The Healthy Start scheme was introduced in November 2006. The purpose of the Scheme is to provide a nutritional safeguard for pregnant mothers and young children in the United Kingdom, particularly those in low income families. The Scheme provides fresh milk, fresh fruit and vegetables and infant formula milk and vitamins as a benefit in kind and is primarily targeted at women and children under four in families in receipt of Income Support, income based Job Seeker's Allowance or Child Tax Credit (but not Working Tax Credit). All pregnant women under the age of 18 also qualify, whether or not they are on benefits.
Further information on the scheme, as well as information on if you qualify is available on the Healthy Start website.
Change to Healthy Start Scheme
Following a recent public consultation the law will change on 6 April 2011 to allow families on Healthy Start to buy plain frozen fuir and vegetables with their vouchers, as well as the foods already available through the scheme.
The change means that from 6 April 2011 they will be able to spend the vouchers on products such as plain frozen peas, carrots, beans and raspberries. Any frozen fruit and vegetable products containing added fat, salt, sugar or extra ingredients (such as over chips, battered onion rings, seasoned stir fry vegetables) will be excluded.
The aim is to encourage low income families supported by Healthy Start to eat more fruit and vegetables through increasing the choice of products availble.
Next Steps for Healthy Start - Adding Plain Frozen Fruit and Vegetables and Minimising Voucher Misuse
This document responds to a consultation which asked whether Healthy Start beneficiaries should be able to choose to spend their vouchers on plain frozen fruit and vegetables as well as the foods already allowed. We also asked whether further measures may be needed to reduce the risks of vouchers being spent on products that are not included in the scheme.
Consultation Response
Impact Assessment