Not buying WIC food or not shopping the 1st-3rd days of the month?

[mommyoffive]

I have seen this floating around and I am wondering if it is true.   During this time when it is harder to find food at the stores are you not supposed to buy anything that is WIC approved?  Or are you not supposed to shop on the 1st-3rd days of the month when WIC, Food stamps, and disability are paid out? 

[staceyobu]

I've wondered this as well. I pretty much always buy WIC approved items because they are usually the lowest priced. 

[JustEm]

I haven't heard this but it would make sense to not do that so the people who need those foods can get them

[prairiewindmomma]

Our state rolls out benefits over the first ten days of the month. 

[Sherry in OH]

Sounds like something a well-intentioned person is floating rather than an official statement.   WIC approved foods are healthy, whole-food, low cost options. So the suggestion is not to buy produce, milk, eggs, ... ?   Sorry but no.  What are the rest of us supposed to buy? (A lot of low income people do not qualify for government aid.)   If the problem is over buying of selected items, stores can and do limit quantities.  I have no problem with that.  

When, possible, I  do avoid shopping Friday evenings and mid-day Saturday, especially the first weekend of the month.  

 

ETA: I just looked at the WIC list for my state.  If I didn't buy WIC approved foods we would be living on tater tots, salad kits, and imported cheese.  Almost everything else I buy is on the approved list.  

Edited April 4, 2020 by Sherry in OH
Additional information

[Hadley]

No.  Just no.  My son has life-threatening food allergies.  Many of the foods on the list are things he can eat.  That is ridiculous.

[SounderChick]

It was posted in a local group and people who receive those said it was not true. People seem to get benefits on all different days 

[hippiemamato3]

I never buy foods labeled WIC approved. It's not a big deal. It's usually just a certain size box of cereal or a certain brand of milk, etc. It's not difficult to avoid. 

[Renai]

1. Aid is received over a few days. 

2. However, it is not being said that you don't buy milk, eggs, etc. Only certain milk, eggs, cheese, cereals, etc. are eligible to be purchased with WIC (unlike food stamps which buys foods with few exceptions). If a person with WIC is standing in front of the milk case, they cannot buy everything in that milk case. It is specified what they can buy. That is why there are tags on WIC-eligible food shelves.

The sentiment is nice because if all the WIC-eligible foods are gone, it potentially could cause hardship on for recipients who were counting on it, maybe budget their food based on it (I did when I had it).

[regentrude]

4 minutes ago, hippiemamato3 said:

I never buy foods labeled WIC approved. It's not a big deal. It's usually just a certain size box of cereal or a certain brand of milk, etc. It's not difficult to avoid. 

Huh? You never buy fresh fruit or vegetables? 

[Ali in OR]

Because of the unofficial posts about not shopping on the 1st-3rd, our state issued info debunking it a bit. Aid is actually given out the 1st-9th of the month based on the last digit of the head of household's ss #. They suggested NOT avoiding the 1st-3rd because it stigmatizes those who are shopping then. But they do advise being observant of quantities available of the WIC approved foods. That said, anyone who shops on the first of the month knows from first-hand experience that stores are way more crowded than the day before. It makes sense to avoid that day to avoid the worst crowds. I'm avoiding weekends too.

[Arcadia]

California 

“Benefits are sent out over the first 10 days of every month, based on the last digit of your case number.

If your:

Case # ends in	Benefits available
1	1st of the month
2	2nd of the month
3	3rd of the month
4	4th of the month
5	5th of the month
6	6th of the month
7	7th of the month
8	8th of the month
9	9th of the month
0	10th of the month

”

[Ottakee]

In Michigan the Bridge card (food card) is spread out over the month with different case # getting their benefits different days of the month.

The WIC thing can be an issues as they are approved to buy say chunk cheese in only certain varieties.  They can not buy shredded or sliced or 6oz or 12 oz if WIC only approves 8oz packages   same with cereal....it might be cheerios ...but only the 18oz box ...not bigger or smaller, just that particular size and flavor.

[hippiemamato3]

1 hour ago, regentrude said:

Huh? You never buy fresh fruit or vegetables? 

