Place Matters: WIC Vendor Accessibility and Administrative Burden

• In Event: Nudges, Location and Communication: Reducing Administrative Burdens Inside and Outside Government

Abstract

Despite its well-documented nutritional benefits, the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) continues to face low benefit redemption rates. This study focuses on out-of-store barriers—specifically, geographic accessibility to WIC-authorized vendors—as a source of administrative burden during the benefit redemption process. While existing research has explored how geography shapes compliance costs, such as attending appointments or completing paperwork, less is known about how physical proximity to stores affects redemption costs, or the everyday experience of redeeming benefits. This study addresses this gap by examining how geographic variation in vendor access relates to participants’ experiences of burden during routine shopping. 

We draw on a large-scale, representative survey of 2,588 WIC recipients, conducted in partnership with a state Department of Health and a civic technology nonprofit. Participants were selected using stratified random sampling based on race/ethnicity, language preference, age, and ZIP code, with oversampling of rural households to ensure adequate geographic representation. Survey responses—capturing participants’ experiences with benefit use and perceived administrative burden—were linked to administrative records of WIC-authorized vendors at multiple geographic levels. Key indicators of vendor accessibility include: (1) the number of WIC vendors per 10,000 residents and (2) the share of all grocery stores in a given area that are WIC-authorized.

We find that greater vendor access is associated with significantly lower perceived administrative burden, with access to WIC chain stores having a particularly strong effect. These findings were robust across different geographic levels, including ZIP codes, counties, and commuting zones. Open-ended responses further reinforce this pattern, with participants frequently citing geographic inaccessibility—having to visit multiple stores and facing product stock-outs—as a primary obstacle to redeeming their benefits. By examining within-state variation in vendor distribution, this study highlights how localized implementation shapes user experience and equity in public programs. The findings point to the “last mile” of service delivery—not just eligibility and enrollment—as a critical source of administrative burden in social safety net programs.

Authors

• Zhaowen Guo, Georgetown University
  Presenting Author

• Jae Yeon Kim, Harvard University
  Non-Presenting Co-Author

• Pamela Herd, Georgetown University
  Non-Presenting Co-Author

• Eric Giannella, Georgetown University
  Non-Presenting Co-Author

• Sebastian Jilke, Georgetown University
  Non-Presenting Co-Author

• Donald Moynihan, University of Michigan
  Non-Presenting Co-Author