The NHS Healthy Start scheme

Apply online for NHS Healthy Start

The NHS Healthy Start scheme helps young families on low incomes to buy healthy food and milk.

If you’re more than 10 weeks pregnant or have children under four and receive certain benefits, you could be eligible for NHS Healthy Start.

Once on the scheme, you’ll receive a prepaid card, which you can use to buy fruit, vegetables, pulses, milk and infant formula.

The card will be topped up with payments every four weeks and you can use it in most places that sell healthy food and accept Mastercard® payments.

You can also get free Healthy Start vitamins.

When you make a claim online

The details you use to apply for Healthy Start must match the details on your Universal Credit claim.

You can check these details by logging in to your Universal Credit account online. You will need to check the following:

• Your address details, including your postcode
• All of your children are named and verified on your Universal Credit claim

Further information

What is Healthy Start? (NHS Healthy Start)