Healthy Start

What is Healthy Start?

If you are more than 10 weeks pregnant or have at least one child under the age of 4 years old and you receive one of the following benefits, you may be eligible to receive payments every 4 weeks.

Universal credit (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 if:

you’re under 18 and more than 10 weeks pregnant, even if you’re not claiming any benefits
you claim income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) and are more than 10 weeks pregnant

These payments can be used to buy:

Cow's milk
Fresh, frozen or tinned fruit and vegetables
Infant formula milk
Fresh, dried or tinned pulses

You can also get free Healthy Start vitamins.

What could you get?

£4.65 each week of pregnancy (from the 10th week of pregnancy)

£9.30 each week for children from birth to 1 year old

£4.65 each week for children aged between 1 and 4 years old

These payments are added to a special card, that is similar to a bank card, every 4 weeks.

Your money will stop after your child’s 4th birthday or if you no longer receive benefits.

While uptake in Suffolk has increased from 50% in 2022 to 77% in 2024, we know more than 1,000 eligible families are still missing out. SCC is working alongside district and borough councils across Suffolk to raise awareness of the scheme locally and help ensure eligible families access the support available to them.

To check if you can apply or to find out more speak to your Midwife or Health Visitor or visit https://applyforhealthystart.nhsbsa.nhs.uk/apply-for-healthy-start/

You can also call the Healthy Start helpline on 0300 330 7010

Healthy Start Leaflets are available below.

Translated leaflets are being created but until they are available please call 0300 330 7010 and request an interpreter for further information.

Healthy Start Leaflets:

Healthy Start Leaflet (English)
PDF4.27MB

Please help us promote the scheme by:

sharing campaign messages on social media using the National Healthy Start Promotion Toolkit online link or pdf attached
including information about Healthy Start in your newsletters and bulletins
adding information to your website or community noticeboards
encouraging eligible families to check whether they qualify How to apply – Get help to buy food and milk (Healthy Start)

Young children can benefit from vitamin drops A & D, if they: are less than 4 years old & have less than 500ml (about one pint) of infant formula a day (as formula already has vitamins added to it). Vitamins are also encouraged for all pregnant or breastfeeding parents, again to ensure they are getting vitamins C & D and folic acid.

Suffolk has extended the vitamin scheme so pregnant people and children under 4, not eligible for Healthy Start due to their immigration status, can still receive vitamins free of charge from their local Family Hub.

Families can access support via their local Family Hub: To find your local Family Hub https://infolink.suffolk.gov.uk Search Family Hub

East Suffolk Council: The Community Help Hub at East Suffolk Council provides help with money and accessing services. For further information or support around the Healthy Start scheme, benefits, budgeting or other money issues, please contact Joanne Allington at helpwithmoney@eastsuffolk.gov.uk or call 01394 444762 or visit www.eastsuffolk.gov.uk/LIFT

Babergh and Mid Suffolk District Councils: The councils’ Cost of Living team use data and local insight to proactively identify households that may need assistance and work with partners to design targeted campaigns. Find out more: www.babergh.gov.uk/supporting-residents-financial-wellbeing  www.midsuffolk.gov.uk/supporting-residents-financial-wellbeing  

Ipswich Borough Council: www.ipswich.gov.uk Phone: 01473 432000 Benefits and support information: www.ipswich.gov.uk/benefits-and-support-services

West Suffolk Council: financial.inclusion@westsuffolk.gov.uk or www.westsuffolk.gov.uk/cost-of-living or phone 01284 757660

Holiday Activities and Food Programmes

The Holiday Activity & Food (HAF) Programme is funded through The Department for Education and it enables children and young people to access enriching and fun activities (particularly those who receive free school meals) during the school holidays.

To learn more about HAF in Suffolk at https://eequ.org/suffolkhaf

Healthy Start

What is Healthy Start?

What could you get?

Healthy Start Leaflets:

Do you work with families who may be eligible for Healthy Start?

Promoting the scheme

Suffolk's extended vitamin scheme

Healthy Start Training

Futher contacts

Holiday Activities and Food Programmes