Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC): 2021/2022 Income Eligibility Guidelines

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Food and Nutrition Service

Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC): 2021/2022 Income Eligibility Guidelines

AGENCY:

Food and Nutrition Service (FNS), USDA.

ACTION:

Notice.

SUMMARY:

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (“Department”) announces adjusted income eligibility guidelines to be used by State agencies in determining the income eligibility of persons applying to participate in the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC). These income eligibility guidelines are to be used in conjunction with the WIC Regulations.

DATES:

Applicable date July 1, 2021.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Sara Olson, Chief, Policy Branch, Supplemental Food Programs Division, FNS, USDA, 1320 Braddock Place, Alexandria, Virginia 22314, (703) 605-4013.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Executive Order 12866

This notice is exempt from review by the Office of Management and Budget under Executive Order 12866.

Regulatory Flexibility Act

This action is not a rule as defined by the Regulatory Flexibility Act (5 U.S.C. 601-612) and thus is exempt from the provisions of this Act.

Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995

This notice does not contain reporting or recordkeeping requirements subject to approval by the Office of Management and Budget in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. 3507).

Executive Order 12372

This program is listed in the Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Programs under No. 10.557, and is subject to the provisions of Executive Order 12372, which requires intergovernmental consultation with State and local officials (7 CFR part 3015, subpart V, 48 FR 29100, June 24, 1983, and 49 FR 22675, May 31, 1984).

Description

Section 17(d)(2)(A) of the Child Nutrition Act of 1966, as amended (42 U.S.C. 1786(d)(2)(A)), requires the Secretary of Agriculture to establish income criteria to be used with

nutritional risk criteria in determining a person's eligibility for participation in the WIC Program. The law provides that persons will be income-eligible for the WIC Program if they are members of families that satisfy the income standard prescribed for reduced-price school meals under section 9(b) of the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act (42 U.S.C. 1758(b)). Under section 9(b), the income limit for reduced-price school meals is 185 percent of the Federal poverty guidelines, as adjusted. Section 9(b) also requires that these guidelines be revised annually to reflect changes in the Consumer Price Index. The annual revision for 2021 was published by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) at 86 FR 7732, February 1, 2021. The guidelines published by HHS are referred to as the “poverty guidelines.”

Program Regulations at 7 CFR 246.7(d)(1) specify that State agencies may prescribe income guidelines either equaling the income guidelines established under Section 9 of the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act for reduced-price school meals, or identical to State or local guidelines for free or reduced-price health care. However, in conforming WIC income guidelines to State or local health care guidelines, the State cannot establish WIC guidelines which exceed the guidelines for reduced-price school meals, or which are less than 100 percent of the Federal poverty guidelines. Consistent with the method used to compute income eligibility guidelines for reduced-price meals under the National School Lunch Program, the poverty guidelines were multiplied by 1.85 and the results rounded upward to the next whole dollar.

At this time, the Department is publishing the maximum and minimum WIC income eligibility guidelines by household size for the period of July 1, 2021 through June 30, 2022. Consistent with section 17(f)(17) of the Child Nutrition Act of 1966, as amended (42 U.S.C. 1786(f)(17)), a State agency may implement the revised WIC income eligibility guidelines concurrently with the implementation of income eligibility guidelines under the Medicaid Program established under Title XIX of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1396,

et seq.

). State agencies may coordinate implementation with the revised Medicaid guidelines,

i.e.,

earlier in the year, but in no case may implementation take place later than July 1, 2021. State agencies that do not coordinate implementation with the revised Medicaid guidelines must implement the WIC income eligibility guidelines on or before July 1, 2021.

Income Eligibility Guidelines

[Effective from July 1, 2021 to June 30, 2022]

