Healthy Start Vouchers are a way for families to get extra support raising young children, but many don’t know about this hidden benefit
For Scotland, check out Best Start Grants and Best Start Foods.
Raising kids costs a lot. But there’s help out there. If we’re expecting a baby or have young children, the government has a scheme called Healthy Start Vouchers that can help us save on healthy food and vitamins.
In 2023, over 200,000 families missed out on a total of £68 million in this support, most likely because they didn’t know it existed. So who can take advantage of this support?
Who Can Get It?
If we are more than 10 weeks pregnant or have a child under 4, and we get certain benefits, we may qualify. If we’re under 18 and pregnant, we can get it without other benefits by calling 0300 330 7010.
What Do We Get?
We get a prepaid card with money added every 4 weeks. We can use it in many shops to buy: Plain cow’s milk, fresh, frozen, or tinned fruit and vegetables, infant formula milk and healthy Start vitamins for us and our children
The amounts are:
- £4.25 each week from the 10th week of pregnancy
- £8.50 each week for children from birth to 1 year old
- £4.25 each week for children aged 1 to 4 years old
How to Apply
We can apply online at the NHS Healthy Start website. If we can’t access public funds due to immigration status, but have a British child under 4 and a low income, we might still qualify. In that case, we should email Healthystartclaim@dhsc.gov.uk for a form.
For more information, go to the NHS Frequently asked questions (FAQS) webpage: https://www.healthystart.nhs.uk/frequently-asked-questions/
- Healthy Start (England, Wales, Northern Ireland): https://www.gov.uk/healthy-start
- Healthy Start FAQs https://www.healthystart.nhs.uk/frequently-asked-questions/
This program is here to support us and our families.
Image: Yuri A / Shutterstock
