Healthy Start

Support for families to buy healthy food and milk

Healthy Start is a national scheme that helps eligible families with young children or pregnant women to buy healthy food and milk. You can apply online and if you qualify, you’ll receive a prepaid card that is topped up every 4 weeks. You can use it in most supermarkets and shops that sell food.

What can I buy?

You can use your Healthy Start card to buy:

Fresh, frozen, or tinned fruit and vegetables
Plain cow’s milk
Infant formula milk
Fresh, dried, or tinned pulses

Healthy Start Vitamins

You can also get free Healthy Start vitamins for you and your child. These support health during pregnancy and early childhood. You can collect free healthy start vitamins from;

Who can get it?

You may be eligible if you are at least 10 weeks pregnant or have a child under 4 and you receive:

Universal Credit (with a family income of £408 or less per month)
Income Support
Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance
Child Tax Credit (with no Working Tax Credit, and a family income of £16,190 or less per year)
Anyone who is under 18 and pregnant (from week 10), regardless of their benefit status
If you are not a British citizen, but your child is, you might be eligible to apply