Oh good grief. I meant the stuff on the shelf that has limited brands, etc. And actually, having just been to the store, they aren't labeled as such in the produce department. 

Edited April 4, 2020 by hippiemamato3

[MrsMommy]

11 minutes ago, happysmileylady said:

I would never avoid WIC approved foods.  And I don’t quite understand the assumption regarding the first of the month.   Is WIC only good for a few days each month?   I am sure it’s not, I am sure people on WIC can buy their WIC stuff any other day of the month too, right?

 

I think the idea behind that is that low income families may have been out of food the last few days of the month, and might be rushing to buy as soon as their checks are valid. I know when we were on WIC, we got enough to supplement our shopping through the month, but certainly not enough to get us through the whole month, and it was always welcome when a new set of checks were available.

[JustEm]

2 hours ago, Sherry in OH said:

Sounds like something a well-intentioned person is floating rather than an official statement.   WIC approved foods are healthy, whole-food, low cost options. So the suggestion is not to buy produce, milk, eggs, ... ?   Sorry but no.  What are the rest of us supposed to buy? (A lot of low income people do not qualify for government aid.)   If the problem is over buying of selected items, stores can and do limit quantities.  I have no problem with that.  

When, possible, I  do avoid shopping Friday evenings and mid-day Saturday, especially the first weekend of the month.  

 

ETA: I just looked at the WIC list for my state.  If I didn't buy WIC approved foods we would be living on tater tots, salad kits, and imported cheese.  Almost everything else I buy is on the approved list.  

There are specific wic approved this though. So store brand xyz is approved but the same product not store brand isn't

[BusyMom5]

I try to avoid the first just due to crowds!  It's much more crowded than normal, checkouts with WIC seem to take much longer, and people shopping have to look longer to find the specific items.  I'm guessing by next Wednesday it will be back to normal.  I do not usually even look to see if something is WIC approved.  I get what my family needs and eats.  We are a large family,  so that's usually the bulk size if available!   I dont think you should avoid WIC foods, but I do think shopping at a different time if you can is helpful.  I had to go yesterday and the stores were really packed!  

[MrsMommy]

44 minutes ago, happysmileylady said:

I think that idea makes a whole lot of presumptions about people on WIC, many of which are probably completely false.  

 

As I mentioned, I'm speaking from my own personal experience when we needed WIC. Of course I don't know how it works for each individual family, but I understand the thought behind not stocking up on those items at the beginning of the month so that they're available for people who may not have a lot of options, and I think that comes from a good place.

[Renai]

46 minutes ago, BusyMom5 said:

I try to avoid the first just due to crowds!  It's much more crowded than normal, checkouts with WIC seem to take much longer, and people shopping have to look longer to find the specific items.  I'm guessing by next Wednesday it will be back to normal.  I do not usually even look to see if something is WIC approved.  I get what my family needs and eats.  We are a large family,  so that's usually the bulk size if available!   I dont think you should avoid WIC foods, but I do think shopping at a different time if you can is helpful.  I had to go yesterday and the stores were really packed!  

I don't understand why. It's a card like a credit card. I could put all my groceries on the conveyor, run WIC first, and it automatically charged just those foods. The balance, I was responsible for. Unless it's done differently in other states (I'm in NM).

[Corraleno]

2 hours ago, Ottakee said:

The WIC thing can be an issues as they are approved to buy say chunk cheese in only certain varieties.  They can not buy shredded or sliced or 6oz or 12 oz if WIC only approves 8oz packages   same with cereal....it might be cheerios ...but only the 18oz box ...not bigger or smaller, just that particular size and flavor.

I think a lot of people who are saying they'd be limited to junk food if they didnt buy WIC-labeled foods don't understand how the program works. If you want to buy Cheerios and cheddar cheese and whole wheat bread, go right ahead, just please don't buy the limited brands/sizes that are labeled for WIC, at least not for the first 10 days or so of the month. You can buy any other size box of Cheerios, or any other size or brand of bread and cheese, just please leave the WIC-labeled products for WIC recipients because they can't buy the other brands and sizes. It's especially egregious when people are stockpiling foods that are WIC-approved, so that families who depend on WIC can't even get the weekly groceries they need.

