2021-04532. 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, [phone].

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%					Reduced Price Meals—185%
	Annual	Monthly	Twice-monthly	Bi-weekly	Weekly	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%					Reduced price meals—185%
	Annual	Monthly	Twice-monthly	Bi-weekly	Weekly	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.