Can I get discounted Lyft rides with CalFresh EBT? Need transportation options

i think u heard wrong lol. ebt is for food only cant use for lyft

Oh really? That's disappointing 😞 The person seemed so sure about it. Are there any transportation benefits I can get with CalFresh?

EBT cards themselves don't directly give Lyft discounts, but some areas have special programs for low-income residents that include transportation assistance. What county are you in? For example, Los Angeles has a program called EBT for Transit that offers discounted public transportation for CalFresh recipients.\n\nAlso, check with your county's CalFresh office - some counties have transportation assistance programs specifically for people who need rides to work, medical appointments, or to pick up groceries. These aren't technically part of CalFresh benefits but are supplemental services for the same population.

I'm in Sacramento County. I'll definitely call and ask about transportation assistance programs! I didn't know different counties might have different benefits like that. Thanks for the info!

The person might have been talking about a special pilot program or a local initiative? I've never heard of an official statewide EBT-Lyft program, but some nonprofit organizations partner with rideshare companies to offer discounted rides in certain areas. Have you tried calling the Sacramento County CalFresh office to ask directly? They would know if there's anything like that available in your area.

I tried calling the county office THREE times this week but kept getting disconnected after waiting on hold forever! It's so frustrating when you need information and can't get through to anyone. I'll try again next week I guess.

I was stuck in the same situation last month trying to reach Sacramento County for a different CalFresh question. Kept getting disconnected or waiting forever. I finally used this service called Claimyr that got me through to a real person in about 10 minutes. They basically wait on hold for you and call you when a real person answers. Saved me hours of frustration! Their website is claimyr.com and they have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/eZ19FHRETv8?si=_CXnXqNXbLl26WB8\n\nDefinitely worth it to get a straight answer about transportation assistance programs.

Does that actually work?? I waste so much time trying to reach my county office every month when I have questions about my benefits. Might try this next time.

Yeah it actually does! I was skeptical at first too but it saved me from pulling my hair out lol. The county workers are actually pretty helpful once you can actually reach them.

This is totally random but has anyone noticed that the CalFresh offices always have the worst phone systems?? Like why is it so impossible to talk to someone about benefits WE QUALIFY FOR?? 🤬 My kids need to eat and I can't spend 3 hours on hold every time there's an issue with my benefits!!!

It's definitely frustrating. The system is ridiculously understaffed for the number of people they serve. I've found that calling right when they open (usually 8am) sometimes helps get through faster.

To answer your original question more clearly - there is no official CalFresh/EBT discount program with Lyft specifically. However, there are several transportation assistance options you might qualify for:\n\n1. Sacramento Regional Transit offers discounted passes for low-income residents - you can verify eligibility with your CalFresh documentation\n\n2. The Sacramento CalFresh Employment & Training (CFET) program can sometimes provide transportation assistance if you're participating in job training or job search activities\n\n3. Some community-based organizations in Sacramento offer gas cards or rideshare vouchers to low-income families - the CalFresh office can refer you to these resources\n\n4. If you have Medi-Cal, you may qualify for non-emergency medical transportation services for medical appointments\n\nI'd recommend contacting Sacramento 211 (just dial 211) for information about all available transportation assistance programs in your area. They can direct you to the right resources based on your specific situation.

Thank you so much for this detailed information! I didn't know about the CFET program or the RT discounts. I'll definitely call 211 tomorrow to see what I might qualify for. Really appreciate this!

btw if ur kids go to school u should ask the school about bus service. my kids school has special busses for families that live far or dont have transportation. worth checking

That's actually a good point! Their school is 3 miles away which is why I've been driving them. I'll ask about bus service - that would solve at least part of my transportation issues.

I used to work for social services (different county) and there's definitely no official CalFresh-Lyft partnership program that I ever heard of. But! The person you overheard might have been talking about certain nonprofits that provide ride vouchers that LOOK like they're connected to EBT but aren't actually part of the official benefits. Catholic Charities and some other organizations sometimes offer transportation assistance that you access with your ID or by showing your benefit card as proof of need. Your best bet is to call 211 like someone else suggested.

This is a good point. There are many supplemental services offered by community partners that aren't officially part of CalFresh but serve the same population. The terminology gets mixed up because people often say \

UPDATE: I finally got through to the Sacramento County office using that Claimyr service someone recommended. The worker was super helpful and confirmed there's no official Lyft discount with EBT, BUT she told me about a pilot program called

That's great news about getting through to the county office! It sounds like you found some helpful information. Could you share what you learned about that pilot program? I'm sure other people in Sacramento County would benefit from knowing about it too. Also glad to hear the Claimyr service worked for you - that phone system really is impossible to navigate on your own!

@Jessica Nolan Your update got cut off right when you were about to share the details about that pilot program! I'm also in Sacramento County and really struggling with transportation issues. My car has been in the shop for weeks and I can't afford the repairs, so I've been missing work shifts because I can't get there reliably. If there's actually some kind of county transportation assistance program, that could be a game changer for me and my family. Could you please finish sharing what you learned from the county office? Even just the name of the program would help me know what to ask for when I call. Thanks so much for posting about this!

Hey everyone! Sorry about that - my post got cut off when my phone died. So the county worker told me about a pilot program called "Sacramento Mobility Access" that started in January 2025. It's not technically part of CalFresh but it's for people who receive SNAP/CalFresh benefits. They provide up to 8 discounted ride vouchers per month (like $5 rides instead of $20+) for essential trips - work, medical appointments, grocery shopping, and CalFresh office visits. You have to apply and there's a waiting list, but she said they're accepting new applications. The program works with both Lyft and a local company called Sacramento Ride Share. You can apply by calling the county CalFresh office and asking specifically for "Sacramento Mobility Access application" - they'll mail you the paperwork. Hope this helps everyone who was asking!

This is such valuable information! Thank you @Jessica Nolan and @Diez Ellis for sharing the details about Sacramento Mobility Access. I had no idea this program existed - 8 discounted rides per month would make such a huge difference for people in our situation. I'm definitely going to call and ask for an application tomorrow. It's frustrating that these programs aren't more widely advertised, but I'm so glad this community exists where we can share this kind of information with each other. Has anyone else heard about similar programs in other California counties? It would be great to know if this is something that's expanding statewide.

This is exactly the kind of resource sharing that makes this community so valuable! I'm in Riverside County and wondering if we have anything similar down here. The transportation struggle is real - I've been using rideshare apps for essential trips and it's draining my budget fast. @Sydney Torres you're absolutely right that these programs should be better advertised. I'm going to call my county office tomorrow and ask if they have any transportation assistance programs for CalFresh recipients. Even if they don't have something as comprehensive as Sacramento Mobility Access, maybe there are other resources I don't know about. Thanks to everyone who contributed to figuring this out - this thread turned into a goldmine of information!

@Amara Eze I'm in Riverside County too! I actually called our county office last week about transportation help and they told me about something called the "Riverside County Transportation Assistance Program" - it's not as comprehensive as Sacramento's but they do offer some limited ride vouchers for medical appointments and job interviews. You have to go through the CalFresh office to apply and there's income verification beyond just having CalFresh. The worker said they also partner with some local nonprofits that provide gas cards. It's worth asking specifically about "transportation assistance for CalFresh recipients" when you call - I almost gave up until I used those exact words and got transferred to someone who actually knew about the programs. The process is kind of a pain but definitely better than paying full price for rides!