These graphics, the latest in a series of annual reports on WIC eligibility, present 2020 national and state estimates of the number of people eligible for WIC benefits and the percentages of the eligible population and the US population covered by the program, including estimates by participant category.
The WIC Vendor Management Study: 2015 Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) Pilot examined compliance with program requirements and rates of violations among WIC EBT vendors in 2015 and tested a method to identify and measure errors that contribute to improper payments in an EBT environment.
The following report addresses actions taken by FNS to comply with the Consolidated Appropriations Act 2021 which directed USDA to establish a Task Force to study measures to streamline the redemption of WIC benefits in a manner that promotes convenience, safety, and equitable access to WIC supplemental foods for participants in the WIC program.
The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of state agencies current peer group systems, and to provide guidance to state agencies on how to evaluate and update their systems. Specifically, it uses empirical analysis to identify one or more effective models for establishing vendor peer groups that could apply to most state agencies.
The Nutrition Assistance Program in the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico provides a monthly benefit for food to low-income households that includes both cash and noncash portions. Three-fourths (75 percent) of the benefit must be redeemed for eligible food items through electronic benefit transfer (EBT) at certified retailers. The remaining 25 percent may be redeemed in cash. The entire benefit (both the noncash and cash portions) is to be used only for the purchase of eligible food items.
This study is part of a larger FNS effort to ensure WIC program integrity and to comply with the Improper Payments Information Act of 2002 which requires FNS to estimate improper payments in its programs.
This report (1) identifies the number and nature of recent studies that have examined the effectiveness of three WIC services—nutrition education, breastfeeding promotion and support, and referral services—and (2) summarizes what the research shows about the effectiveness of these specific nutrition services.
GAO Report to Congressional Committees on Food Assistance: Performance Measures for Assessing Three WIC Services
GAO Report to Congressional Committees on Food Assistance: Financial Information on WIC Nutrition Services and Administrative Costs