Healthy Start Scheme
The Healthy Start scheme helps give your family the best start in life. If you’re pregnant or have children under the age of 4, you could be entitled to help to buy basic healthy foods, milk and free vitamins.
In addition, you must be receiving any of the following:
- Child Tax Credit (only if your family’s annual income is £16,190 or less) Universal Credit (only if your family’s take-home pay is £408 or less per month from employment)
- Income Support
- Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance
- Pension Credit (which includes the child addition)
You will also be eligible for Healthy Start if:
- You’re under 18 and pregnant, even if you are not claiming any benefits
- You claim income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) and are over 10 weeks pregnant
- You, your partner or your carer get Working Tax Credit run-on only after you have reported you’re working 16 hours or less per week
To find out if your family earns £408 or less per month from employment whilst claiming Universal Credit, look at your ‘take-home pay for this period’ on your monthly Universal Credit award notice.