FNS is issuing this memorandum on the use of Electronic Benefit Transfer transaction data as evidence of an intentional program violation.
This policy memorandum transmits the 2019-2020 Income Eligibility Guidelines for the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC) that were published in the Federal Register on April 26, 2019.
WIC Policy Memorandum #2017-1, New MIS Guidelines and Revised Procedures for EBT and MIS Grant Funding, dated Oct. 18, 2016, is cancelled.
In school year 2013-14, FNS introduced the unified administrative review and a 3-year review cycle. Since then, FNS has received feedback about the difficulties of the shorter review cycle, both for the state agencies conducting the reviews, and for school food authorities preparing for and responding to reviews.
FNS is pleased to announce the release of the fiscal year 2019 request for applications to invite state agencies that administer the National School Lunch and School Breakfast programs to apply for FY 2019 Administrative Review and Training Grants.
The Office of lnspector General's 2016 Audit Report, Food and Nutrition Service Controls over SNAP Benefits for Able Bodied Adults without Dependents, recommended that FNS perform analysis to identify problematic areas for states in terms of ABAWD policy and then provide states with additional best practices to address those areas.
This policy memorandum transmits the new Income Eligibility Guidelines for WIC that were published in the Federal Register on April 3, 2018.
After a further review of this matter, and upon advice of our legal counsel, we have reconsidered our position on the use of the Request for Contact (RFC) to facilitate household cooperation with fraud investigations. We have decided that the RFC may only be issued by state eligibility workers and only when the state agency learns of a change in the household’s circumstances that calls into question the household’s continued eligibility for the program or its current level of benefits.