CalFresh, California’s version of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), provides monthly food assistance to low-income households that meet state and federal eligibility guidelines. Benefits are distributed to CalFresh accounts linked to CalFresh EBT cards.

                By                    Josephine Nesbit

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EBT cards can be used in grocery stores and participating farmers’ markets. Your benefits can be used to purchase most food items, plus seeds and plants that grow food for your household to eat. According to the California Department of Social Services, some farmers’ markets give CalFresh recipients twice the amount of produce they pay for.

To find out where you can use your CalFresh benefits, check the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s SNAP Retailer Locator. Click “Enter the SNAP Retailer Locator” and enter your address. For a list of markets that accept CalFresh benefits, visit here.

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California also participates in the Restaurant Meals Program (RMP), a state option that allows certain SNAP recipients who might not be able to prepare meals for themselves to be able to buy prepared meals at restaurants with their SNAP benefits. To be eligible for RMP, you must be age 60 or older, disabled, homeless or the spouse of a SNAP client who is eligible for the RMP. Not all locations participate in this program, so call ahead and ask if CalFresh EBT cards are accepted.

You can apply for CalFresh benefits online at GetCalFresh.org or by calling the CalFresh Info Line at 877-847-3663. If you qualify for expedited CalFresh benefits, you could receive benefits on the same day or within three days following the date your application is received.

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CalFresh benefits are distributed over the first 10 days of each month. The date your benefits are deposited onto your CalFresh EBT card depends on the last digit of your case number. Benefits are deposited on the assigned day, even if that day is a weekend or holiday.

Here’s the CalFresh EBT deposit schedule for September 2022:

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