Healthy Start: Support for Families
Healthy Start is a national NHS initiative aimed at supporting pregnant women, new parents and families with children under four to access healthy food and essential vitamins. With ongoing cost of living pressures, the scheme offers practical financial support and helps encourage healthier family diets.
What support is available?
Eligible families receive a prepaid Healthy Start card, which is topped up every four weeks. The card can be used in most shops that accept card payments to purchase essential items, including:
- Plain liquid cow’s milk
- Fresh, frozen and tinned fruit and vegetables
- Fresh, dried and tinned pulses
- Infant formula milk based on cow’s milk
Families can also access:
- Healthy Start vitamins to support pregnancy and breastfeeding
- Vitamin drops for babies and young children (from birth to age four
Who is eligible?
Residents may qualify if they are at least 10 weeks pregnant or have a child under four, and receive certain benefits, including:
- Universal Credit (with a monthly take-home pay of £408 or less)
- Income Support
- Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA)
- Pension Credit (with a child addition)
They may also be eligible if they are:
- Pregnant and under 18 (even if not receiving benefits), or
- Pregnant and receiving income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)
How to apply
Applying is quick and straightforward:
- Online: www.healthystart.nhs.uk
- Email: healthy.start@nhsbsa.nhs.uk
- Phone: 0300 330 7010
Successful applicants will receive a Healthy Start card, which is automatically topped up every four weeks.
