Association of Remote vs In-Person Benefit Delivery with WIC Participation During the COVID-19 Pandemic
OFH Contributors
Key Takeaways
The ability to renew and reload benefits online instead of just in-person or by mail boosted participation in the Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) nutrition program during the pandemic.
States requiring in-person or mailed benefit reloads saw a nearly 10% drop in WIC participation compared with states using remote reloading.
Even small administrative barriers can significantly reduce access to essential public health programs for low-income families, particularly in times of crisis.
Executive Summary
Introduction
Administrative tasks related to applying for and renewing social benefits play a major role in benefit take-up, particularly in times of crisis where they may be needed most. This study evaluates how the method of benefit delivery (remote electronic reloading versus in-person or mailed reload) affected participation in the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) during the COVID-19 pandemic. WIC provides crucial nutrition support to low-income women and children, but some states require beneficiaries to visit a local office or mail in documentation to reload benefits (“offline states”, while others automatically reload benefits remotely via electronic benefits transfer (EBT; “online states”). The study compares changes in monthly WIC participation before and during the pandemic between states with online versus offline benefit reloading systems.
Main Findings
- Offline states experienced a significant relative drop in WIC participation (about 9.33% lower) compared with online states after the pandemic began.
- Participation in WIC decreased in offline states but increased in online states during the same period, highlighting the impact of benefit delivery method.
- State characteristics (e.g., poverty, unemployment) were similar between online and offline states, suggesting the results reflect benefit delivery differences rather than underlying socioeconomic factors.
- The findings support concerns that administrative barriers, even seemingly minor ones, can reduce access to public programs during times of increased need.
Conclusion
The study finds that states with remote electronic benefit reloading systems maintained or increased participation in the WIC nutrition program during the COVID-19 pandemic, while states requiring in-person or mailed reloading experienced significant declines in participation. These results indicate that reducing administrative burdens and increasing the convenience of benefit delivery can support greater access to essential public health programs for vulnerable populations, especially during emergencies.