Healthy Start Vouchers

If you are pregnant or have a child under four years old you could get Healthy Start vouchers to help buy some basic foods. This important means-tested scheme provides vouchers to spend with local retailers. Pregnant women and children over one and under four years old can get one £3.10 voucher per week. Children under one year old can get two £3.10 vouchers (£6.20) per week.

The vouchers can be spent on:

• Plain cow’s milk
• Fresh or frozen fruit and veg
• Infant formula milk that says it can be used from birth and is based on cow’s milk

 Healthy Start vitamins 

Women and children getting Healthy Start food vouchers also get vitamin coupons to swap for free Healthy Start vitamins. Healthy Start vitamins are specifically designed for pregnant and breastfeeding women and growing children.

Do I qualify for Healthy Start?

You qualify for Healthy Start if you’re at least 10 weeks pregnant or have a child under four years old and you or your family get:

• Income Support, or
• Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance, or
• Child Tax Credit (with a family income of £16,190 or less per year)
• Income-related Employment and Support Allowance, or
• Universal Credit (with a family take home pay of £408 or less per month)

You also qualify if you are under 18 and pregnant, even if you don’t get any of the above benefits.

From 1st November 2016 Universal Credit will be a qualifying benefit for Healthy Start. If you have been receiving discretionary payments because you are claiming Universal Credit, are pregnant or have a child under four years old, you will receive a letter explaining the changes and asking you to fill in an application form for the Healthy Start scheme. If you have any queries or need further information make sure you call the Healthy Start helpline on 0345 607 6823 or email on helpdesk@tiu.org.uk.

 Applying for Healthy Start is easy – this is how you do it:

1. Fill in Part A of the application form carefully in black ink using CAPITAL
2. Take the form to your midwife or health visitor and ask them to fill in and sign Part B (you do not need to pay for this).
3. Make sure all the information on the form is correct and that you and your health professional have both signed and dated it. IMPORTANT: forms that have not been signed by a health professional cannot be accepted so make sure you do not miss this step out.
4. Send the form to the address below – you don’t need a stamp
5. Freepost RRTR-SYAE-JKCR, Healthy Start Issuing Unit, PO Box 1067, Warrington, WA55 1EG

For more information see www.healthystart.nhs.uk