Healthy Start supports families in need

Pregnant people and new parents could access extra support through the NHS Healthy Start scheme.

If you're more than 10 weeks pregnant or have a child under the age of four, the Healthy Start scheme can help you:

• buy healthy foods like milk or fruit
• get free vitamins.

You can also use the scheme to collect:

• Healthy Start vitamins, supporting you during pregnancy and breastfeeding
• vitamin drops for babies and young children, suitable from birth to four-years-old.

The scheme now uses pre-loaded cards, meaning those who already receive Healthy Start using paper vouchers must re-apply. You'll be contacted by Healthy Start when you can apply for the digital scheme.

The uptake in parts of west Cheshire, especially more rural areas, is low so make sure you register for this scheme if you're eligible.

You need to be claiming certain benefits to qualify but if you're pregnant, under the age of 18, and don’t receive any other benefits, you can still claim.

If you're eligible, you'll be sent a Healthy Start card with money on it that you can use in most UK shops that sell milk, infant formula, fruit, and vegetables. This includes:

• supermarkets
• convenience stores
• grocery stores
• drug stores and pharmacies
• markets
• dairy products stores
• news dealers and newsstands
• freezer and locker meat provisioners (such as butcher shops)
• petrol stations

The shop must display a Mastercard® logo. The logo is normally shown on the shop door or at the till. Ask an employee inside the shop if they take Mastercard® if you're unsure.

Your allowance will be added on to this card every four weeks.

You can use your card to buy:

• plain liquid cow's milk
• fresh, frozen and tinned fruit and vegetable
• fresh, dried and tinned pulses
• infant formula milk based on cow's milk.

A set of frequently asked questions are available on the Healthy Start website, covering things like applying for the scheme, how you can use it, advice for health professionals and more.