[Hilltopmom]

It’s not necessarily any WIC types of foods- WIC limits you to certain sizes of the foods- ONLY the tiny peanut butter, ONLY the small white size eggs, ONLY one kind of juice...
in our state WIC took much much longer to check out because each item had to exactly match the item written on each paper WIC check  to size and brand, checked by each cashier. We just got the credit card style here last year.

with WIC, you cannot buy any other kind of item- it has to match exactly, no substitutes.

 

Edited April 4, 2020 by Hilltopmom

[Selkie]

I've never seen a WIC label. Is the label on the food, or on the shelf?

[Corraleno]

16 minutes ago, Selkie said:

I've never seen a WIC label. Is the label on the food, or on the shelf?

Its usually on the shelf with the price label

 

[Renai]

17 minutes ago, Selkie said:

I've never seen a WIC label. Is the label on the food, or on the shelf?

It's on the shelf.

[Tap]

37 minutes ago, Renai said:

I don't understand why. It's a card like a credit card. I could put all my groceries on the conveyor, run WIC first, and it automatically charged just those foods. The balance, I was responsible for. Unless it's done differently in other states (I'm in NM).

They are often paper coupons, with a list of specific items on each coupon. One problem for people with this system, is that if you don't or can't buy one item on the coupon, you lose that chance to buy it (if you use the remaining coupon). One coupon my have 1 gallon milk, 1lb cheese, 1 jar pb, 1 bag of beans, and 1 box of cereal.  You don't have to buy everything, but anything you don't buy is void for that month. 

Here WIC is very strict. You can only buy a certain brand of cereal in a certain size. So, if the size is sold out, you can't substitute another size (even if it is smaller). Even percentage of milk fat is listed, so you can't buy whole milk, if you coupon says 2%.  Coupons have certain dates on them and are only good during that month. So if the person waits until everything is available, the coupon may expire. Only certain stores take them too. So, you can't use them at as many stores like you can with food stamps. 

Food stamps is a card that can be used as the person wants to throughout the month and money can build up on it month to month if the person doesn't need it all at once. 

 

I understand and can respect people wanting to save those items for people with WIC benefits. I don't think the items that are WIC approved are usually sizes I buy, but if they were, I could see myself choosing a different item or size to leave it for them. 

[Corraleno]

18 minutes ago, Dotwithaperiod said:

 

 Yes, I’ve never seen WIC labels on produce. A while back I noticed that a box of granola bars was wic approved, but not the exact size box with dried fruit granola bars. That’s sad.

There's a weird prohibition in the regulations on baked goods containing fruit. There are other weird regulations like you can buy dried or canned mature legumes but not immature legumes. So you can buy dried peas or fresh peas, but not canned peas. You can buy canned beans like pinto, kidney, and black beans, but not canned green beans, although you can buy fresh green beans. You can only buy whole wheat pasta, not white pasta, and you can buy brown rice, but you can't buy brown rice pasta or pasta made from bean flours. 

[Frances]

Our local newspaper had a article about it and said there was no need to change shopping habits. They recommended cash donations to food programs as the best thing to do.

[Corraleno]

Every store does the WIC label differently, and they aren't always obvious: 

[Renai]

3 minutes ago, Tap said:

They are often paper coupons, with a list of specific items on each coupon. One problem for people with this system, is that if you don't or can't buy one item on the coupon, you lose that chance to buy it (if you use the remaining coupon). One coupon my have 1 gallon milk, 1lb cheese, 1 jar pb, 1 bag of beans, and 1 box of cereal.  You don't have to buy everything, but anything you don't buy is void for that month. 

Here WIC is very strict. You can only buy a certain brand of cereal in a certain size. So, if the size is sold out, you can't substitute another size (even if it is smaller). Even percentage of milk fat is listed, so you can't buy whole milk, if you coupon says 2%.  Coupons have certain dates on them and are only good during that month. So if the person waits until everything is available, the coupon may expire. Only certain stores take them too. So, you can't use them at as many stores like you can with food stamps. 

Food stamps is a card that can be used as the person wants to throughout the month and money can build up on it month to month if the person doesn't need it all at once. 

