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Healthy Start


If you're more than 10 weeks pregnant or have a child under 4, you may be entitled to get help to buy healthy food and milk. You can also get free vitamins.

If you're eligible, you'll be sent a Healthy Start card with money on it that you can use in some UK shops. This will be topped up every 4 weeks.

You can use your card to buy:

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

You can also use your card to collect:

  • Healthy Start vitamins - these support you during pregnancy and breastfeeding
  • vitamin drops for babies and young children - these are suitable from birth to 4 years old

Find out if you are eligible

You can get Healthy Start vouchers if you're at least 10 weeks pregnant or have a child under four years old and you or your family get certain benefits. You will also qualify if you are under 18 and pregnant.

Find out whether you are eligible at Healthy Start: do I qualify?.

What you can get

  • £4.25 each week of your pregnancy from the 10th week
  • £8.50 each week for children from birth to 1 year
  • £4.25 each week for children between 1 and 4 years

Find out more at Healthy Start: what do I get?

You can also get free vitamins with your card. Find out why you should get Healthy Start vitamins at NHS: Healthy Start Vitamins

How to apply

Find out how to apply at Healthy Start: how to apply.




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