Division of Community Nutrition

Subject: Military Proof of Financial Eligibility Policy: CRT 05.2.4 Reference: C.F.R. § 246.7, WPM 2010-2, SFP 11-002 Effective: August 1, 2025 Supersedes: March 17, 2023

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I. Policy:

It is the policy of the Division of Community Nutrition that an applicant / participant shall meet federal financial eligibility requirements to receive WIC benefits. Financial eligibility shall be determined at each certification visit and documented in the applicant’s / participant’s record. Split Pay Option (SPO) is an option available to service members to assist them in paying their bills on time. It is not the type of pay that must be excluded.

II. Procedure(s):

A. To determine income eligibility of any applicant / participant whose family contains one or more active-duty military household members all gross income shall be counted except the following:

1) BAH - Basic Allowance for Housing 2) FSH - Family Separation Housing 3) OHA - Overseas Housing Allowance 4) OCONUS COLA - Overseas continental United States cost-of-living allowance 5) ADVANCE PAY- An advance in pay for relocating employees is intended to help defray extra, out-of-pocket expenses associated with moving between duty stations in the U.S. and its territories. DCPAS 6) Mandatory salary reduction amount for the Montgomery GI Bill 7) FSSA – Family Subsistence Supplemental Allowance 8) SPECIALTY PAY (ex: Combat IRS's list of combat zones, Jump, Dive, etc.)- excluded if it is: Note: WIC staff are required to ask applicant/participant about Combat pay and refer to the IRS's list of combat zones during the assessment process. a. Received in addition to the service member’s basic pay b. Received as a result of the service member’s deployment to, or service in, an area that has been designated as a combat zone, AND c. Not received by the service member prior to his/her deployment to, or service in, the designated combat zone

Division of Community Nutrition

Subject: Military Proof of Financial Eligibility Policy: CRT 05.2.4 Reference: C.F.R. § 246.7, WPM 2010-2, SFP 11-002 Effective: August 1, 2025 Supersedes: March 17, 2023

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$ 1,500.00 219.00 + 300.00 $ 2,019.00 Monthly gross income x 12 $ 24,228.00 + 291.60 $ 24,519.60 Annual gross income d. USDA Policy Memorandum 2010-2: Exclusion of Combat Pay from WIC Income Eligibility Determination is provided in Appendix 1

9) PAC (Pay and Allowance Continuation)– Continuation of pays and allowances (including any bonus, incentive pay, or similar benefits) being paid at the time wounds, injuries, or illness were incurred while on duty in a hostile fire area or exposed to an event of hostile fire or other hostile action.

10) Deployment Extension Incentive Pay (DEIP- DEIP ) – Payment to active-duty service members who agree to extend their military service by continuing deployment with their units without re-enlisting. Only DEIP income received before the service member returns to home station (home station meaning a military installation within the United States). Any DEIP pay received while serving at home station must be excluded from income. Local agency personnel shall inquire as to when the payment was received to determine if it is to be excluded from income eligibility determination.

B. If a military family member brings in a monthly Leave & Earning Statement (LES) which includes Cash Clothing Replacement Allowances or cash reenlistment / bonus entitlements, these pays are not included in the original monthly formula since they are paid annually.

C. To calculate annual income, apply the following formula:

1) Add all entitlements except BAH, FSH, OHA, OCONUS COLA, Advance Pay, FSSA, PAC, excluded Combat Pay or DEIP, and clothing allowance or cash reenlistment / bonus allowances.

2) Multiply by twelve (12).

3) Add in the one-time annual cash clothing allowance or cash re-enlistment / bonus entitlement if it appears on the monthly LES.

4) Total annual gross income completed.

EXAMPLE #1

Entitlements:

Calculations:

BASE PAY ...............................$ 1,500.00 BAH ..........................................$ 725.00

Division of Community Nutrition

Subject: Military Proof of Financial Eligibility Policy: CRT 05.2.4 Reference: C.F.R. § 246.7, WPM 2010-2, SFP 11-002 Effective: August 1, 2025 Supersedes: March 17, 2023

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$ 1,500.00 219.00 + 300.00 $ 2,019.00 Monthly gross income x 12 $ 24,228.00 + 1,500.00 $ 25,728.00 Annual gross income BAS ...........................................$ 219.00 CAREER SEA PAY .................$ 300.00

CLOTHING ..............................$ 291.60

EXAMPLE #2 *

* Add the cash reenlistment / bonus the same way as the clothing allowance in the above example.

Entitlements:

Calculations:

BASE PAY ...............................$ 1,500.00 BAH ..........................................$ 725.00

BAS ...........................................$ 219.00 CAREER SEA PAY .................$ 300.00

REENLIST BONUS .................$ 1,500.00

D. Using one LES may not be the best indicator of the family’s actual annual income. To annualize income of military families, use the current month LES and past month’s LES, up to a 12-month period, to determine if they financially qualify.

E. Local agencies who encounter applicants / participants from families in which one or more family members are military reservists, Air Guard, or National Guard who have been placed on active duty shall determine such a family’s income eligibility determination based on the family’s current rate of income (while the reservist or guardsmen is on active duty), as opposed to income received over the past 12 months.

F. A copy of the LES and other documentation used as proof of income for determining income eligibility shall be scanned into the participant’s record.