Published on June 2, 2025

On Friday, May 27, the Trump administration released further details of its fiscal year 2026 budget. Overall, the plan cuts $168 billion in federal spending. While this plan is just a proposal, Congress will consider this proposal in their work to pass a budget before funding expires at the end of September. 

One program seeing cuts in the budget proposal is the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC), which provides nutritious foods, nutrition education, breastfeeding support, and health care referrals for nutritionally at-risk infants, children up to 5 years old, and pregnant and postpartum individuals from households with low incomes.  

The proposal would reduce the benefit that WIC participants have to purchase fruits and vegetables — what is known as the cash value benefit (CVB) — from $26 for children and between $47–$52 for adults each month to $10 for children and $13 for adults each month. This reduction will mean less nutritious food for pregnant and postpartum women and their young children.  

What Is the Cash Value Benefit? 

WIC participants are assigned a food package that is tailored to participants’ needs and includes specific foods in specific amounts. For example, a package may include one dozen eggs, a gallon of milk, or a loaf of whole grain bread. WIC participants can use their CVB to purchase fresh, frozen, canned, or dried fruits and vegetables. The CVB is different from the food package as it has a specific cash value, allowing participants to choose the fruits and vegetables that meet their family’s needs and preferences. 

How Much CVB Do WIC Participants Receive? 

In 2007, Congress introduced the fruit and vegetable CVB to increase the nutritional standard of the WIC food package. At the time of implementation, WIC households received $6 for children and $10 for adults each month, and it was later increased to $9 for children and $11 for adults. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Congress allowed states to temporarily increase the amount to up to $35 per child and adult each month.  

Last year, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) revised the WIC food package to meet the current nutrition science and implement evidence-based recommendations from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) and the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2020–2025. In this revision, the USDA confirmed the value of the CVB, increasing the levels to $26 for children and between $47-$52 for adults each month. These amounts were based on expert recommendations to provide 50 percent of the daily recommended intake of fruits and vegetables and will be adjusted annually based on inflation.

What Are the Benefits of the CVB? 

With the ability to purchase more fruits and vegetables, the CVB has several positive impacts. The current enhanced CVB: 

  • increases access to fruits and vegetables for WIC participants to provide nutrients necessary for growth and development; 
  • supports local businesses as the additional CVB is spent in local grocery stores and at farmers’ markets; 
  • heightens demand for fruits and vegetables, which supports producers and farmers; and 
  • enhances the overall value of WIC by incentivizing more families to participate in the program.  

Especially at a time of rising food prices, WIC is a critical piece to support the health and well-being of pregnant and postpartum individuals, infants, and young children.   

We must ensure these benefits stay strong, as any cuts to WIC would be harmful for to the women and children who participate in the program — putting the health and well-being of our country’s most vulnerable at risk.  

Congress must continue their longstanding commitment to fully fund WIC, which includes funding the CVB at its current level.