New York has joined the Restaurant Meal Program (RMP), which allows certain SNAP households to purchase hot meals from approved restaurants using their SNAP benefits and the EBT card.
The Restaurant Meals Program (RMP) allows certain SNAP beneficiaries who might not be able to prepare meals for themselves or do not have a permanent residence to store and prepare food to buy prepared meals with their SNAP benefits using the EBT card.
The RMP is designed to provide greater flexibility and dignity to SNAP recipients who cannot cook. It is particularly beneficial for homeless individuals who lack cooking facilities, disabled individuals who may find meal preparation challenging, and senior citizens who may struggle with the physical demands of cooking.
Who is Eligible for the Restaurant Meals Program?
The Restaurant Meals Program is only available to certain SNAP individuals or households who meet the following criteria;
- Elderly people (60 years of age or older)
- People with disabilities (those who receive disability or blindness payments or receive disability retirement benefits from a government agency because a disability is considered permanent)
- People who are homeless
Sen. Roxanne Persaud, representing District 19 in Brooklyn, sponsored the legislation. She said she hopes the program will be quickly expanded to give New Yorkers who qualify more options.
Persaud said, “I dream that every community has access to the Restaurant Meal Program, that someone can walk into a store in every borough, every district, and say, ‘I want to use SNAP benefits to purchase a hot meal.”
How to determine eligibility
Eligible SNAP recipients must not apply separately for the Restaurant Meals Program. Their eligibility will automatically be determined based on their existing SNAP case information.
Recipients can verify their RMP eligibility status by visiting www.ebtEDGE.com and creating or logging into their account.
If the recipient does not have an account already, they can create one using their EBT card number, PIN, and email address.
SNAP recipients can also check for the RMP eligibility message on the ebtEDGE Mobile App, which can be downloaded from the Play Store, or the ebtEDGE Mobile App, which can be downloaded from the Apple Store. An indicator will be visible on the account page if the user is eligible for the Restaurant Meals Program.
Benefits of RMP
The eligible SNAP recipients for RMP will receive a 10% discount when using their SNAP benefits to purchase meals at the approved restaurants.
Restrictions in the Restaurant Meals Program
While the program allows for the purchase of hot and prepared meals, there are certain restrictions guiding the program;
- Non-Alcoholic Beverages Only: The SNAP benefits can only purchase food and non-alcoholic drinks. Alcohol is restricted.
- No Additional SNAP Benefits: Eligibility for the Restaurant Meals Program does not increase the monthly SNAP benefit allotment. Beneficiaries must budget their benefits accordingly to manage their food expenses.
RMP as a Pilot Program
The RMP implementation in New York is in the pilot phase. This phase began in Rochester (Monroe County), with restaurants that already had experience working with government agencies. After a successful launch, the RMP pilot project will expand to other restaurants throughout Monroe County.
The exact process is being followed in Brooklyn (New York City), which is the same as in Monroe County.
