Did you know that if you’re more than 10 weeks pregnant or have a child under 4, you may be entitled to get help to buy healthy food and milk?
“Fresh Futures have been keeping in regular contact with me and have helped me get additional support – I signed up to the Healthy Start scheme and it has made a huge difference. I just wanted to say, you’re doing a great job… You care, and in these times and previously that means the world.”
National Healthy Start Service User
If you’re more than 10 weeks pregnant or have a child under 4, you may be entitled to get help to buy healthy food and milk.
You can use your card to buy:
- plain liquid cow’s milk
- infant formula milk
- fresh, frozen, and tinned fruit and vegetables and
- fresh, dried, and tinned pulses
You can also use your card to collect:
Healthy Start Maternal vitamins – these support you during pregnancy and breastfeeding
Healthy Start vitamin drops for babies and young children – these are suitable from birth to 4 years old
What you could get
- £8.50 each week for children from birth to 1
- £4.25 each week for children between 1 and 4
- £4.25 each week of your pregnancy from the 10th week
Your money will stop when your child is 4, or if you no longer receive benefits.
Using your card
You’ll receive your card by post. It’ll come with your first payment on it. Money will be automatically added to your card every 4 weeks. Before you use your card, you need to activate it before you use it in a shop.
To activate your card, get your PIN, hear your balance, or to report your card as lost, damaged, or stolen, you can contact National Healthy Start on 0300 330 2090. This phone line is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
If you require an interpreter, please call 0300 330 7010 or email [email protected]
You will need your:
- card
- date of birth
- client ID (located at the top of the letter that came with your card)
