In the average month of 2019, an estimated 11.0 million people were eligible to receive benefits from WIC. Of that group, 6.3 million people participated in the program, meaning the share of eligible people who participated in WIC was 57 percent.
This letter is in response to correspondence from WIC state agencies using offline Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) technology or paper food instruments, and requesting program flexibility from the WIC program federal requirements as a result of the impact of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and the 2022 Abbott recall of certain powder infant formula, exempt infant formula, and WIC-eligible nutritionals on the nationwide supply chain leading to both periodic location- and product-based WIC infant formula and exempt infant formula shortages.
This guidance contains information to help WIC state agencies plan for meeting the needs of WIC participants and potential, newly-eligible WIC applicants prior to and during a disaster response. It can also be used to plan for continued WIC operations during emergencies or other situations of distress. The information is designed to assist headquarters and regional office staff, as well as WIC state and local agency staff in their development of an executable WIC disaster plan
The following report addresses actions taken by FNS to comply with the Consolidated Appropriations Act 2021 which directed USDA to establish a Task Force to study measures to streamline the redemption of WIC benefits in a manner that promotes convenience, safety, and equitable access to WIC supplemental foods for participants in the WIC program.
FNS is committed to supporting WIC state agencies that are pursuing online ordering and online transactions. Bringing these shopping innovations to our participants is expected to improve the WIC shopping experience, increase equity in the program by allowing participants to shop like all other shoppers, and increase WIC benefit redemptions.
Under Section 118 of this Continuing Resolution, USDA is directed during the first quarter of fiscal year 2022 (Oct. 1, 2021 to Dec. 31, 2021) to temporarily increase the WIC Cash-Value Voucher/Benefit (CVV/B) for fruit and vegetable purchases for women and children participants to an amount recommended by the National Academies of Science, Engineering and Medicine (NASEM) and adjusted for inflation.
This final Task Force report includes comprehensive recommendations to USDA on next steps to advance WIC innovations associated with modern transaction models and participant redemption of supplemental foods.
The American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 provided USDA with $390 million, available through FY 2024, to carry out outreach, innovation, and program modernization efforts to increase participation and redemption of benefits for both WIC and WIC FMNP.
FNS has heard from state agency partners that a safe and successful return to normal operations will require more than 30 days’ notice once the nationally-declared public health emergency ends. Therefore, this memorandum extends certain WIC waivers until 90 days after the end of the nationally-declared public health emergency under the Public Health Service Act.
In FY 2022, FNS is planning to replace The Integrity Profile with the new Food Delivery Portal as the system WIC state agencies use to report vendor management activities. This memorandum provides WIC state agencies information necessary to assess the resource levels needed to successfully transition to reporting required data in FDP and seeks state agency feedback on any anticipated funding needs.