WIC is a federal food assistance program that helps women, infants, and children. Those who qualify for this type of assistance need to meet income eligibility guidelines. This is a program that can provide much needed help to low-income families. People using WIC can use coupons with it.

What is WIC?
WIC is an abbreviation of “women, infants, and children”. It is a special supplemental nutrition program that provides supplemental foods, health care referrals, and nutrition education for low-income pregnant, breastfeeding, and non-breastfeeding postpartum woman. It is also provides the same benefits for infants and children (up to the age of 5) who are found to be at nutritional risk.

Who is eligible for WIC?
There are four criteria that determine who is (and who is not) eligible for WIC. The first one is “categorical”. WIC is for pregnant women (during pregnancy and up to 6 weeks after the birth of an infant or the end of a pregnancy). It also for infants (up to the infant’s first birthday) and children (up to the child’s fifth birthday).

The second criteria is “residential”. Applicants must live in the state in which they apply for WIC. The third criteria is “income”. In order to qualify, a woman must be at or below the income level or standard set by whatever state she lives in. The fourth criteria is “nutrition risk”. This means that the mother or the infant has medical-based or dietary-based conditions.

What does WIC cover?
WIC provides foods for mothers, infants, and children. These foods include: infant cereal, iron-fortified adult cereal, vitamin C-rich fruit or vegetable juice, eggs, milk, cheese, peanut butter, dried and canned beans or peas, and canned fish. Recently, the following items were added: soy-based beverages, tofu, fruits and vegetables, baby foods, whole-wheat bread, and other whole-grain options.

Those who are eligible for WIC pay for these foods with checks or vouchers. Some states have replaced the checks or vouchers with an EBT card. The card can be used just like a debit card at stores that take WIC.

Can you use coupons with WIC?
Yes! You absolutely can use coupons with WIC. Doing so can help stretch the WIC benefit a little bit farther. The WIC guidelines for 2014 from the United States Department of Agriculture state that WIC authorized vendors must treat people who use WIC the same as they treat people who do not use it. That means people who use WIC are allowed to use coupons and take advantage of in-store promotions.

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