DairyCo

Healthy Start Support

Published 10 September 10

Healthy Start Support

Healthy Start is a statutory scheme governed in the UK by regulations made under the Social Security Act 1988 as amended by the Health and Social Care (Community Health and Standards) Act 2003.  The key regulations are the Healthy Start Scheme and Welfare Food (Amendment) Regulations 2005, which introduced the scheme to Devon and Cornwall in November 2005.  The Healthy Start Scheme and Welfare Food (Amendment No 2) Regulations 2006 extended the scheme across Great Britain in November 2006.  Equivalent regulations were introduced in Northern Ireland on the same date. 

The scheme provides nutritional support to certain pregnant women and young children or low income and disadvantaged families, including weekly vouchers that can be spent on or put towards the cost of liquid milk, fresh fruit, fresh vegetables and infant formula. 

Do I qualify for Healthy Start?

You qualify for Healthy Start if you're pregnant or have a child under four years old AND:

• you or your family get Income Support, or
• you or your family get income-based Jobseeker's Allowance, or
• you or your family get Child Tax Credit (but not Working Tax Credit unless your family is receiving Working Tax Credit run-on only*) and have an annual family income of below £16,190 or less (2008/9)

OR:

• you're pregnant and under 18 years of age

Where can I use my vouchers?

You can use your vouchers in any shop that's taking part in the Healthy Start scheme. Look out for the Healthy Start stickers in shop windows, or ask inside.

Healthy Start shops include greengrocers, milkmen, market stalls, chemists, corner shops and food co-ops as well as supermarkets.

For more advice and information go to www.healthystart.nhs.uk