Louisiana modernizes access to WIC food assistance benefits

Louisiana’s extra food assistance program for women, infants and children will come with a new benefits card that can be used at grocery stores starting Aug. 1.

The new card allows state officials to upload the program’s benefits remotely. Previously, WIC enrollees had to report to an office every three months to have their benefits replenished in person.

“This long-awaited modernization makes the program more convenient, accessible and responsive to the needs of today’s families,” Louisiana Health Secretary Bruce Greenstein said in a news release.

The WIC special supplemental nutrition program is available to low-income people who are pregnant, nursing a child up to 1 year-old and postpartum without nursing up to six months after giving birth. Low-income families can also use it to buy food for infants and children until they are five years-old. Families who already qualify for Medicaid or other government food assistance typically also qualify for WIC.

The benefits can only be applied to certain types of food purchases such as formula, baby food, fruit, vegetables, eggs, milk, breakfast cereals, peanut butter, tuna fish and canned salmon. 

People enrolled in the WIC program began receiving their new cards at in-person meetings in June, and they can be used at grocery stores starting Saturday.

Participants will also have to set up a numeric passcode on the card before shopping with it.