Household size

Federal poverty guidelines—100%

Annual

Monthly

Twice-monthly

Bi-weekly

Weekly

Reduced Price Meals—185%

Annual

Monthly

Twice-monthly

Bi-weekly

Weekly

48 Contiguous States, DC, Guam and Territories

1

$12,880

$1,074

$537

$496

$248

$23,828

$1,986

$993

$917

$459

2

17,420

1,452

726

670

335

32,227

2,686

1,343

1,240

620

3

21,960

1,830

915

845

423

40,626

3,386

1,693

1,563

782

4

26,500

2,209

1,105

1,020

510

49,025

4,086

2,043

1,886

943

5

31,040

2,587

1,294

1,194

597

57,424

4,786

2,393

2,209

1,105

6

35,580

2,965

1,483

1,369

685

65,823

5,486

2,743

2,532

1,266

7

40,120

3,344

1,672

1,544

772

74,222

6,186

3,093

2,855

1,428

8

44,660

3,722

1,861

1,718

859

82,621

6,886

3,443

3,178

1,589

Each add'l family member add

+4,540

+379

+190

+175

+88

+8,399

+700

+350

+324

+162

Alaska

1

16,090

1,341

671

619

310

29,767

2,481

1,241

1,145

573

2

21,770

1,815

908

838

419

40,275

3,357

1,679

1,550

775

3

27,450

2,288

1,144

1,056

528

50,783

4,232

2,116

1,954

977

4

33,130

2,761

1,381

1,275

638

61,291

5,108

2,554

2,358

1,179

5

38,810

3,235

1,618

1,493

747

71,799

5,984

2,992

2,762

1,381

6

44,490

3,708

1,854

1,712

856

82,307

6,859

3,430

3,166

1,583

7

50,170

4,181

2,091

1,930

965

92,815

7,735

3,868

3,570

1,785

8

55,850

4,655

2,328

2,149

1,075

103,323

8,611

4,306

3,974

1,987

Each add'l family member add

+5,680

+474

+237

+219

+110

+10,508

+876

+438

+405

+203

Hawaii

1

14,820

1,235

618

570

285

27,417

2,285

1,143

1,055

528

2

20,040

1,670

835

771

386

37,074

3,090

1,545

1,426

713

3

25,260

2,105

1,053

972

486

46,731

3,895

1,948

1,798

899

4

30,480

2,540

1,270

1,173

587

56,388

4,699

2,350

2,169

1,085

5

35,700

2,975

1,488

1,374

687

66,045

5,504

2,752

2,541

1,271

6

40,920

3,410

1,705

1,574

787

75,702

6,309

3,155

2,912

1,456

7

46,140

3,845

1,923

1,775

888

85,359

7,114

3,557

3,284

1,642

8

51,360

4,280

2,140

1,976

988

95,016

7,918

3,959

3,655

1,828

Each add'l family member add

+5,220

+435

+218

+201

+101

+9,657

+805

+403

+372

+186

Income Eligibility Guidelines—Household Size Larger Than 8

[Effective from July 1, 2021 to June 30, 2022]

Household size

Federal poverty guidelines—100%

Annual

Monthly

Twice-monthly

Bi-weekly

Weekly

Reduced price meals—185%

Annual

Monthly

Twice-monthly

Bi-weekly

Weekly

48 Contiguous States, DC, Guam and Territories

9

$49,200

$4,100

$2,050

$1,893

$947

$91,020

$7,585

$3,793

$3,501

$1,751

10

53,740

4,479

2,240

2,067

1,034

99,419

8,285

4,143

3,824

1,912

11

58,280

4,857

2,429

2,242

1,121

107,818

8,985

4,493

4,147

2,074

12

62,820

5,235

2,618

2,417

1,209

116,217

9,685

4,843

4,470

2,235

13

67,360

5,614

2,807

2,591

1,296

124,616

10,385

5,193

4,793

2,397

14

71,900

5,992

2,996

2,766

1,383

133,015

11,085

5,543

5,116

2,558

15

76,440

6,370

3,185

2,940

1,470

141,414

11,785

5,893

5,439

2,720

16

80,980

6,749

3,375

3,115

1,558

149,813

12,485

6,243

5,763

2,882

Each add'l family member add

+4,540

+379

+190

+175

+88

+8,399

+700

+350

+324

+162

Alaska

9

61,530

5,128

2,564

2,367

1,184

113,831

9,486

4,743

4,379

2,190

10

67,210

5,601

2,801

2,585

1,293

124,339

10,362

5,181

4,783

2,392

11

72,890

6,075

3,038

2,804

1,402

134,847

11,238

5,619

5,187

2,594

12

78,570

6,548

3,274

3,022

1,511

145,355

12,113

6,057

5,591

2,796

13

84,250

7,021

3,511

3,241

1,621

155,863

12,989

6,495

5,995

2,998

14

89,930

7,495

3,748

3,459

1,730

166,371

13,865

6,933

6,399

3,200

15

95,610

7,968

3,984

3,678

1,839

176,879

14,740

7,370

6,804

3,402

16

101,290

8,441

4,221

3,896

1,948

187,387

15,616

7,808

7,208

3,604

Each add'l family member add

+5,680

+474

+237

+219

+110

+10,508

+876

+438

+405

+203

Hawaii

9

56,580

4,715

2,358

2,177

1,089

104,673

8,723

4,362

4,026

2,013

10

61,800

5,150

2,575

2,377

1,189

114,330

9,528

4,764

4,398

2,199

11

67,020

5,585

2,793

2,578

1,289

123,987

10,333

5,167

4,769

2,385

12

72,240

6,020

3,010

2,779

1,390

133,644

11,137

5,569

5,141

2,571

13

77,460

6,455

3,228

2,980

1,490

143,301

11,942

5,971

5,512

2,756

14

82,680

6,890

3,445

3,180

1,590

152,958

12,747

6,374

5,883

2,942

15

87,900

7,325

3,663

3,381

1,691

162,615

13,552

6,776

6,255

3,128

16

93,120

7,760

3,880

3,582

1,791

172,272

14,356

7,178

6,626

3,313

Each add'l family member add

+5,220

+435

+218

+201

+101

+9,657

+805

+403

+372

+186

The table of this Notice contains the income limits by household size for the 48 contiguous States, the District of Columbia, and all United States Territories, including Guam. Separate tables for Alaska and Hawaii have been included for the convenience of the State agencies because the poverty guidelines for Alaska and Hawaii are higher than for the 48 contiguous States.

Authority:

42 U.S.C. 1786.

Cynthia Long,

Acting Administrator, Food and Nutrition Service, USDA.

[FR Doc. 2021-04532 Filed 3-4-21; 8:45 am]

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