How To Apply For WIC In North Carolina

Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children, also know as WIC, is a program that is designed to help low-income pregnant, postpartum, and breastfeeding women, infants, and children 5 years old or younger who are at nutritional risk. The North Carolina WIC program accomplishes this by providing nutritious foods to supplement diets, information that can help provide healthy eating options including breastfeeding, and referrals to health care. If you are looking to know how to apply for WIC in North Carolina, then read the information provided below.

Am I Eligible for North Carolina WIC?
WIC is available to pregnant, breast feeding and postpartum women, infants and children up to age five. To participate, these persons must:

• Live in North Carolina
• Have a family income less than 185% of the U.S. Poverty Income Guidelines. A person receiving Medicaid, Work First Families Assistance (TANF), or assistance from the NC Food and Nutrition Services automatically meets the income eligibility requirement
• Be at nutritional risk. A nutritionist or other health professional makes the nutritional risk assessment at no cost to the participant, usually at the local WIC office. Examples of nutritional risk conditions are listed below. For a complete listing, call 919-707-5800
  • Abnormal anthropometric or hematological measurements
  • Documented nutrition-related medical conditions
  • Inadequate dietary intake
  • Conditions that predispose a person to inadequate nutritional patterns such as lead poisoning, migrancy, alcohol or drug abuse

WIC Certification Periods

• Pregnant women are certified for their pregnancy and up to six weeks postpartum. By 6 weeks postpartum they must be recertified as a postpartum or breast feeding woman
• Non-breast feeding postpartum women are certified until six months postpartum
• Breast feeding postpartum women are certified for up to 12 months postpartum
• Infants certified before six months of age are certified until their first birthday. Infants certified after six months of age are certified for six months
• Children are certified every twelve months until five years of age

WIC Income Guidelines
Once the size and gross income of the economic unit (or household) have been determined and documented, staff use the poverty income guidelines included in the chart below to determine income eligibility. The guidelines are published by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS).

Note: A person who currently receives Medicaid, Work First, or Food and Nutrition Services (Food Stamps) automatically meets the income eligibility guidelines for WIC.

*185% of the Federal Poverty guidelines per the Federal Register.

** A household (or economic unit) is defined as a person or group of persons, related or nonrelated, who usually (although not necessarily) live together, and whose production of income and consumption of goods or services are related. The income of everyone in the economic unit is counted to determine eligibility.

How to Apply for North Carolina WIC Benefits
To apply for the WIC Program please contact the office of the local WIC agency that serves the residents of the county in which you live. To find the location of the WIC office for your county, you may:

• contact your local health department
• To obtain additional referral forms, pamphlets, or other information contact your county health department or the DHHS Customer Service Center at 1-800-662-7030. DHHS Customer Service Center staff will never ask callers for bank account or credit card information.

When you go to apply for WIC, please remember to bring:

• Proof of identification (for all individuals applying for WIC)
• Proof of income (for all household members with income)
• Proof of residence (where you live)

Examples of what you will need to bring:

• Identification: (Only one is needed) - Valid driver's license, Social Security card, current work/school ID, current Medicaid card, current military ID, birth certificate, immunization record, and for infants: hospital crib card, ID bracelet or mother’s verification of facts form.
• Residence (where you live): (Only one is needed) - Current utility bill, valid driver’s license, current Medicaid card (or presumptive eligibility form), bank statement, current rental or mortgage receipts, Division of Motor Vehicle ID card.
• Income: Current paycheck stubs, if self-employed your recent tax return or history of earnings for the past twelve months, current Medicaid card, a letter of certification for the NC Food and Nutrition Services, a letter from your employer stating gross income and frequency of pay, unemployment letter/notice.

To qualify for WIC, applicants must be both income eligible and have an identified medical/nutritional risk factor. These criteria will be assessed when you apply for WIC at your local WIC office. With some exceptions, each person applying for WIC must be physically present at the time of application at the local WIC office.

Need More Information?
County health departments, community and rural health centers, and community action agencies provide WIC Program services. For other helpful information contact the DHHS Customer Service Center at 1-800-662-7030 (TTY: 1-877-452-2514). DHHS Customer Service Center staff will never ask callers for bank account or credit card information.