Idaho slightly hikes income limit for food benefit program

Associated Press

BOISE – Idaho has slightly increased the income limits for people to qualify for a food assistance program aimed at ensuring pregnant women and children have adequate nutrition.

The Idaho Department of Health and Welfare announced Wednesday the new guidelines for the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children start Thursday.

The change boosts the income limits by about $440 a year. Under the new guidelines, a family of three can earn up to $40,626 a year to qualify for benefits. Under the old guidelines, the same family could have earned up to $40,182 a year. The new income for a single person is just over $23,800 annually.

About 31,000 Idaho residents receive Idaho WIC assistance each month, and the average recipient gets about $45 worth of food. The income limits are evaluated each year in an effort to account for cost of living increases. People who qualify must have an income that falls at or below 185% of the federal poverty guidelines.