Parents of children under the age of four years old are being encouraged to check if they are eligible for free Healthy Start vouchers to help buy food and milk.
The Healthy Start vouchers are offered by the NHS to parents receiving certain benefits such as Universal Credit with earned income of less than £408 per month from employment; Child Tax Credit; Income Support; Income-related Employment Support Allowance and Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance and have a household income below a specified amount.
These vouchers go unclaimed by an estimated 38% of eligible parents in South Cambs alone, resulting in almost £88,000 of unclaimed funds each year in the district, largely due to a lack of awareness of the scheme.
In its latest campaign to support residents with the cost of living, SCDC used its new and innovative IT package, called the Low-Income Family Tracker (LIFT), to identify 377 households who are likely to be eligible for Healthy Start vouchers, who have now been contacted directly by letter and text where possible.
If eligible, parents will receive a Healthy Start card that can be used in most UK supermarkets, similar to a debit card. The card will be pre-loaded with £8.50 a week for children aged under one, and £4.25 a week for children aged between one and four years old.
The card can be used to buy:
- fresh, frozen, tinned fruit and vegetables
- fresh, dried, and tinned pulses
- plain liquid cow’s milk
- infant formula milk based on cow’s milk
- Healthy Start vitamins – these support a parent during pregnancy and breastfeeding
- Vitamin drops for babies and young children, suitable from birth to 4 years old
The easiest way to apply for Healthy Start vouchers is online at www.healthystart.nhs.uk/how-to-apply. If residents are unable to apply online, they can call the Healthy Start voucher helpline on 0300 330 7010 and a member of staff will help complete an application.
