Free healthy start card to buy food
This page provides information on the NHS Healthy Start card scheme is a national program that helps low-income families and pregnant women access healthy food.
What is Healthy Start?
The NHS Healthy Start card scheme is a national program that helps young families and pregnant women on low-incomes to access 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.
Who is eligible for the Healthy Start card and how to apply?
There are three categories for how to apply, which depend on the type of state benefit you receive.
1 . Apply online at https://www.healthystart.nhs.uk/how-to-apply/
- If you’re more than 10 weeks pregnant or have at least one child under 4 years old
and
- your family’s monthly ‘take-home pay’ (also called ‘earned income’) is £408 or less from employment
The details you use to apply for Healthy Start must match the details on your Universal Credit claim.
2 . Apply by email healthy.start@nhsbsa.nhs.uk or by phone 0300 330 7010
If you’re more than 10 weeks pregnant, or have at least one child under 4 years old, and get either:
- Income Support
- Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance
- Pension Credit (which includes the child addition)
Or if you are more than 10 weeks pregnant and either:
- Under 18 years old and not getting benefits
- Getting Income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)
3 . Apply by emailing healthystartNRPF@nhsbsa.nhs.uk to request an application form.
If you’re not a British citizen but your child is, you might be eligible for Healthy Start depending on your immigration status.
You can get Healthy Start if the following are true:
- you have at least 1 British child under 4 years old – check if your child is automatically a British citizen if you’re not sure
- your family earns £408 or less per month after tax
- you cannot claim ‘public funds’ (for example, benefits) – either because of your immigration status or because you do not have an immigration status
Your online immigration status will say if you cannot claim public funds. You might also have a letter from the Home Office about it.
The eligibility criteria for this extension does not include pregnant women.
Only use this email address if you think you cannot claim public funds because of your immigration status.
If your child’s other parent lives with you and has access to public funds, they must apply for Healthy Start. They can do this by using one of the application routes outlined on this page.