The West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources, Bureau for Public Health, Office of Nutrition Services has announced updated U.S. Department of Agriculture income eligibility guidelines for the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children.
The new guidelines indicate a family of four can earn $55,500 and qualify for WIC benefits, an increase of $4,162 from 2022. These guidelines are adjusted for recent inflation over the past year.
“Our goal is to provide nutritional services and information that help keep West Virginia families healthy,” said Dr. Matthew Christiansen, state health officer and commissioner for DHHR’s Bureau for Public Health. “West Virginia WIC serves more than 36,000 mothers and young children monthly. With the expanded income guidelines, we can serve more families.”
An additional 4,600 West Virginians could be served under the expanded WIC income eligibility guidelines. Families enrolled in the program receive nutrition education, breastfeeding education, nutritious foods, and access to maternal, prenatal and pediatric healthcare services that may otherwise be unavailable. West Virginia WIC serves 86% of all babies born in West Virginia.
The new income guidelines represent 185% above the federal poverty level for all 48 contiguous states. The guidelines are as follows (household/family size, weekly gross income, monthly gross income and annual gross income): one, $518, $2,247 and $26,973; two, $701, $3,040 and $36,482; three, $884, $3,832 and $45,991; and four, $1,067, $4,625 and $55,500.
For more information about West Virginia WIC visit https://dhhr.wv.gov/WIC/Pages/default.aspx.
For more information regarding new USDA WIC eligibility guidelines go to https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2023/01/19/2023-00885/annual-update-of-the-hhs-poverty-guidelines.