Vendor Materials

Minor Abuses:
‍
WIC Transactions
A - Fails to offer participants the same courtesies offered to other customers
B - Requires identification to redeem eWIC cards
C - Fails to allow participants to use coupons or other promotional specials
D - Requires a participant to purchase a store brand WIC food item
E - Compels participant to buy quantities of food less than what is listed on their WIC benefits
F - Does not allow participant to purchase approved food items listed on their WIC benefits
G - Fails to provide a receipt for each eWIC benefit purchase

Program Operations
H - Fails to have information for WIC customers on WIC approved foods
I - Fails to display current price of an authorized WIC item on the item, shelf, or nearby sign
J - Uses WIC shelf markers to identify non-WIC food items as WIC food items, or having non-WIC food items identified as point-of-sale WIC food items in the store’s system
K - Fails to maintain dairy cases at or below 45F, freezer cases at or below 0F, or meat storage at or below 41F (Fails to keep WIC foods at safe temperatures)
L - Uses the WIC logo or the acronym “WIC” without written approval from the State Agency
M - Displays storefront signage that does not match the owner’s name or “doing business as” name on the Vendor’s application
N - Fails to display WIC decal or sign in a place conspicuous to the public
O - Fails to keep WIC reference materials on hand in the manager’s office or at cash registers
P - Approaches, solicits, or leaves advertisements or other promotional items for WIC applicants or participants at the State Agency or Local Agency service sites

Major Abuses:
‍
WIC Transactions
A - Requires participants to use a separate checkout line
B - Does not accept other forms of tender for remaining CVB transaction balances
C - Charges participants a service fee or requires them to pay additional cash for food purchased
D - Does not permit participants to redeem WIC benefits without making other purchases

Program Operations
E - Refuses to secure “out of stock” standard infant formula within the required 24-hour period
F - Pharmacy vendor fails to supply special formula within the required 48-hour period
G - Fails to meet minimum stocking requirements indicated by assigned Vendor Peer Group
H - Displays WIC food items for sale, including infant formula, that are expired, spoiled, or beyond their “sell by”, “best by”, or other date limiting the sale or use of the food items
I - Fails to maintain the store in clean and sanitary condition, which includes maintaining and displaying a current health operating permit
J - Allows the return of WIC food items purchased with eWIC benefits in exchange for items other than the identical authorized supplemental food item being returned
K - Collects sales tax on WIC approved food items

Other; The Vendor:
L - Fails to attend training as required by the State Agency
M - Fails to cooperate with WIC monitoring procedures
N - Purchases infant formula from a source not listed on the DC WIC Approved Suppliers listing
O - Threatens or verbally abuses WIC participants and/or WIC personnel conducting WIC business
P - Fails to submit annual copy of state-approved health inspection
Q - Fails to keep WIC participant information confidential
R - Fails to maintain (due to suspension, revocation, or denial) a health code permit to operate a food store in the District of Columbia (or Maryland)
S - Fails to maintain originals or photocopies of Inventory Audit record as specified in policy 5.04(2) of the Vendor Manual
T - Fails to make available to the State Agency, the USDA, any law enforcement agency, the Department of the Attorney General, or the Comptroller of the United States, for inspection and audit, all originals or photocopies of WIC benefits records for eWIC transactions, and all record required by the State Agency within 30 days of written request
U - Allows the return of food purchased with eWIC benefits in exchange for cash, credit, or nonfood items
V - Contacts WIC participants to attempt to collect funds that will not be or were not paid to the Vendor by the WIC program
W - Discriminates against WIC participants based on sex, race, color, age, disability (handicap), or national origin (Civil Rights violations)

The following violation needs only one incidence to be considered a pattern for the vendor to receive a sanction. The State Agency reserves the right to terminate a vendor from the Program if such a violation occurs and will consider appropriate sanctions on a case-by-base basis.