WIC EBT Feasibility Study and Cost‐Benefit Analysis

Virginia Department of Health WIC EBT Feasibility Study and Cost-Benefit Analysis
• 37.3% indicated that they have had to wait at a clinic because of problems printing a FI.
Survey questions and responses related to use of the FI are provided in the following table and
further expanded in the section below.
Question Percent
YES
1 Have you ever felt uncomfortable or embarrassed when using a WIC
food voucher?
Percent
NO
58.8% 41.2%
2 Have you ever had problems using a WIC food voucher? 43.7% 56.3%
3 Do you ever purchase some but not all of the items on your food
voucher?
36.6% 64.4%
4 Have you ever forgotten your WIC ID folder at the supermarket? 30.3% 69.7%
5 Have you ever lost your food vouchers? 25.9% 74.1%
6 Have you ever had your food vouchers stolen? 6.0% 94.0%
7 Have you ever lost your food benefits because your food vouchers were
lost or stolen?
9.4% 90.6%
Question 1. Have you ever felt uncomfortable or embarrassed when using a WIC food
voucher?
Well over half (58.8 percent) answered yes to this question.
Regardless of the efficiencies and cost savings, when Food
Stamps transitioned from coupons to EBT cards, one of the
major benefits of the program was held to be the ability of
Food Stamp recipients to purchase food in a grocery store
without the stigma of presenting coupons. Instead, the
recipient used a debit card and was perceived by other store
clients and by most clerks as being “normal” shoppers.
Following is a synopsis of the 68 comments received in
response to this question:
“Because the people behind you
in line obviously know your
business when you have the big
envelope that you have to show
and (when) you (take the) WIC
check out then they start judging
you as a person.”
• Customers and cashiers are frustrated with the time it takes to cash more than one
voucher in a transaction.
• Employees and shoppers stare when the WIC folder and checks are used; the WIC ID
Folder is very large and noticeable.
• Cashiers have to call the managers over to approve the checks, holding up the line.
• When a cashier calls for help, it is often done through the announcement system or by
loudly calling for someone to assist with WIC. This impacts privacy and brings out into
the open that the person is receiving assistance.
• It takes added time when the total purchase may include Food Stamp (EBT card), cash,
and WIC voucher purchase, all of which must be separated.
• Participant has to refer the clerk to the allowable food flyer to educate the clerk on a
questionable item.
57 V 1.2 August 20, 2008 Appendix B: Baseline Analysis