2022-06541. Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC): 2022/2023 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, 2022.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Allison Post, Acting Chief, Policy Branch, Supplemental Food Programs 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 2022 was published by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) at 87 FR 3315, January 12, 2022. 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, 2022, through June 30, 2023. 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, 2022. State agencies that do not coordinate implementation with the revised Medicaid guidelines must implement the WIC income eligibility guidelines on or before July 1, 2022.

Income Eligibility Guidelines

[Effective from July 1, 2022 to June 30, 2023]

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	$13,590	$1,133	$567	$523	$262	$25,142	$2,096	$1,048	$967	$484
2	18,310	1,526	763	705	353	33,874	2,823	1,412	1,303	652
3	23,030	1,920	960	886	443	42,606	3,551	1,776	1,639	820
4	27,750	2,313	1,157	1,068	534	51,338	4,279	2,140	1,975	988
5	32,470	2,706	1,353	1,249	625	60,070	5,006	2,503	2,311	1,156
6	37,190	3,100	1,550	1,431	716	68,802	5,734	2,867	2,647	1,324
7	41,910	3,493	1,747	1,612	806	77,534	6,462	3,231	2,983	1,492
8	46,630	3,886	1,943	1,794	897	86,266	7,189	3,595	3,318	1,659
Each add'l family member add	+ 4,720	+ 394	+ 197	+ 182	+ 91	+ 8,732	+ 728	+ 364	+ 336	+ 168
Alaska
1	16,990	1,416	708	654	327	31,432	2,620	1,310	1,209	605
2	22,890	1,908	954	881	441	42,347	3,529	1,765	1,629	815
3	28,790	2,400	1,200	1,108	554	53,262	4,439	2,220	2,049	1,025
4	34,690	2,891	1,446	1,335	668	64,177	5,349	2,675	2,469	1,235
5	40,590	3,383	1,692	1,562	781	75,092	6,258	3,129	2,889	1,445
6	46,490	3,875	1,938	1,789	895	86,007	7,168	3,584	3,308	1,654
7	52,390	4,366	2,183	2,015	1,008	96,922	8,077	4,039	3,728	1,864
8	58,290	4,858	2,429	2,242	1,121	107,837	8,987	4,494	4,148	2,074
Each add'l family member add	+ 5,900	+ 492	+ 246	+ 227	+ 114	+ 10,915	+ 910	+ 455	+ 420	+ 210
Hawaii
1	15,630	1,303	652	602	301	28,916	2,410	1,205	1,113	557
2	21,060	1,755	878	810	405	38,961	3,247	1,624	1,499	750
3	26,490	2,208	1,104	1,019	510	49,007	4,084	2,042	1,885	943
4	31,920	2,660	1,330	1,228	614	59,052	4,921	2,461	2,272	1,136
5	37,350	3,113	1,557	1,437	719	69,098	5,759	2,880	2,658	1,329
6	42,780	3,565	1,783	1,646	823	79,143	6,596	3,298	3,044	1,522
7	48,210	4,018	2,009	1,855	928	89,189	7,433	3,717	3,431	1,716
8	53,640	4,470	2,235	2,064	1,032	99,234	8,270	4,135	3,817	1,909
Each add'l family member add	+ 5,430	+ 453	+ 227	+ 209	+ 105	+ 10,046	+ 838	+ 419	+ 387	+ 194

Income Eligibility Guidelines

[Effective from July 1, 2022 to June 30, 2023—household size larger than 8]

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	$51,350	$4,280	$2,140	$1,975	$988	$94,998	$7,917	$3,959	$3,654	$1,827
10	56,070	4,673	2,337	2,157	1,079	103,730	8,645	4,323	3,990	1,995
11	60,790	5,066	2,533	2,339	1,170	112,462	9,372	4,686	4,326	2,163
12	65,510	5,460	2,730	2,520	1,260	121,194	10,100	5,050	4,662	2,331
13	70,230	5,853	2,927	2,702	1,351	129,926	10,828	5,414	4,998	2,499
14	74,950	6,246	3,123	2,883	1,442	138,658	11,555	5,778	5,333	2,667
15	79,670	6,640	3,320	3,065	1,533	147,390	12,283	6,142	5,669	2,835
16	84,390	7,033	3,517	3,246	1,623	156,122	13,011	6,506	6,005	3,003
Each add'l family member add	+ 4,720	+ 394	+ 197	+ 182	+ 91	+ 8,732	+ 728	+ 364	+ 336	+ 168
Alaska
9	64,190	5,350	2,675	2,469	1,235	118,752	9,896	4,948	4,568	2,284
10	70,090	5,841	2,921	2,696	1,348	129,667	10,806	5,403	4,988	2,494
11	75,990	6,333	3,167	2,923	1,462	140,582	11,716	5,858	5,407	2,704
12	81,890	6,825	3,413	3,150	1,575	151,497	12,625	6,313	5,827	2,914
13	87,790	7,316	3,658	3,377	1,689	162,412	13,535	6,768	6,247	3,124
14	93,690	7,808	3,904	3,604	1,802	173,327	14,444	7,222	6,667	3,334
15	99,590	8,300	4,150	3,831	1,916	184,242	15,354	7,677	7,087	3,544
16	105,490	8,791	4,396	4,058	2,029	195,157	16,264	8,132	7,507	3,754
Each add'l family member add	+ 5,900	+ 492	+ 246	+ 227	+ 114	+ 10,915	+ 910	+ 455	+ 420	+ 210
Hawaii
9	59,070	4,923	2,462	2,272	1,136	109,280	9,107	4,554	4,204	2,102
10	64,500	5,375	2,688	2,481	1,241	119,325	9,944	4,972	4,590	2,295
11	69,930	5,828	2,914	2,690	1,345	129,371	10,781	5,391	4,976	2,488
12	75,360	6,280	3,140	2,899	1,450	139,416	11,618	5,809	5,363	2,682
13	80,790	6,733	3,367	3,108	1,554	149,462	12,456	6,228	5,749	2,875
14	86,220	7,185	3,593	3,317	1,659	159,507	13,293	6,647	6,135	3,068
15	91,650	7,638	3,819	3,525	1,763	169,553	14,130	7,065	6,522	3,261
16	97,080	8,090	4,045	3,734	1,867	179,598	14,967	7,484	6,908	3,454
Each add'l family member add	+ 5,430	+ 453	+ 227	+ 209	+ 105	+ 10,046	+ 838	+ 419	+ 387	+ 194

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, USDA.