The federal government sets aside money on a yearly basis to serve low-income women and children; due to limited funds, not everyone who is eligible for WIC may be served. There are some who qualify but are sometimes turned down due to shortage of funds. They are usually added on a waiting list.

WIC's program is characterized by two features as explained here: one part of the program is strictly meant for pregnant and breastfeeding women, while the other program is meant for mothers with young children.

Available on the program for pregnant and breastfeeding women is free education on the best breastfeeding practices, juice, cereal, milk, eggs, beans and peanut butter. The package is the same for the program of women with young children but it also includes infant formula for women who are not breastfeeding.

Eligibility Requirements

Program eligibility is determined by residency, income and risk factor. WIC in New Hampshire is strictly available only to women and children. In order to be enrolled, a woman must be pregnant, breastfeeding and/or have children under the age of 5 years. Women must meet state residency requirements. Income is determined by the U.S. Poverty Income Guidelines; applicants must be at or below 185 percent of the poverty level. Below please find current WIC Income Eligibility Guidelines.

Household Size	Annual Income Limit
1	$20,665
2	$27,991
3	$35,317
4	$42,643
5	$49,969
6	$57,295
7	$64,621
8	$71,947

For households with more people, please add $7,326 in gross annual income for each additional person.

Since WIC is distributed by each state at the state level, the state of New Hampshire has designated agencies to distribute WIC packages. WIC New Hampshire programs are sometimes packaged full-service "groceries" where qualifying women can pick up their food in a small, grocery-store like setting. In some New Hampshire counties, agencies act like offices where women can pick up the vouchers or coupons to use in supermarkets that accept WIC vouchers. The agencies usually give guidelines as to which local supermarket the women can present their vouchers.

Just like in other states, New Hampshire WIC is supposed to be a short-term, supplemental assistance program. Many are the cases where food that is provided by WIC is not enough to sustain a woman or her family. In such scenarios you will find that women and children are members of other government programs such as SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program), Medicaid or Temporary Assistance for Needy Families. After six months you must reapply since WIC is a temporary program.

Residential Eligibility

Applicants must be residents of State of New Hampshire and should apply at a WIC clinic that serves that area. Applicants are not required to have lived in New Hampshire or local service area for a certain amount of time in order to meet the WIC residency requirement.

Nutrition Risk Requirement

Applicants with nutritional risks include those ones suffering from Anemia, underweight kids and poor pregnancy. New Hampshire WIC insists that all applicants must be seen by a health professional such as a physician, nurse, or nutritionist who determines whether the individual is at nutrition Most WIC clinics do not charge for this service. You can still obtain this information from your personal physician. The health professional will take blood samples and measure weight and height.

An applicant must have at least one of the medical or dietary conditions as specified on the State of New Hampshire list of WIC nutrition risk criteria.

The WIC Prescreening Tool

The WIC Prescreening Tool is a web-based application intended to help potential WIC applicants determine if they are likely to be eligible for WIC benefits. Users who are likely to be eligible to receive WIC benefits are provided with State-specific contact information and are encouraged to make a certification appointment with their WIC local agencies. Additionally, users are provided with a printable summary of their responses and a list of examples of the documentation that is required at an initial certification appointment. Click here to find out if you are eligible for WIC benefits.

WIC Application Instructions

To apply to be a WIC participant, you will need to contact your State or local agency to set up an appointment. You can locate your state's WIC offices at the USDA's website which is: http://www.fns.usda.gov/wic/contacts/statealpha.HTM, or call the toll-free number which can be found at: ww.fns.usda.gov/wic/contacts/tollfreenumbers.

When you call to set up an appointment, someone will confirm the location nearest your home and what you need to bring with you.

You can call your local WIC agency, please see this list for their contact information: www.dhhs.nh.gov/dphs/nhp/wic/documents/agencies.pdf. If you cannot locate your local office information please call the State of Hew Hampshire WIC Agency toll free number at 1-800-942-4321 for additional help.