Healthy Start - help to buy healthy food and milk
The Healthy Start Scheme provides help for eligible families and those who are pregnant to buy milk and fresh or frozen fruit and vegetables. Free Healthy Start vitamins can also be provided under the Scheme.
About Healthy Start
Eligible families and those who are pregnant will receive a prepaid Healthy Start card to buy:
- plain liquid cow’s milk
- infant formula milk based on cow’s milk
- fresh, frozen and tinned fruit and vegetables
- fresh, dried and tinned pulses, such as beans, peas, or lentils
You can also get:
- free Healthy Start vitamins while you’re on the Scheme to support you during pregnancy and breastfeeding
- vitamin drops for babies and young children (suitable from birth to four years old)
Who can apply
You’ll qualify for the Healthy Start scheme if you’re at least 10 weeks pregnant or you have at least one child under four years old.
You must also be receiving one of the following:
- Universal Credit (your family’s take-home pay must be £408 or less per month from employment)
- Pension Credit (which includes the child addition)
You will also be eligible for Healthy Start if you’re under 18 and pregnant, even if you are not claiming any benefits.
To find out if your family earns £408 or less per month from employment whilst claiming Universal Credit, check your ‘take-home pay for this period’ on your monthly Universal Credit award notice.
How much you'll get
You’ll get money added automatically onto your card every four weeks to spend on certain food and milk.
You’ll get:
- £4.65 each week of your pregnancy after the 10th week
- £9.30 each week for children from birth to one year old
- £4.65 each week for children between one and four years old.
Your payments will stop when your child turns four years old, or if you no longer receive a qualifying benefit.
Get Healthy Start vitamins
Find out how to get free vitamins at the link below: