States will begin a four-year transition to electronic delivery of WIC benefits that total $6.4 billion annually, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced at an anti-hunger conference.
More than 8 million low-income pregnant women, new mothers, and children receive supplemental food packages through the program. “WIC serves over half of all babies in the United States,” says the USDA. Vilsack said electronic benefit transfer, used for years in the food stamp program, “is widely recognized as the optimal method of food benefit delivery, allowing WIC participants to shop conveniently and check out confidently.”
For the most parts, WIC benefits are distributed in paper vouchers. A dozen states already use EBT. The regulation for switching WIC to EBT was scheduled to appear in the Federal Register today. It would take effect in 60 days and the deadline for transition would be Nov. 1, 2020.
“The transition from paper benefits to EBT systems allows WIC participants to shop for items as needed rather than requiring them to purchase all items in one trip or lose the remaining benefits,” said a USDA release. “Implementing EBT will also reduce checkout times and potential stigma associated with using food benefits. Additionally, WIC participants will no longer need to separate their WIC foods from their other grocery items.”