Thousands more parents could get free baby formula in major change to little-known scheme – are you missing out?
THOUSANDS more parents may be able to get free formula for their babies under a proposed shake-up of the Healthy Start scheme.
It comes as hundreds of thousands of eligible families are missing out.
Healthy Start vouchers help parents on low income claim money towards food shopping.
The vouchers are available to those who receive Universal Credit and are pregnant or have young children.
But up to 207,000 parents across England, Wales and Northern Ireland are missing out on the scheme every year.
The scheme was last year moved to a digital system and has been plagued by IT problems, which has caused issues with take-up.
Emma Lewell-Buck, a Labour MP, is introducing a law in Parliament today that will urge the government to automatically enrol eligible families on the Healthy Start scheme.
She said: “Too many families are missing out as uptake across England, Wales and Northern Ireland is a pitiful 64%, with some areas facing uptake as low as 50%.”
It’s not guaranteed that the law will pass, however, as it needs government support.
How do Healthy Start vouchers work?
Healthy Start vouchers can be used to buy healthy food such as milk, formula, fruit and vegetables.
The vouchers are worth £4.25 a week – or £221 a year.
Those with a child under the age of one get two vouchers – so £8.50 a week – which adds up to £442 a year.
There used to be paper vouchers, but now the money is loaded onto a prepaid card that can be used at any location where Mastercard is accepted.
This includes:
- Supermarkets
- Convenience stores
- Grocery stores
- Drug stores and pharmacies
- Markets
- Dairy products stores
- Butcher shops
- Petrol stations
You can’t use the prepaid card for online shopping, or to withdraw cash from an ATM, but you can check the balance at a cash machine.
How do I claim?
You need to be at least 10 weeks pregnant or have at least one child under four years old to apply for Healthy Start vouchers.
Your family’s monthly take-home pay from work must also be less than £408 a week to qualify.
You can go onto the government website to apply.
Alternatively, you can print out a paper form from the Healthy Start website or request one from your GP or midwife.
There’s also an option to request one from the healthy start helpline on 0345 607 6823.
Once you’ve applied online, you should receive your card within five to 10 working days.
Do you have a money problem that needs sorting? Get in touch by emailing money-sm@news.co.uk