The WIC Income Limit is a set of guidelines that determine whether or not you are eligible for the WIC program. WIC stands for Women, Infants, and Children, and it is a federal program that provides food and nutrition assistance to low-income pregnant, breastfeeding, and postpartum women, as well as to infants and children under the age of five. The WIC Income Limit is based on your household income and family size. To be eligible for WIC, your household income must be at or below 185% of the federal poverty level. The federal poverty level is a measure of how much money a household needs to meet its basic needs, such as food, housing, and clothing. The WIC Income Limit is updated each year, so it is important to check the current income limits before applying for WIC.
WIC Income Eligibility Guidelines
The Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) is a federally funded program that provides supplemental foods, nutrition education, and breastfeeding support to low-income pregnant, postpartum, and breastfeeding women, and to infants and children up to age 5 who are at nutritional risk.
To be eligible for WIC, applicants must meet certain income guidelines. The income guidelines are based on the federal poverty level (FPL), which is a measure of income used to determine eligibility for various government assistance programs.
The following table shows the WIC income eligibility guidelines for fiscal year 2023:
| Household Size | Gross Monthly Income Limit |
|---|---|
| 1 | $2,035 |
| 2 | $2,728 |
| 3 | $3,421 |
| 4 | $4,114 |
| 5 | $4,807 |
| 6 | $5,500 |
| 7 | $6,193 |
| 8 | $6,886 |
| Each additional person | $693 |
To apply for WIC, contact your local WIC agency. You can find a list of WIC agencies in your area on the WIC website.
Determining Gross and Net Income
To determine if you qualify for the WIC program, you will need to provide information about your income. This includes both gross and net income. Gross income is the amount of money you earn before any taxes or other deductions are taken out. Net income is the amount of money you have left after taxes and other deductions have been taken out.
- Gross income includes wages, salaries, tips, commissions, bonuses, and other forms of compensation you receive for your work.
- Net income is your gross income minus any deductions, such as taxes, Social Security, Medicare, and health insurance premiums.
To determine your gross income, add up all of the money you earned from all sources during the last 12 months. This includes wages, salaries, tips, commissions, bonuses, and other forms of compensation you received for your work.
To determine your net income, subtract any deductions from your gross income. Deductions include taxes, Social Security, Medicare, and health insurance premiums.
| Deduction | Description |
|---|---|
| Taxes | This includes federal, state, and local income taxes. |
| Social Security | This is a tax that helps to fund Social Security benefits. |
| Medicare | This is a tax that helps to fund Medicare benefits. |
| Health insurance premiums | This is the amount you pay each month for health insurance coverage. |
Household Size and Income Limit Thresholds
The Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) is a federally funded program that provides supplemental foods, health care referrals, and nutrition education to low-income pregnant, postpartum, and breastfeeding women, and to infants and children under the age of five who are at nutritional risk.
To be eligible for WIC, households must meet certain income guidelines. The income limits are based on the household’s size and are updated annually. The following table shows the household size and income limit thresholds for WIC eligibility in the United States for Fiscal Year (FY) 2023:
| Household Size | Income Limit (Gross) |
|---|---|
| 1 | $23,888 |
| 2 | $32,325 |
| 3 | $40,762 |
| 4 | $49,200 |
| 5 | $57,637 |
| 6 | $66,075 |
| 7 | $74,512 |
| 8 | $82,950 |
Note that these income limits are gross income limits, meaning that they are based on the household’s total income before any deductions or taxes have been taken out.
To apply for WIC, contact your local WIC agency. You can find your local WIC agency by visiting the WIC website at: https://www.fns.usda.gov/wic.
**Verifying ** **Income for WIC**
To determine WIC eligibility based on income, certain criteria must be met. Only net income (after certain standard and/or required income exclusions) can be considered. Net income is the amount left after subtracting the standard amount for each of the following types of income from the household’s total income:
income exclusions:
– Child support payments received by a household member
– Foster care payments for a child or adult receiving SSI
– Loans (except microloans)
– Grants
– Scholarships
– Reimbursed work-related and child-care/ care-related
expenses
– Home energy assistance (or any payments under the Low-
Income Energy Assistance Act of 1981)
– Any payments received under the Job Training Partnership
Act (except payments under Part F, Title V)
– Income on hold in an account that is subject to a personal
checking restriction placed by a state agency
– Any payments received under a Tribal Work Assistance
Program under section 412 of the Social Security Act
– Earned income credit received as a lump-sum
– Wages of an individual who is less than 18 years of age
Income must be verified using any of the following:
- Paycheck or pay statement – must show the individual’s name, Hourly Pay rate, net pay for the pay period (wages less taxes/deductions), number of hours worked, pay dates, name of business and payees name and or State or Federal ID.
- Income statement from place of employment – must include the expected length of time the individual will be employed there, date of statement, the source’s contact person, the business name and contact information of the business, the individual’s name, hourly pay rate, number of hours worked per week/pay period and whether the employee is receiving any benefits from the company and the amount of those benefits, and the individual’s net pay per hour/pay period.
- Printed bank statement – must show all monies deposited into the account by paycheck direct deposit, date of deposit, name on the account the monies where deposited into, most recent balance of account and name of financial institute account is held at.
- Letter from a Tribal leasing office – must include the following: name of the applicant, name of the tribe and or Tribal office, date of the statement, beginning date and end date of the leasing contract, number of heads of household that reside in the home, amount of the rent due and amount of the rent payment received for the month/pay period and copy of any direct deposited rent check, if applicable.
- Income statement from self- employment
– Applicant must first complete the Self- Employment/Business income, O’OD, & Child Support Determination of Eligibility ( WIC-3074a)
– Prior year’s personal income tax return (State or Federal), and a business financial statement or statement of account.
– If the business in question does not have net income the applicant will need to prove all exemptions for household income have been met. - Documentation of all other forms of income – Using IRS Form 4506, request a copy of the individual’s IRS Tax transcript from the past 2 years.
If income cannot be provided at the time of the WIC interview, the applicant must return at a later date when income can be verified.
Well, folks, that’s the lowdown on WIC income limits. Hopefully, this article has helped you get a clearer picture of what you need to know. If you have any more questions or need further assistance, don’t hesitate to reach out. I’ll be here, ready to lend a helping hand or type. Thanks for stopping by, and I hope to see you again soon. Until next time, take care and stay informed!