Am I Eligible?

Who is eligible?

Pregnant, postpartum, and breastfeeding women, infants, and children up to age 5 are
eligible. They must meet income guidelines, a State residency requirement, and be
individually determined to be at "nutrition risk" by a health professional.

To be eligible on the basis of income, applicants' income must fall at or below 185
percent of the U.S. Poverty Income Guidelines (currently $42,643 for a family of four).
A person who participates or has family members who participate in certain other
benefit programs, such as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, Medicaid, or
Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, automatically meets the income eligibility
requirement.

What is "nutrition risk?"

Two major types of nutrition risk are recognized for WIC eligibility:

  • Medically-based risks such as anemia, underweight, overweight, history of
    pregnancy complications, or poor pregnancy outcomes.
  • Dietary risks, such as failure to meet the dietary guidelines or inappropriate nutrition
    practices.

Nutrition risk is determined by a health professional such as a physician, nutritionist, or
nurse, and is based on Federal guidelines. This nutrition assessment is free to program
applicants.

Income Guidelines

For Period of May 1, 2012 – June 30, 2013

Households with income at or below the following levels will be considered eligible for WIC food assistance.

                       Gross Household Income
Number of Person(s) in Household Annual Monthly Weekly
1 $20,665 $1,723 $398
2 $27,991 $2,333 $539
3 $35,317 $2,944 $680
4 $42,643 $3,554 $821
5 $49,969 $4,165 $961
6 $57,295 $4,775 $1,102
7 $64,621 $5,386 $1,243
8 $71,947 $5,996 $1,384
Each Additional Household Member Add: + $7,326 + $611 + $141

If you are pregnant, count yourself as two household members. Individuals who are certified as eligible for MaineCare, TANF or SNAP (formerly known as Food Stamps) are considered automatically income-eligible for WIC.

WIC Prescreening Tool

Find out if you are eligible for the WIC program by clicking on the following link:
http://wic.fns.usda.gov/wps/pages/start.jsf