Idaho Nutrition Program Adopts New Income Guidelines

Idaho’s special supplemental nutrition program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) will implement new income guidelines effective July 1, 2011, that raise household income eligibility limits to help offset cost of living increases.

At no cost to qualified families, WIC provides nutritious supplemental foods like milk, eggs, cheese, cereal, juice, beans and peanut butter. WIC services also include health screenings, nutrition counseling, breastfeeding information and support, help from registered dietitians and referrals to other services that may aid a family in need. The average Idaho family enrolled in WIC receives approximately $55 of healthy foods per month. There are 44,000 people per month currently receiving Idaho WIC assistance.

To be eligible for the WIC program, an individual must be a pregnant or breastfeeding woman; a woman who has recently been pregnant; or an infant or child under five years of age. In addition, the individual must live in Idaho, have a special need that can be helped by WIC foods and nutrition counseling, and have a low-to-moderate income. To be eligible on the basis of income, an applicant’s gross income (i.e. before taxes are withheld) must fall at or below 185 percent of the U.S. Poverty Income Guidelines. As an example, for a family of three the new guidelines set an upper income limit of $34,281; under the old guidelines a family of three could have earned up to $33,874. If you or a family member are in the categories served by WIC and currently receive Medicaid, SNAP, TANF, or CHIP, you are automatically income eligible for WIC.

WIC Income Eligibility Guidelines

Effective July 1, 2011 through June 30, 2012

Number of Household Members

Maximum Gross Household Income

	Per Month	Per Year
1	$1,679	$20,147
2	$2,268	$27,214
3	$2,857	$34,281
4	$3,446	$41,348
5	$4,035	$48,415
More than 5	Call the Local WIC Program	Call the Local WIC Program

*One pregnant woman counts as two household members.

To apply for WIC or for more information about WIC in your area, call the Idaho CareLine at 211 or 1-800-926-2588. Information can also be found on the web at http://www.wic.dhw.idaho.gov.