2023-03548. Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC): 2023/2024 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 July 1, 2023.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Allison Post, Chief, WIC Administration, Benefits, and Certification Branch, Policy Division, FNS, USDA, 1320 Braddock Place, Alexandria, Virginia 22314, 703-457-7708.

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 2023 was published by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) at 88 FR 3424 on January 19, 2023. 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.

Currently, the Department is publishing the maximum and minimum WIC income eligibility guidelines by household size for the period of July 1, 2023, through June 30, 2024. 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, 2023. State agencies that do not coordinate implementation with the revised Medicaid guidelines must implement the WIC income eligibility guidelines on or before July 1, 2023.

Income Eligibility Guidelines

[Effective from July 1, 2023, to June 30, 2024]

Household size	Federal poverty guidelines—100%					Reduced price meals—185%
	Annual	Monthly	Twice- monthly	Bi-weekly	Weekly	Annual	Monthly	Twice- monthly	Bi-weekly	Weekly
48 Contiguous States, D.C., Guam and Territories
1	$14,580	$1,215	$608	$561	$281	$26,973	$2,248	$1,124	$1,038	$519
2	19,720	1,644	822	759	380	36,482	3,041	1,521	1,404	702
3	24,860	2,072	1,036	957	479	45,991	3,833	1,917	1,769	885
4	30,000	2,500	1,250	1,154	577	55,500	4,625	2,313	2,135	1,068
5	35,140	2,929	1,465	1,352	676	65,009	5,418	2,709	2,501	1,251
6	40,280	3,357	1,679	1,550	775	74,518	6,210	3,105	2,867	1,434
7	45,420	3,785	1,893	1,747	874	84,027	7,003	3,502	3,232	1,616
8	50,560	4,214	2,107	1,945	973	93,536	7,795	3,898	3,598	1,799
Each add'l family member add	+5,140	+429	+215	+198	+99	+9,509	+793	+397	+366	+183
Alaska
1	18,210	1,518	759	701	351	33,689	2,808	1,404	1,296	648
2	24,640	2,054	1,027	948	474	45,584	3,799	1,900	1,754	877
3	31,070	2,590	1,295	1,195	598	57,480	4,790	2,395	2,211	1,106
4	37,500	3,125	1,563	1,443	722	69,375	5,782	2,891	2,669	1,335
5	43,930	3,661	1,831	1,690	845	81,271	6,773	3,387	3,126	1,563
6	50,360	4,197	2,099	1,937	969	93,166	7,764	3,882	3,584	1,792
7	56,790	4,733	2,367	2,185	1,093	105,062	8,756	4,378	4,041	2,021
8	63,220	5,269	2,635	2,432	1,216	116,957	9,747	4,874	4,499	2,250
Each add'l family member add	+6,430	+536	+268	+248	+124	+11,896	+992	+496	+458	+229
Hawaii
1	16,770	1,398	699	645	323	31,025	2,586	1,293	1,194	597
2	22,680	1,890	945	873	437	41,958	3,497	1,749	1,614	807
3	28,590	2,383	1,192	1,100	550	52,892	4,408	2,204	2,035	1,018
4	34,500	2,875	1,438	1,327	664	63,825	5,319	2,660	2,455	1,228
5	40,410	3,368	1,684	1,555	778	74,759	6,230	3,115	2,876	1,438
6	46,320	3,860	1,930	1,782	891	85,692	7,141	3,571	3,296	1,648
7	52,230	4,353	2,177	2,009	1,005	96,626	8,053	4,027	3,717	1,859
8	58,140	4,845	2,423	2,237	1,119	107,559	8,964	4,482	4,137	2,069
Each add'l family member add	+5,910	+493	+247	+228	+114	+10,934	+912	+456	+421	+211

Income Eligibility Guidelines: Household Size Larger Than 8

[Effective from July 1, 2023, to June 30, 2024]

Household size	Federal poverty guidelines—100%					Reduced price meals—185%
	Annual	Monthly	Twice- monthly	Bi-weekly	Weekly	Annual	Monthly	Twice- monthly	Bi-weekly	Weekly
48 Contiguous States, D.C., Guam and Territories
9	$55,700	$4,642	$2,321	$2,143	$1,072	$103,045	$8,588	$4,294	$3,964	$1,982
10	60,840	5,070	2,535	2,340	1,170	112,554	9,380	4,690	4,329	2,165
11	65,980	5,499	2,750	2,538	1,269	122,063	10,172	5,086	4,695	2,348
12	71,120	5,927	2,964	2,736	1,368	131,572	10,965	5,483	5,061	2,531
13	76,260	6,355	3,178	2,934	1,467	141,081	11,757	5,879	5,427	2,714
14	81,400	6,784	3,392	3,131	1,566	150,590	12,550	6,275	5,792	2,896
15	86,540	7,212	3,606	3,329	1,665	160,099	13,342	6,671	6,158	3,079
16	91,680	7,640	3,820	3,527	1,764	169,608	14,134	7,067	6,524	3,262
Each add'l family member add	+5,140	+429	+215	+198	+99	+9,509	+793	+397	+366	+183
Alaska
9	69,650	5,805	2,903	2,679	1,340	128,853	10,738	5,369	4,956	2,478
10	76,080	6,340	3,170	2,927	1,464	140,748	11,729	5,865	5,414	2,707
11	82,510	6,876	3,438	3,174	1,587	152,644	12,721	6,361	5,871	2,936
12	88,940	7,412	3,706	3,421	1,711	164,539	13,712	6,856	6,329	3,165
13	95,370	7,948	3,974	3,669	1,835	176,435	14,703	7,352	6,786	3,393
14	101,800	8,484	4,242	3,916	1,958	188,330	15,695	7,848	7,244	3,622
15	108,230	9,020	4,510	4,163	2,082	200,226	16,686	8,343	7,701	3,851
16	114,660	9,555	4,778	4,410	2,205	212,121	17,677	8,839	8,159	4,080
Each add'l family member add	+6,430	+536	+268	+248	+124	+11,896	+992	+496	+458	+229
Hawaii
9	64,050	5,338	2,669	2,464	1,232	118,493	9,875	4,938	4,558	2,279
10	69,960	5,830	2,915	2,691	1,346	129,426	10,786	5,393	4,978	2,489
11	75,870	6,323	3,162	2,919	1,460	140,360	11,697	5,849	5,399	2,700
12	81,780	6,815	3,408	3,146	1,573	151,293	12,608	6,304	5,819	2,910
13	87,690	7,308	3,654	3,373	1,687	162,227	13,519	6,760	6,240	3,120
14	93,600	7,800	3,900	3,600	1,800	173,160	14,430	7,215	6,660	3,330
15	99,510	8,293	4,147	3,828	1,914	184,094	15,342	7,671	7,081	3,541
16	105,420	8,785	4,393	4,055	2,028	195,027	16,253	8,127	7,502	3,751
Each add'l family member add	+5,910	+493	+247	+228	+114	+10,934	+912	+456	+421	+211

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,

Administrator, Food and Nutrition Service.