 

I understand and can respect people wanting to save those items for people with WIC benefits. I don't think the items that are WIC approved are usually sizes I buy, but if they were, I could see myself choosing a different item or size to leave it for them. 

I know how strict it is, I just didnt know paper coupons were still being used. The card automatically filters that out, and you don't have to buy everything at once. With my oldest (now 20), I had the paper. My kids are 11 years apart. With youngest, I had the card. She's 9yo now. I really thought NM was behind and catching up, lol! 

[Renai]

3 minutes ago, happysmileylady said:

I think that even with the cards, things are still too off balance.  

To use my HSA card as an example.  My HSA card allows me to purchase any size package or brand of adhesive bandage in existence.  I can pick up a 20 ct box of bandaid brand minion decorated ones.  Or I can get a 45 ct box of store brand, it doesn’t matter

 

but with WIC, the restrictions are so tight that it might be only 16 oz of Jiff or Skippy (or whatever) and not the store brand and certainly cashew or almond butter.   

Sometimes, all a person needs is a regular old bandaid.  Sometimes they need a large antibiotic pad for a dog bite.  But with WIC, all they can get is the specific brand, in the specific size,.....and heaven hep the cashier who is at a store that hasn’t properly coded for WIC vs non WIC. 

As mentioned before, I know how strict it is. The card filters that out. I remember getting something I thought the list said I could have, but it was the wrong item. The information is programmed in the card, so there is no deviation from allowed foods.

When things were especially bad one year, I had both WIC and food stamps, both cards. All foods go on the belt. WIC is run first to filter out those food charges (including the $10 of produce), then food stamps to catch the other foods that WIC doesn't cover. Afterwards, it was my debit card. I remember one rude lady behind me commenting that I didnt know what I was doing because I used three different cards to buy groceries. 🤦🏾‍♀️

[Scarlett]

The whole way WIC and SNAP benefits work just annoys the heck out of me.  Nothing like some bureaucrat deciding how best to help the po folk help themselves.  There will always be a subset of people who have no clue how to run their own lives efficiently  and healthily.  But most humans, even those suffering hardships for whatever reason, know how to shop for their families.  Oh and heaven forbid they buy a treat and endure the looks of do-gooding busy bodies in the check out lane.  

Ugh, just don't get me started.  

[Corraleno]

5 hours ago, prairiewindmomma said:

Our state rolls out benefits over the first ten days of the month. 

 

5 hours ago, rebcoola said:

It was posted in a local group and people who receive those said it was not true. People seem to get benefits on all different days 

 

4 hours ago, Ali in OR said:

Because of the unofficial posts about not shopping on the 1st-3rd, our state issued info debunking it a bit. Aid is actually given out the 1st-9th of the month based on the last digit of the head of household's ss #.

 

4 hours ago, Ottakee said:

In Michigan the Bridge card (food card) is spread out over the month with different case # getting their benefits different days of the month.

 

The Michigan Bridge Card and the Oregon Trail Card are SNAP benefits (aka food stamps), not WIC. I think one of the things that is causing confusing is that some of the posts suggesting people leave WIC items alone for the first few days of the month vaguely referred to "benefits" being distributed on the first day of the month, and then responses "debunking" the idea refer to the fact that SNAP benefits are disbursed throughout the month. I haven't been able to find definitive information about when WIC benefits are distributed each month, but I have seen multiple sites that say WIC benefits are usually disbursed on the first, even though many other benefits aren't.

SNAP recipients are not limited to the very small list of WIC-approved foods, so this doesn't apply to them. But as long as most states are releasing WIC benefits on the first, then it makes sense to avoid buying WIC foods in the first week or so of each month.

[Katy]

WIC formula was always sold out at the beginning of the month when we were foster parenting.  You could only get the 12 oz cans of a specific brand.  It didn't matter that the larger cans were much cheaper per ounce. It was never enough to cover a month anyway, so we always bought those things towards the end of the month when they were on shelves.

I don't think I ever bothered with WIC for the kids that were older than 12 months.

[Terabith]

Why on earth would WIC be run like that?  That seems like the most inefficient way to run a program!  Whose stupid idea is that?

