Am I Eligible?

Who is eligible for the WIC Nutrition Program in Maine?

Pregnant, postpartum, and breastfeeding women, and infants and children up to age 5 are eligible. They must meet income guidelines, live in Maine, and be individually determined to be at "nutrition risk" by a health professional.

To be eligible on the basis of income, applicants' income must fall at or below 185 percent of the U.S. Poverty Income Guidelines (currently $44,863/year for a family of four). A person who receives MaineCare, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), or Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) benefits automatically meet the income eligibility requirement.

Income Guidelines

For Period of May 1, 2015 – June 30, 2016

Households with income at or below the following levels will be considered eligible for participation in the WIC program.

	Gross Household Income
Number of Person(s) in Household	Annual	Monthly	Weekly
1	$21,775	$1,815	$419
2	$29,471	$2,456	$567
3	$37,167	$3,098	$715
4	$44,863	$3,739	$863
5	$52,559	$4,380	$1,011
6	$60,255	$5,022	$1,159
7	$67,951	$5,663	$1,307
8	$75,647	$6,304	$1,455
Each Additional Household Member Add:	+ $7,696	+ $642	+ $148

If you are pregnant, count yourself as two household members. Individuals who are certified as eligible for MaineCare, TANF or SNAP are considered automatically income-eligible for WIC.

What is "nutrition risk?"

Two major types of nutrition risk are recognized for WIC eligibility:

• Medically-based risks such as anemia, underweight, overweight, history of pregnancy complications, or poor pregnancy outcomes
• Dietary risks, such as failure to meet the dietary guidelines or inappropriate nutrition practices

Nutrition risk is determined by a health professional such as a physician, nutritionist, or nurse, and is based on Federal regulations. This nutrition assessment is free to program applicants.

WIC Prescreening Tool

Find out if you are eligible for the WIC program by clicking on the following link: https://wic.fns.usda.gov/wps/pages/start.jsf