Get money towards healthy food and milk with Healthy Start.
If you’re pregnant or have a child under the age of 4, you could get payments to spend on fruit, vegetables, pulses, milk and baby formula, giving you that extra boost to keep your and your growing family healthy
What is Healthy Start?
If you’re more than 10 weeks pregnant or have a child under 4 and you meet certain criteria, you may be entitled to get payments to buy healthy food and milk. If you’re eligible, you’ll be sent a Healthy Start card with money on it that you can use in shops that accept MasterCard.
You can use your card to buy:
- 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
You’ll get the money loaded onto the card every 4 weeks.
How much do I get?
If eligible, you’ll get £4.25 each week of your pregnancy (from the 10th week of your pregnancy), £8.50 each week for children from birth to one year old, and £4.25 each week for children between one and four years old.
Who can apply?
You could qualify for the NHS Healthy Start scheme if you’re at least 10 weeks pregnant or you have at least one child aged under four. In addition, you must be receiving any of the following:
- Child Tax Credit (only if your family’s annual income is £16,190 or less)
- Income Support
- Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance
- Pension Credit (which includes the child addition)
- Universal Credit (only if your family’s take-home pay is £408 or less per month from employment)
You will also be eligible for NHS Healthy Start if:
- you’re under 18 and pregnant, even if you are not claiming any benefits
- you claim income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) and are over 10 weeks pregnant
- you or your partner get Working Tax Credit run-on only
You may be eligible if your child is a British citizen even if you’re not.
How to apply
Online:
Universal Credit recipients can apply online. Most people who receive Child Tax Credits can apply online if you have children under the age of four. If you’re more than 10 weeks pregnant and have children over the age of four, you need to apply by phone or email.
By phone or email:
If you don’t meet the criteria to apply online, call 0300 330 7010 or email: [email protected].
Find out more about how to apply depending on your situation.
How does it work?
Once you’re approved, you’ll receive a contactless Healthy Start card through the post. Every 4 weeks, money is automatically added to your card, which works the same way as any debit card – by inputting your PIN or by contactless payment.
The card can be used to pay for milk, infant formula, fruit, vegetables and pulses. Find out more about what you can buy.
You can use your card in most shops that sell these, provided they take Mastercard.
The main steps are below:
- Visit healthystart.nhs.uk
- Fill in the online application form, or call or email
- Receive your prepaid card in the post
- Activate your card to get your PIN before using it
- Shop for healthy food and milk in most places that sell them and accept Mastercard payments. You can only spend up to the balance of your card.
- Insert your card into the card reader and enter your PIN the first time you use your card