GEORGIA WIC PROGRAM PROCEDURES MANUAL CT

Adjunctive Eligibility Policy No. CT- 800.04 Effective Date: October 1, 2016

No. of Pages: 3

Revised: June 2018 Page 1 of 2 Policy Individuals eligible for public assistance programs are income eligible for WIC, regardless of their reported income. They are “adjunctive” or automatic income eligibility for WIC with proof of the following:

• Recipient of Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) or a member of a family that is certified eligible to receive assistance under TANF; • Recipient of benefits from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). • Recipient of Medicaid, which includes presumptive eligibility for Medicaid or a member of family in which a pregnant woman or infant receives Medicaid

If a pregnant mother qualifies for Medicaid, her infant and children will adjunctively qualify for WIC.

If an infant qualifies for Medicaid, his/her pregnant, breastfeeding, or postpartum/non- breastfeeding mother will adjunctively qualify for the Georgia WIC Program using the infant’s Medicaid number.

A child on Medicaid cannot qualify his/her mother or a sibling.

Purpose To streamline income eligibility process for applicants who are determined to be participants in Medicaid, SNAP, or TANF.

Procedures I. Enter a declared income amount in the Gross Monthly Income field for a participant adjunctively eligible for WIC.

II. Process an applicant/participant who is adjunctively eligible even if their declared gross income exceeds WIC's income guidelines and do not require any other documentation of income.

a. Verify adjunctive eligibility in the Georgia Gateway worker portal.

b. Verify each participant/applicant’s eligibility period, ensuring that it is in “Active Status”, indicating current Medicaid eligibility.

c. SNAP and TANF eligibility is for the entire family listed under the primary individual.

GEORGIA WIC PROGRAM PROCEDURES MANUAL CT

Adjunctive Eligibility Policy No. CT- 800.04 Effective Date: October 1, 2016

No. of Pages: 3

Revised: June 2018 Page 2 of 2

Authority 7 CFR § 246.7 (d)(2)(v) and (vi) WIC Policy Memorandum #2013-3, Income Eligibility Guidance

Definitions/Supporting Information Medicaid (MA)- A federally and State funded portion of the Medical Assistance Program that pays for health care to low income households, and is administered by the Georgia Department of Community Health. SNAP (FS)- Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (formerly known as Food Stamps) is a program administered by the Georgia Department of Human Services (DHS) in which eligible households receive benefits that can be used to purchase food items from authorized retail stores and farmers' markets. Families are issued an electronic benefits card. TANF (TF)- Temporary Assistance for Needy Families: A program administered by the Georgia Department of Human Services (DHS) that provides financial assistance to needy children and/or their families.