Association of Remote vs In-Person Benefit Delivery With WIC Participation During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Between April and June 2020 at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, 29.5% of children in the US, predominantly from low-income families and racial and ethnic minority groups, experienced household food insecurity. The Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) is a key source of nutritional support for women and children living in poverty. WIC benefits are currently issued on electronic benefits transfer (EBT) debit cards, which can be used to purchase WIC-approved food and beverage products. As of July 2021, 9 states (Arkansas, Louisiana, Missouri, New Mexico, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Texas, Utah, and Wyoming) require WIC beneficiaries to either mail or present these cards in person at their local WIC office every 3 to 4 months to reload their benefits (referred to subsequently as "offline states"). WIC benefits are automatically reloaded onto EBT cards remotely each month in all other states (referred to as "online states").