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 £4.25 voucher per week. Children under one year old can get two £4.25 vouchers (£8.50) 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

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.

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

To apply for the Healthy Start scheme, you can download a paper application form from the Healthy Start website, or you can request one from your GP or Midwife. Alternatively, you can request one from the Healthy Start helpline on 0345 607 6823.

Within two weeks of your application being approved vouchers will be sent out and then every four weeks. If you have not heard from the Healthy Start Issuing Unit after two weeks, call their helpline on 0345 607 6823.

For more information see www.healthystart.nhs.uk