Get help to eat healthier with the NHS Healthy Start Scheme

Advice and Information - 1 October 2024

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 fruit and vegetables

If you’re eligible, you will receive between £4.25 and £8.50 per week to buy healthy food and milk through the scheme, and be sent a Healthy Start card with money on it that you can use in some UK shops.

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 can also use your card to collect free:

  • Healthy Start vitamins – these support you during pregnancy and breastfeeding
  • Vitamin drops for babies and young children – these are suitable from birth to 4 years old

Healthy Start information or to apply

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