New York WIC Income Guidelines: 2025–2026 Limits and Who Qualifies

A family of four in New York qualifies for WIC with a gross household income at or below $59,478 a year under the current New York WIC income guidelines, which stay in effect through June 30, 2026. Smaller and larger households have their own limits, listed below. And income is only one way in: if you already receive Medicaid, SNAP, TANF, the Essential Plan, or Head Start, you’re automatically eligible on the income side regardless of what you earn.¹

2025–2026 WIC Income Limits in New York

New York uses the maximum ceiling federal law allows: 185 percent of the federal poverty level.² The figures are gross income, meaning what you earn before taxes or deductions. These apply through June 30, 2026.¹

1 person: $28,953 per year / $557 per week
2 people: $39,128 per year / $753 per week
3 people: $49,303 per year / $949 per week
4 people: $59,478 per year / $1,144 per week
5 people: $69,653 per year / $1,340 per week
6 people: $79,828 per year / $1,536 per week
7 people: $90,003 per year / $1,731 per week
8 people: $100,178 per year / $1,927 per week
Each additional person: add $10,175 per year / $196 per week

If your income is near the cutoff, don’t stop here. Household size and the rules on what counts as income can both move you under the line.

Income is one requirement. To actually receive benefits you also have to fall into a WIC category (pregnant, recently postpartum, breastfeeding, an infant, or a child under five) and be found to have a nutritional risk during your certification appointment.³ The nutritional risk criteria are broad, and pregnancy or breastfeeding often qualifies on its own.

Automatic Eligibility Through Other Programs

If you already receive certain other benefits, your income has been verified elsewhere and WIC accepts that finding. New York grants this automatic income eligibility (called adjunctive eligibility) to anyone currently enrolled in:¹

Medicaid
SNAP (food stamps)
TANF (cash assistance)
Essential Plan
Head Start or Early Head Start

Bring documentation of that enrollment to your WIC appointment: your Medicaid card with its Client Identification Number, your SNAP or TANF notice of decision (the version that lists all household members), or paperwork from whichever qualifying program applies.⁴

How Household Size Is Counted

Your household is everyone living together who shares income and expenses. One rule matters a lot for applicants: a pregnant person counts as two, and more for twins or triplets.³ So a household of three expecting a baby is measured against the four-person limit of $59,478 instead of the three-person limit of $49,303.

This single rule pulls a lot of families under the ceiling who assume they’re over it. Count the pregnancy before you do the math.

What Counts as Income (and What Doesn’t)

WIC adds up gross income from all household members. Countable income includes:⁵

Wages and salary, before taxes or deductions
Net self-employment earnings from a business or farm
Social Security benefits
Unemployment compensation
Child support and alimony
Pensions, retirement, and veterans’ payments
Dividends, interest, and rental income
Regular contributions from people outside the household

If a household member is on strike and currently receives no income, WIC uses their current income level, which may be zero, rather than their pre-strike earnings.

Several categories of money are excluded by federal rule and must not be counted against you:⁵

Military housing allowances and cost-of-living allowances for service members stationed outside the contiguous U.S.
Combat pay for deployed service members⁶
Student financial aid, including grants and scholarships funded in whole or part by federal programs
LIHEAP (Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program) payments
In-kind benefits such as housing or goods received at no cost
Loans, unless you have unlimited access to the funds

The full list runs longer and includes narrow categories such as certain Native American land settlement payments. If you receive a government payment or benefit that doesn’t obviously fit, mention it at your appointment rather than assume it counts.

Proof of Income to Bring to Your Appointment

If you’re qualifying based on income rather than adjunctive eligibility, the New York State Department of Health accepts the following as proof:⁴

Pay stubs or direct deposit stubs from the past 30 days for every working household member
Tax records for anyone self-employed
Unemployment or disability benefit statements
A written statement from an employer if pay stubs aren’t available
Child support or alimony documentation
Social Security, pension, or interest and dividend statements
A bank statement or proof of savings and cash income
A Leave and Earnings Statement for military households

If you have no income at all, you’ll sign a statement at the appointment attesting to that.⁴ You’ll also need proof of identity (such as a driver’s license, Social Security card, or birth certificate) and proof of New York residence (a utility bill, lease, or official mail with your name and address).

To get started, contact your local WIC office through the New York State Department of Health website, where a virtual assistant called Wanda can connect you to a location.⁷ You can also call the Growing Up Healthy Hotline at 1-800-522-5006.⁸

1
New York State Department of Health. Am I Eligible for WIC?
2
Food and Nutrition Service. WIC Income Eligibility Guidelines 2025-2026
3
Food and Nutrition Service. WIC Eligibility
4
New York State Department of Health. What to Bring to Your WIC Appointment
5
eCFR. 7 CFR 246.7 – Certification of Participants
6
Food and Nutrition Service. Final Rule – Exclusion of Combat Pay From WIC Income Eligibility Determinations
7
New York State Department of Health. WIC Program
8
New York State Department of Health. Growing Up Healthy Hotline