If you’re pregnant or have a child under four you could be eligible to receive Healthy Start vouchers.
Healthy Start vouchers are issued weekly and can be used to buy fresh fruit, vegetables and milk.
This important means-tested scheme provides crucial access to healthy food for those who need it most; qualifying pregnant women, babies and toddlers.
Vouchers can be spent in a wide range of outlets across Torbay including; Asda, Iceland, Farm Foods, Morrisons and selected Tesco, Lidl, Boots and Superdrug stores.
Pregnant woman and children over 1 and under 4 can get one £3.10 voucher a week. Children under 1 can get two £3.10 vouchers (£6.20) per week.
Vouchers can be spent on:
- Plain cow’s milk – whole, semi-skimmed or skimmed. It can be pasteurised, sterilised, long life or UHT
- Fresh, frozen and tinned fruit and vegetables including loose, pre-packed, whole, sliced, chopped or mixed fruit or vegetables, fruit in fruit juice, or fruit or vegetables in water, but not those to which fat, salt, sugar or flavouring have been added
- Fresh, dried and tinned pulses, including but not limited to lentils, beans, peas and chickpeas but not those to which fat, salt, sugar or flavouring have been added
- Infant formula milk that says it can be used from birth and is based on cow’s milk
To qualify for Healthy Start vouchers you need to be at least 10-weeks pregnant or have a child under four years old and are in receipt of any of the following:
- Child Tax Credit (but only if your family income is £16,190 or less)
- Income related Employment and Support Allowance
- Income Support
- Income-Based Jobseeker’s Allowance
- Pension Credit
- Universal Credit (but only if your family earns £408 or less per month from employment)
- Working Tax Credit (but only if your family is receiving the 4-week ‘run-on’ payment)
You’ll also be eligible for the Healthy Start scheme if you’re pregnant and under 18, even if you do not receive any benefits.
Cllr Cordelia Law, Cabinet Member for Children’s Services, Torbay Council, said; “Recently the take up of Healthy Start Vouchers has fallen, with only around half of those entitled to claim the vouchers doing so. This could be due to lack of awareness, or the reduced signposting opportunities through Parent and Baby groups which have been closed due to the pandemic.
We want to encourage all those that qualify to apply today, applying is easy and no longer requires the signature of health professional”.
Women and children getting Healthy Start food vouchers also get vitamin coupons to swap for free Healthy Start vitamins which are specifically designed for pregnant and breastfeeding women and growing children.
For more information and to make an application visit: www.healthystart.nhs.uk
News archive
- November 2024 (6)
- October 2024 (21)
- September 2024 (17)
- August 2024 (7)
- July 2024 (24)
- June 2024 (8)
- May 2024 (25)
- April 2024 (19)
- March 2024 (17)
- February 2024 (16)
- January 2024 (14)
- December 2023 (14)
- November 2023 (30)
- October 2023 (21)
- September 2023 (22)
- August 2023 (18)
- July 2023 (17)
- June 2023 (14)
- May 2023 (11)
- April 2023 (9)
- March 2023 (36)
- February 2023 (22)
- January 2023 (26)
- December 2022 (18)
- November 2022 (24)
- October 2022 (18)
- September 2022 (13)
- August 2022 (15)
- July 2022 (22)
- June 2022 (14)
- May 2022 (35)
- April 2022 (23)
- March 2022 (32)
- February 2022 (18)
- January 2022 (14)
- December 2021 (22)
- November 2021 (22)
- October 2021 (25)
- September 2021 (23)
- August 2021 (18)
- July 2021 (26)
- June 2021 (24)
- May 2021 (21)
- April 2021 (21)
- March 2021 (33)
- February 2021 (30)
- January 2021 (27)
- December 2020 (24)
- November 2020 (37)
- October 2020 (29)
- September 2020 (27)
- August 2020 (22)
- July 2020 (37)
- June 2020 (38)
- May 2020 (39)
- April 2020 (36)
- March 2020 (22)
- February 2020 (10)
- January 2020 (18)
- December 2019 (7)
- November 2019 (11)
- October 2019 (15)
- September 2019 (16)
- August 2019 (8)
- July 2019 (9)
- June 2019 (7)
- May 2019 (16)
- April 2019 (11)
- March 2019 (11)
- February 2019 (7)
- January 2019 (11)
- December 2018 (11)
- November 2018 (14)
- October 2018 (14)
- September 2018 (9)
- August 2018 (7)
- July 2018 (19)
- June 2018 (21)
- May 2018 (7)
- April 2018 (10)
- March 2018 (35)
- February 2018 (9)
- January 2018 (15)
- December 2017 (9)
- November 2017 (17)
- October 2017 (11)
- September 2017 (6)
- August 2017 (7)
- July 2017 (13)
- June 2017 (22)
- May 2017 (16)
- April 2017 (8)
- March 2017 (9)
- February 2017 (9)
- January 2017 (4)
- December 2016 (10)
- November 2016 (11)
- October 2016 (14)
- September 2016 (9)
- August 2016 (10)
- July 2016 (11)
- June 2016 (4)
- May 2016 (20)
- April 2016 (14)
- March 2016 (18)
- February 2016 (8)
- January 2016 (15)
- December 2015 (13)
- November 2015 (19)
- October 2015 (17)
- September 2015 (8)
- August 2015 (6)
- July 2015 (19)
- June 2015 (11)
- May 2015 (20)
- April 2015 (14)
- March 2015 (15)
- February 2015 (13)
- January 2015 (17)
- December 2014 (17)
- November 2014 (18)
- October 2014 (14)
- September 2014 (17)
- August 2014 (16)
- July 2014 (10)
- June 2014 (8)
- May 2014 (1)
- February 2014 (1)
- January 0001 (1)