Published April 4, 2025

Proposed Cuts to SNAP and Medicaid Would Negatively Impact WIC 

The Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) provides essential nutrition support and health services for pregnant, postpartum, and breastfeeding women, infants, and children up to 5 years old. WIC currently serves over 6.7 million people who are nutritionally at risk. 

As Congress works through the budget reconciliation process, they are considering dramatic cuts to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and Medicaid. WIC is not included in the budget reconciliation process, however, people who lose access to SNAP or Medicaid would also lose adjunctive eligibility — a connection that streamlines the application and re-certification for WIC benefits. 

Adjunctive Eligibility  

Through a mechanism known as adjunctive eligibility, families can meet the income requirement for WIC through participation in SNAP, Medicaid, or Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF). This means that if a household meets the income requirements for one of those programs, they do not have to prove their eligibility for WIC again.  

This policy simplifies the process for a significant number of WIC applicants. According to a U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) report, 80.4 percent of WIC participants reported participating in SNAP, Medicaid, and/or TANF in 2022.  

In addition, in 2023 the USDA released guidance on utilizing adjunctive eligibility:.  

  • USDA required states to assess adjunctive eligibility before requiring additional documents for income eligibility for WIC. This alleviates the burden on the applicant as well as on the state to verify income that has already been collected for another federal means-tested program.  
  • USDA strongly encouraged states to use the applicable adjunctive program participation by the mother or other household members to enroll an infant in WIC as soon as possible after birth to ensure that an infant would quickly have access to WIC’s nutrition and health benefits. 

Impact on WIC 

The National WIC Association estimates that based on the SNAP cuts alone, proposed cuts could put hundreds of thousands of infants and young children at risk of losing their automatic eligibility for WIC. The impact would likely be even greater with Medicaid and TANF cuts taken into account.  

Already, too many eligible women, infants, and children are missing out on benefits, with only half of those eligible for WIC participating in the program due to participation and awareness barriers. Eligible families do not need another hurdle that makes it more difficult to access WIC.  The proposed cuts to SNAP and Medicaid would not only complicate but could sever that connection for many eligible individuals to WIC benefits, requiring WIC staff to separately verify their income, increasing work for those offices, and potentially delaying benefits.  

More stress on the states and a more burdensome application process will only lead to eligible families falling through the cracks and not receiving the nutrition they need. 

No Cuts to SNAP or Medicaid 

Together WIC, SNAP, and Medicaid support the health and well-being of families across this country. The negative impact of the proposed SNAP and Medicaid cuts on hunger and health would be compounded, making it more difficult for families in need to access WIC as well. We must protect all of these programs. You can help by reaching out to your Members of Congress and urging them to oppose these cuts.