- England
- Wales
- Northern Ireland
Healthy Start
NHS prepaid card for pregnant women and families with young children in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland to spend on milk, infant formula, fresh or frozen fruit and vegetables, and pulses.
Overview
Healthy Start is a scheme administered by the NHS Business Services Authority that provides a prepaid card for pregnant women and for families with children under four, intended to help with the cost of essential foods and infant formula. Eligible purchases include cow's milk, first infant formula, fresh or frozen fruit and vegetables without added ingredients, and fresh, tinned, or dried pulses. Vitamins for pregnancy and young children can also be obtained through the scheme. To qualify, the applicant must be more than 10 weeks pregnant or have at least one child under four years old, and in receipt of a qualifying benefit (typically Universal Credit below a set monthly earnings threshold, Income Support, income-based Jobseeker's Allowance, or Child Tax Credit below a set income level). Under-18s who are pregnant can qualify on age grounds alone, regardless of whether they receive a qualifying benefit. The scheme operates across England, Wales, and Northern Ireland; in Scotland, a separate scheme called Best Start Foods is administered by Social Security Scotland with broadly similar aims but different eligibility and administration. Individual eligibility and card value are determined by the NHSBSA. This page references criteria from the primary Healthy Start NHS source; the authoritative source for any individual claim remains the NHSBSA.
Applies in England, Wales, Northern Ireland. Administered by NHSBSA. This page is general information; contact NHSBSA for your individual circumstances.
How this page was verified
- Checked against 1 primary source from NHSBSA and linked source records on this page.
- Last verified on .
- Reviewed by Due to You editorial review under the editorial policy and methodology.
How the amount is calculated
Healthy Start is paid onto a prepaid NHS card every 4 weeks. The weekly amount depends on whether you are pregnant or how old your child is. Current NHS scheme rules list:
- £4.65 for each week of pregnancy from the 10th week.
- £9.30 each week for a child from birth to age 1.
- £4.65 each week for a child aged 1 to 4.
The card is not cash. It can be used in UK shops that accept Mastercard and sell eligible food. The NHS says it can buy plain liquid cow's milk, fruit and vegetables, pulses, and infant formula based on cow's milk and labelled as suitable from birth. It cannot be used online, outside the UK, to withdraw cash, or for follow-on formula.
If you live in Scotland, apply for Best Start Foods instead. Best Start Foods is also paid every 4 weeks, but Scotland has different age coverage and payment amounts.
Worked examples
Illustrative scenarios with plausible household compositions. Figures are rounded for readability; run the triage or a calculator for a personal estimate.
Pregnant claimant from week 10
Maya is 14 weeks pregnant and qualifies through Universal Credit.
Maya gets £4.65 for each week from the 10th week of pregnancy. Because payments are loaded every 4 weeks, the regular top-up is usually £18.60 while she remains eligible.
Baby under 1
Sam has a 6-month-old baby and qualifies through a low-income UC award.
Sam gets £9.30 each week for the baby until the child turns 1. Paid every 4 weeks, that is usually £37.20 per top-up, plus access to free Healthy Start vitamins.
Child aged 2
Leah has a 2-year-old and remains on a qualifying benefit.
Leah gets £4.65 each week for the child until the child turns 4, so the regular 4-week card top-up is usually £18.60. Payments stop after the child's 4th birthday or when the household stops meeting the benefit and income rules.
Common mistakes that cost claimants money
Using the old voucher amounts
Many search results and older guides still quote £4.25 and £8.50. NHS scheme rules now show £4.65 and £9.30. Check the official scheme-rules page before relying on a rate.
Missing the Universal Credit earnings rule
Online Healthy Start applications for Universal Credit households normally require monthly family take-home pay of £408 or less from employment. Use the same details as your UC claim: name, address, postcode, child details, and National Insurance number. A mismatch can delay or block the application.
Not applying if pregnant and under 18
If you are under 18 and more than 10 weeks pregnant, you can qualify even if you do not get a qualifying benefit. NHS Healthy Start says this route is handled by phone rather than the standard online route.
Overlooking the no-recourse-to-public-funds route
If you cannot claim public funds but have at least one British child under 4, you may still be able to apply by email for a form, subject to the Healthy Start income and residency conditions.
Next steps
Go straight to the official route or the closest related Due to You explainer.
- Apply for Healthy StartUse the official NHS Healthy Start route for the online application, phone route for under-18 pregnancy, and NRPF form route.
- Check Best Start Foods in ScotlandHealthy Start does not operate in Scotland; Best Start Foods is the Scottish equivalent with different rules and amounts.
- Run the benefits triageHealthy Start often sits alongside Universal Credit, Child Benefit, free school meals and local help.
What to have ready before you apply
- National Insurance number.
- Baby due date if you are pregnant.
- Universal Credit details that exactly match your UC claim.
- Up-to-date address and postcode on your UC account.
- Confirmation that every child is named and verified on your UC claim.
- Benefit award letter if applying through a non-UC qualifying benefit.
- For the NRPF route: evidence that your child is British and that you cannot claim public funds.
Eligibility criteria include
- HOUSEHOLDApplicant must be more than 10 weeks pregnant or have at least one child under 4 years old to apply online. [www.healthystart.nhs.uk]
- INCOMEFamily's monthly take-home pay (earned income) from employment must be £408 or less to apply online. [www.healthystart.nhs.uk]
- OTHERTo apply by email or phone, applicant must be more than 10 weeks pregnant or have at least one child under 4 years old, and must get Pension Credit (including the child addition). [www.healthystart.nhs.uk]
- AGEApplicants who are more than 10 weeks pregnant and under 18 years old and not getting any benefits can also apply by email or phone. [www.healthystart.nhs.uk]
- INCOMEFor non-British citizens with a British child, family must earn £408 or less per month after tax. [www.healthystart.nhs.uk]
- RESIDENCEApplicants living in Scotland are directed to Best Start Foods instead of Healthy Start. [www.healthystart.nhs.uk]
- IMMIGRATIONNon-British citizens with at least one British child under 4 may be eligible if they cannot claim public funds due to immigration status or no immigration status, and family earns £408 or less per month after tax. [www.healthystart.nhs.uk]