Who is WIC for?

Who is eligible for the WIC Program?

  • Women
  • Pregnant women
  • Breastfeeding women who have had a baby within the past year
  • Women who have had a baby within the past six months
  • Women who have been pregnant within the past six months
  • Infants from birth to 1 year of age
  • Children from 1 year of age to their 5th birthday

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Who can apply for the WIC Program?

  • Pregnant women
  • Mothers and fathers with an infant or
    child under the age of 5
  • Foster parent(s) or guardian(s) with an
    infant or child under age 5

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What are the additional eligibility requirements for the WIC Program?

  • You must live in Minnesota
  • Each state provides WIC benefits to its residents
  • You will usually receive WIC services in the county where you live
  • You do not need to be a U.S. citizen to be on WIC

Back to Additional Eligibility Requirements

  • You must be income eligible

If you or a family member is currently participating in any of the following programs, you and your family are adjunctively income eligible for the WIC Program.

  • Medical Assistance
  • MN Care
  • Food Stamps
  • Minnesota Family Investment Program (MFIP)
  • Fuel Assistance
  • Reduced or Free School Lunch
  • Headstart

Or, if you or a family member is currently receiving Supplemental Security Income (SSI) or Medical Assistance - TEFRA, the person receiving these benefits is income eligible for the WIC Program.

If you are not adjunctively eligible for the WIC Program, you may be income eligible based on the income guidelines in Table 1 in the Income Eligibility section below.

Income Eligibility

WIC bases your income on your household's gross income (before taxes are taken out).

  • WIC includes people who are living together and share income and household expenses (bills, food, etc.)
  • WIC counts a pregnant woman as two family members

Table 1 (Effective as of May 1, 2012)

Number of Household Members Weekly Household Income Monthly Household Income Yearly Household Income
1
Up to $398
Up to $1,723
Up to $20,665
2
Up to $539
Up to $2,333
Up to $27,991
3
Up to $680
Up to $2,944
Up to $35,317
4
Up to $821
Up to $3,554
Up to $42,643
5
Up to $961
Up to $4,165
Up to $49,969
6
Up to $1,102
Up to $4,775
Up to $57,295
7
Up to $1,243
Up to $5,386
Up to $64,621
8
Up to $1,384
Up to $5,996
Up to $71,947
9
Up to $1,525
Up to $6,607
Up to $79,273
For each additional family member, add
$141
$611
$7,326

If your household doesn't meet the income guidelines listed in Table 1, but your household includes a pregnant woman, a woman who has recently had a baby, or a child up to the age of five, you may be Presumptively Income Eligible.

Presumptive Income Eligibility

WIC bases your income on your household's gross income (before taxes are taken out).

  • WIC includes people who are living together and share income and household expenses (bills, food, etc.)
  • WIC counts a pregnant woman as two family members

If your family meets all of the following criteria, your family may be presumptively income eligible for the WIC Program.

  • No one in your family is receiving benefits from any of the adjunctive income eligible programs right now (MA, MN Care, MFIP, Headstart, Food Stamps, SSI, Fuel Assistance or Free or Reduced School Lunches).
  • Your household includes a pregnant woman, a woman who has recently had a baby, or a child up to the age of 5
  • You are willing to apply for a Minnesota Health Care Program
  • Your household income meets the guidelines listed in Table 2 below

Families that are found to be presumptively income eligible can receive WIC benefits for three months. After three months, proof of current eligibility, or a pending application, for a Minnesota Health Care Program must be provided to continue receiving WIC benefits.

Table 2 (Effective July 1, 2011)

Number of Household Members Weekly Household Income
Monthly Household Income
 Yearly Household Income
1
Up to $576
Up to $2,496
Up to $29,952
2
Up to $778
Up to $3,372
Up to $40,464
3
Up to $980
Up to $4,248
Up to $50,976
4
Up to $1,182
Up to $5,124
Up to $61,488
5
Up to $1,384
Up to $6,000
Up to $72,000
6
Up to $1,586
Up to $6,876
Up to $82,512
7
Up to $1,788
Up to $7,752
Up to $93,024
8
Up to $1,991
Up to $8,4628
Up to $103,536
9
Up to $2,193
Up to $9,504
Up to $114,048
For each additional family member, add
$202
$876
$10,512

If you have any questions about income eligibility,
please call a WIC Agency near you.

  • You must have a medical or nutrition need.
  • A "medical need" means that you or your child has health-based risks such as high or low weight, anemia, or a history of having low birth weight or premature babies.
  • A "nutrition need" means that you or your child may have poor eating habits, lack variety in the foods eaten daily, or are not eating enough of certain nutrients (like calcium, iron or protein).
  • Medical or nutrition needs will be assessed by a qualified health professional at your WIC appointment.

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Am I eligible for WIC?

To find the phone # of a WIC Clinic near you, select one of the following:

or

Or call 1-800-WIC-4030 (1-800-942-4030)

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