[MrsMommy]

20 minutes ago, CuriousMomof3 said:

 

I think a lot of programs that are means tested, are designed under the assumption that accessing them should be arduous, as a punishment for needing the service.

 

 

This is exactly what it felt like when we needed it...a punishment. Everything from our visits to the WIC office, to the shopping process, and especially the checkout, with the paper checks that made it obvious to everyone in line how we were paying, and that the cashiers didn't even always know how to process, felt like it was designed to shame us for needing some help.

[slackermom]

6 hours ago, mommyoffive said:

I have seen this floating around and I am wondering if it is true.   During this time when it is harder to find food at the stores are you not supposed to buy anything that is WIC approved?  Or are you not supposed to shop on the 1st-3rd days of the month when WIC, Food stamps, and disability are paid out? 

 

Regarding disability payments, SSDI is distributed on different Wednesdays throughout the month. Mine is the second Wednesday. That meant last month I had to wait until March 11 until I could really do a big shop. I got mixed up and went shopping on the 10th by accident and my debit card got declined. Fortunately I have a still have an Amex business card from my ex, and I used that to pay for the food. Gotta feed our kid, ya know?

 

[Corraleno]

This confirms that in Oregon, WIC payments are on the first of the month, it's SNAP benefits that are distributed throughout the month:

Recipients who participate in the federal food stamp program can receive their benefits on a range of different days during the month, depending on state regulations. According to the Oregon Department of Human Services, Oregonians who qualify for the

 Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, better known as SNAP, receive their benefits between the 1st and 9th of every month, depending on the last digit of the head of household’s Social Security Number.

Unlike SNAP recipients, low-income women and children who receive support from the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children, better known as WIC, do receive their benefits on the first of every month, according to the Oregon Health Authority. WIC recipients can only use their benefits to purchase certain food items.

If Oregonians who aren’t receiving government assistance hold off on going to the grocery store for the first three days of the month, that may help to ensure that items are available for WIC recipients. But it won’t do anything to help residents who rely on different government assistance programs.

 

 

[Katy]

I really think all of these programs are run by each state, and each state runs them differently.  It makes sense that a large state like California would roll it out throughout the month, while less populated states go by the first.

[kbutton]

2 hours ago, Terabith said:

Why on earth would WIC be run like that?  That seems like the most inefficient way to run a program!  Whose stupid idea is that?

WIC is intending to be targeted nutrition for certain conditions. So, once I was so many weeks postpartum (and not breastfeeding), I lost benefits, but I could keep benefits for my baby on formula. 

What you can get changes by age of the mom/child and what is assumed to be the extra nutrition they need for their particular age/stage. 

I think it's also supposed to be educational--helping people learn about nutrition.

2 hours ago, CuriousMomof3 said:

I think a lot of programs that are means tested, are designed under the assumption that accessing them should be arduous, as a punishment for needing the service.

I never felt that way on the receiving end, though I was upset that because my husband was paid by the month prior to receiving unemployment benefits, they totally screwed up qualifying him for unemployment, which delayed qualifying for WIC. They kept assuming his monthly check was bi-weekly and thus way bigger than it was. It delayed WIC, and WIC won't catch you up--you just lose those benefits that were delayed.

But I never felt demeaned signing up or using it. 

I think they are often arduous because there are inefficiences and redundancies in the system and lots of agencies not necessarily talking to each other. 

Lots of things in life are arduous, and many of them have nothing to do with poverty. Some of them have to do with getting and keeping jobs in highly regulated fields, for instance. IEPs can be arduous. It's just life. 

I am sure there are workers in these organizations who look down on people and make them feel bad though--some people are just like that. Additionally, I would not be surprised if gatekeeping/authoritarian people are attracted to bureaucratic jobs, and then those people might get kind of power trippy or jaded over time.

[hippiemamato3]

5 hours ago, Dotwithaperiod said:

 

 Yes, I’ve never seen WIC labels on produce. A while back I noticed that a box of granola bars was wic approved, but not the exact size box with dried fruit granola bars. That’s sad. I guess it had caused problems, because the sign specifically said yes to these, no to the dried fruit version.

 

Yep. I'm not sure why Regentrude decided to jump on my post - I guess just to be insulting.  whatever. 

