WIC Benefits Issued Remotely Increased Participation, Especially In States With Online Benefit Distribution, 2017-21.

This study examined how US state policy changes during the COVID-19 pandemic affected participation in WIC, a nutrition assistance program for pregnant women, postpartum women, and children under five from low-income families. Using national administrative data from 2017 to 2021, researchers found that allowing remote benefit issuance significantly increased WIC participation. States that implemented remote benefit issuance saw a 10 percent relative increase in total participation compared to states without this policy. The findings suggest that reducing barriers to accessing nutrition assistance programs can improve enrollment among eligible families.

Key points

• Remote WIC benefit issuance was associated with a 10 percent relative increase in total WIC participation
• States with online benefit distribution experienced the greatest increases in participation
• The study tracked participation rates for women, infants (under age 1), and children (ages 1-4) separately
• Other state policy changes tested during the same period were not independently associated with participation increases
• Removing barriers to access to safety-net programs can increase participation among eligible populations

Limitations

The study could not isolate the effects of individual policies other than remote benefit issuance because multiple policy changes were implemented simultaneously during the pandemic, making it difficult to determine which other policy changes may have influenced participation. The findings are specific to the US WIC program and may not generalize to other nutrition assistance programs or countries.