Qualifications for the WIC Program

The Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC) is a federal program designed to help low-income families provide nutritious meals for mothers and children up to 5 years of age. WIC provides nutrition counseling, grants to states for supplemental foods and health care referrals for low-income women.

Residency Requirements

• You must apply for WIC benefits in the state in which you live. There is no minimum residence requirement, so you can apply in a state that you have just moved to. If you are a member of an Indian Reservation, then you will need to meet the requirements of the local Indian tribal organization. Some states may require you to apply at a local WIC clinic to ensure that you are receiving local care.

Income Requirements

• There is a maximum income threshold that you must fall below to qualify for WIC benefits. This amount is different in each state but must fall within federal guidelines. The state's income standard may not be less than 100 percent of the federal poverty guidelines, which are established each year by the Department of Health and Human Services. The income standard may not be more than 185 percent of the poverty income guidelines.

Other Ways to Qualify

• You can automatically meet the income eligibility requirements if you participate in certain programs. These include Medicaid, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families or certain state-administered assistance programs.

Nutritional Risk

• WIC applicants must be seen by a physician or nutritionist to determine if they are at nutritional risk. This can typically be done in the WIC clinic at no cost. You are welcome to obtain this information from your own doctor, however. According to the WIC Eligibility Requirements, nutrition risk applies when "an individual has medical-based or dietary-based conditions. Examples of medical-based conditions include anemia (low blood levels), underweight, or history of poor pregnancy outcome. A dietary-based condition includes, for example, a poor diet."

  You will be required to have at least one of the medical or dietary conditions on the state's list of WIC nutrition risk criteria to qualify.