Reasons for Under-Redemption of the WIC Cash-Value Benefit

Summary

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this notice invites the general public and other public agencies to comment on this proposed information collection. This collection is a NEW information collection. This study informs the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) about the reasons behind under-redemption of the cash-value benefit (CVB) issued to participants in the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC).

Request for Comments

Written comments must be received on or before Sept. 11, 2023.

Comments may be sent to:

• Summer Weber, Food and Nutrition Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, 1320 Braddock Place, Alexandria, VA 22314
  • fax to the attention of Summer Weber at 815-319-5697 or
  • via email at summer.weber@usda.gov.
• Federal eRulemaking Portal. Go to https://www.regulations.gov and follow the online instructions for submitting comments electronically.

Abstract

The American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARP), which was signed into law in March 2021, included provisions allowing the USDA to temporarily increase the Cash Value Voucher/Benefit (CVV/B) for certain food packages through Sept. 30, 2021. This CVB increase was further extended by Congress and is in place for fiscal year (FY) 2023. This increased CVB amount may reduce barriers to full utilization of the benefit. FNS is particularly interested in how state agency policies and practices as well as the temporary benefit increase affects CVB redemption rates.

A final rule, Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC): Revisions in the WIC Food Packages, was published in the Federal Register on March 4, 2014 (79 FR 12274) that revised the WIC food packages to add a monthly cash-value benefit (CVB) for the purchase of fruits and vegetables. This rule also detailed specific provisions for the value of the CVB, the types of fruits and vegetables authorized, and other state options for providing this benefit. Recent studies have estimated that redemption rates for CVBs range from 73 percent to 77 percent; however, the reasons for under-redemption of this benefit have not been fully explored. FNS has funded this study to determine the barriers to CVB redemption and the effects of state agency policies, practices, and other factors on CVB redemption rates.

In order to identify the factors associated with CVB redemption and examine the effects of state agency policies and practices on CVB redemption rates, FNS is conducting a study in 12 states, with more in-depth data collection occurring in 8 of these states. The study will gather data from WIC state agency staff, administrative records, and WIC participants.