's so confusing because they never clearly communicate when these things change!! Did your fiancé try swiping as CREDIT or EBT? Sometimes that matters. And sometimes the restaurant employees don't even know how to process the payments correctly.

my friend works at a place that accepts ebt for restaurant meals and she says they have to run the card differently for people in the program. sounds like your fiance just isn't eligible - my boyfriend isn't either and he's 29. kinda stinks but i guess those are the rules... btw the calfresh website does have a list of all the restaurants that participate if you're curious. it depends on what county you're in though

This thread has been super helpful! I'm new here and was wondering about the same thing. My grandmother is 65 and has CalFresh, but she's never tried using it at restaurants because she didn't know it was allowed. Does anyone know if there's a way to check if her EBT card is already coded for the Restaurant Meals Program, or does she need to contact her caseworker first? I don't want her to be embarrassed trying to use it at a restaurant if it's not set up properly. Also, are there any good resources that show which specific locations participate in each county? The main website seems pretty general.

I went through this exact same confusion with my uncle last year! He's 68 and kept getting declined at restaurants even though he qualified by age. Turns out his EBT card wasn't coded for RMP even though he'd been on CalFresh for years. We had to call his county office and specifically request that they add the restaurant meals coding to his account. They said it's not automatic - you have to ask for it during your application or recertification, or call to request it separately. Once they updated his account, it worked perfectly at all the approved locations. So definitely worth having your fiancé's parents check with their caseworker to make sure their cards are properly coded, even if they're already using it successfully!

This whole thread has been so eye-opening! I had no idea the Restaurant Meals Program even existed until I saw this post. My dad is 63 and has been on CalFresh for about two years now, but I don't think anyone ever mentioned this option to him. He lives alone and sometimes struggles with cooking due to arthritis in his hands, so being able to get prepared meals with his EBT benefits would be amazing for him. Based on what everyone's saying here, it sounds like I should have him call his county office to check if his card is coded for RMP and get a list of participating restaurants in our area. It's frustrating that this isn't more widely publicized - seems like a lot of eligible people don't even know this benefit exists! Has anyone had success getting their county to add the coding over the phone, or did you have to go in person?

I'm dealing with something similar right now! My mom is 62 and has CalFresh, but when I called her county office last week to ask about getting RMP coding added to her card, they told me she'd need to wait until her next recertification appointment to get it activated. This was really frustrating because other people here are saying they got it added over the phone right away. I'm wondering if different counties have different policies about this? Has anyone else run into a situation where they were told to wait for recertification instead of getting it added immediately? My mom's next appointment isn't for another 4 months and it would really help her to have this option sooner, especially during the winter months when it's harder for her to get to the grocery store.