Healthy Start – food & vitamins
The Healthy Start scheme helps pregnant people and families with children under 4 buy healthy food and milk.
What is Healthy Start?
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.
If you’re eligible, you’ll be sent a Healthy Start card with money on it that you can use in UK shops that accept Mastercard – including supermarkets, newsagents, markets and corner shops.
You can receive up to £8.50 per child per week, which will be topped up on the card every 4 weeks. You can also use your card to collect Healthy Start vitamins for you and your child.
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:
- 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
Applying for the Healthy Start scheme does not affect benefits your family may be receiving.
Are you eligible for Healthy Start?
To qualify for the Healthy Start Scheme you must be pregnant or have children under the age of 4 and be receiving one of the following benefits:
- Child Tax Credit (if family’s annual income is less than £16,190)
- Income Support
- Income-based Jobseekers Allowance
- Universal Credit (Family take home pay less than £408/month)
- Income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)
- you or your partner get Working Tax Credit run-on only
- Pension Credit
You can also apply if pregnant and under the age of 18 and not on benefits.
If you can't claim public funds due to your lack of immigration status, you can still apply for the Healthy Start Scheme if you have parental responsibility for at least one British child who is less than 4 years old and your family’s take-home pay is less than £408 per month.
Healthy Start vitamins
If you get Healthy Start payments, you can get free vitamins that give you the recommended daily amounts to support your health during pregnancy and after birth, and help your child grow up healthy and strong:
- Children’s drops: Vitamins A, C & D
- Tablets for pregnant people: Folic acid, Vitamin C & D
These are suitable for vegetarians and halal diets, and free from milk, egg, gluten, soya, and peanut residues.
You can collect Healthy Start vitamins from the following locations in Havering:
- St Kilda’s Children Centre - 90 Eastern Rd, Romford RM1 3QA
- Harold Hill Health Centre - Gooshays Dr, Romford RM3 9SU
- South Hornchurch Health Centre - 106 S End Rd, Rainham RM13 7XJ
- Romford Clinic - 40 Main Rd, Romford, RM1 3BS
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