[Renai]

7 hours ago, Dotwithaperiod said:

 

 Yes, I’ve never seen WIC labels on produce. A while back I noticed that a box of granola bars was wic approved, but not the exact size box with dried fruit granola bars. That’s sad. I guess it had caused problems, because the sign specifically said yes to these, no to the dried fruit version.

 

Maybe the sugar content of the dried fruit version? I don't remember all the rules, but I know sugar content factors in for some foods.. Oh, wait. You say granola bars for WIC? I've never heard that. I've only seen WIC for basic staples: produce (a certain $ amount), milk, eggs, dry beans, cheese, cereal, peanut butter, baby food. I can't remember what else. Here's a link for TX WIC for an example (I didn't live here, it popped up on google): https://texaswic.org/wic-foods-and-recipes/choosing-wic-foods-store

[*****]

This was posted on one a local facebook site for a support place for homeless teens in our area.  It brought my attention to WIC that I had not known about while shopping:

"Something to consider: please avoid grocery shopping on April 1-3 unless you have a critical need. Many WIC/SNAP benefits come to low-income families at the first of the month and there will be a surge as these families redeem them. Many of these families' benefits were depleted more quickly because children are staying home from school and some families are going hungry right now. Also, please respect their needs by not buying items with a WIC shelf tag unless you absolutely need them. They cannot simply substitute these items with others; they would go without.
 

[Hilltopmom]

WIC is for kids under age 5- so those families are not getting meals from schools for those children. It’s not for school age kids.

[wendyroo]

14 minutes ago, Hilltopmom said:

WIC is for kids under age 5- so those families are not getting meals from schools for those children. It’s not for school age kids.

In many states schools are currently distributing food to all children: young, old, homeschooled, etc.  New York City schools are now giving out three meals a day to every person who walks in the door, even adults.

But, yeah, French toast sticks and PB&J sandwiches don't help much if you have a young baby, so for the very young WIC will still be the primary provider.

[mommyoffive]

3 hours ago, wendyroo said:

In many states schools are currently distributing food to all children: young, old, homeschooled, etc.  New York City schools are now giving out three meals a day to every person who walks in the door, even adults.

But, yeah, French toast sticks and PB&J sandwiches don't help much if you have a young baby, so for the very young WIC will still be the primary provider.

 

Yes, in our area it is all kids 18 and under.  

[*****]

oops, hit the return button too early, see below.

Edited April 5, 2020 by *****

[*****]

Yes,  our school buses are running to deliver meals to kids at their bus stops and some schools have grab and go breakfast/lunches. All kids under 18 can eat for free.

Free hotspots are set up around town as well as free wifi on school buses that go out to designated areas have been implemented.

Edited April 5, 2020 by *****

[*****]

19 hours ago, Corraleno said:

I think a lot of people who are saying they'd be limited to junk food if they didnt buy WIC-labeled foods don't understand how the program works. If you want to buy Cheerios and cheddar cheese and whole wheat bread, go right ahead, just please don't buy the limited brands/sizes that are labeled for WIC, at least not for the first 10 days or so of the month. You can buy any other size box of Cheerios, or any other size or brand of bread and cheese, just please leave the WIC-labeled products for WIC recipients because they can't buy the other brands and sizes. It's especially egregious when people are stockpiling foods that are WIC-approved, so that families who depend on WIC can't even get the weekly groceries they need.

 

Thank you for this explanation, I learned something new today and will be more mindful when I shop.

[Renai]

14 minutes ago, Dotwithaperiod said:

 Not sure, it’s NY. I didn’t think snap restricted things like that, either. But they were on a display by themselves and the hand written sign stated the ones with dried fruit weren’t allowed, I thought it said wic. Either way is sad.

Yeah, it would have to be WIC. SNAP doesn't restrict like that, except you can't buy alcohol with it. If one was inclined to look further, the cereals that WIC allowed have lower sugar content (by label. I was surprised at some of the selections until I looked at the label). I actually became more aware of sugar content of more foods because of this. The regular granola has sugar, but the ones with fruit (usually chewy) have added sugar to that fruit, also cereal bars are full of sugar. I stopped buying a lot of that stuff at all because of that.