Healthy Start: help buying food and vitamins in pregnancy and early childhood
This scheme is open.
England, Wales and Northern Ireland only.
Healthy Start is a scheme for people who are more than 10 weeks pregnant or have a child under 4, to help pay for foods such as milk and fruit and to get free vitamins. You need to be claiming certain benefits to qualify, with an exception for pregnant under-18s.
“If you're more than 10 weeks pregnant or have a child under 4, the Healthy Start scheme can help you buy healthy foods such as milk or fruit; get free vitamins. If you live in Scotland you cannot get Healthy Start. You can apply to the Best Start Foods scheme instead.”
What Healthy Start covers
“If you're more than 10 weeks pregnant or have a child under 4, the Healthy Start scheme can help you: buy healthy foods such as milk or fruit, get free vitamins.”
GOV.UK describes the help as support towards these foods and free vitamins rather than setting out the payment structure itself; for the operational detail of how the scheme is delivered, families are pointed to the NHS Healthy Start website.
There are two separate age tests, and either one on its own is enough: being more than 10 weeks pregnant, or already having a child under 4. Eligibility is confirmed once you apply, not before, so being close to either boundary — for example early in a pregnancy, or with a child close to turning 4 — is not by itself a reason to rule yourself out.
“Once you have successfully applied and we’ve confirmed your eligibility, you become a beneficiary of the NHS Healthy Start scheme.”
The money goes onto a prepaid card, topped up every four weeks. You get £4.65 for each week of your pregnancy from 10 weeks, £9.30 a week for a child under one, and £4.65 a week for a child aged between one and four.
“We’ll send you an NHS Healthy Start prepaid card, which will be topped up every 4 weeks with payments of: GBP 4.65 for each week of your pregnancy from 10 weeks GBP 9.30 each week for children from birth to one year old GBP 4.65 each week for children aged between one and 4 years old”
Who qualifies
You need to be claiming certain benefits to qualify for Healthy Start. GOV.UK’s own page does not name them, but the NHS Healthy Start application service does: you can apply online if you get Universal Credit, checked against your Universal Credit claim, or apply by phone or email instead if you get Pension Credit.
“The details you use to apply for Healthy Start must match the details on your Universal Credit claim.”
“You can apply by email or phone if you’re more than 10 weeks pregnant, or have at least one child under 4 years old, and get Pension Credit (which includes the child addition).”
There is one exception that does not depend on benefits at all: if you are under 18 and more than 10 weeks pregnant, you can claim Healthy Start even if you do not receive any benefits.
A separate route exists for families where a child is a British citizen but a parent is not. GOV.UK says this can apply if the family has at least one British child under 4, the family’s income is below a set monthly threshold, and the parent cannot claim public funds because of their immigration status or because they have no settled status. Anyone in that situation is asked to request an application form by email rather than apply through the standard route, using an address GOV.UK publishes for exactly this purpose.
“You need to ask for an application form by email. Only use this email address if you think you cannot claim public funds because of your immigration status.”
GOV.UK sets out how to check whether you cannot claim public funds: by viewing your eVisa, which is a digital record of your immigration status that can generate a share code, or an expired biometric residence permit. You might also hold a letter from the Home Office that states directly whether you can claim public funds. GOV.UK points anyone who needs the full detail to its separate “Healthy Start extension” application guidance rather than restating every condition on the main page.
How to apply
- Check whether you are more than 10 weeks pregnant or have a child under 4 — this is the basic age and stage test before anything else is considered.
- Apply for the Healthy Start scheme through the route GOV.UK links to — the NHS Healthy Start service, which verifies your eligibility once you apply.
- If you are under 18 and more than 10 weeks pregnant, you can apply even without a qualifying benefit — make this clear on your application.
- If you are not a British citizen but your child is, and you think you cannot claim public funds, email [email protected] to request the extension application form rather than using the standard route.
- Keep evidence of your pregnancy or your child’s age and your immigration status if relevant, since the application will ask you to confirm these.
“Payments should start once your child has been verified and appears on your Universal Credit statement. This can take up to 8 weeks after your child is verified. Make sure your child is verified within 12 weeks of the estimated due date to receive the correct payment amount.”
If you live in Scotland
“If you live in Scotland you cannot get Healthy Start. You can apply to the Best Start Foods scheme instead.”
Best Start Foods is run separately by Social Security Scotland and is not the same application process as Healthy Start, so a reader in Scotland should look for that scheme by name rather than trying to apply here.
Common questions
Who can get Healthy Start?
People who are more than 10 weeks pregnant or have a child under 4, and who claim certain benefits, can qualify. Under-18s who are more than 10 weeks pregnant can qualify even without a benefit.
How much money does Healthy Start pay each week?
The NHS Healthy Start scheme rules set the amounts: £4.65 for each week of pregnancy from 10 weeks, £9.30 a week for a child under one, and £4.65 a week for a child aged one to four. The money is loaded onto a prepaid card every four weeks.
Can I get Healthy Start if I am not a British citizen?
There is a specific route if your child is a British citizen under 4 and your family cannot claim public funds because of your immigration status, subject to your family income being below a threshold. GOV.UK asks you to request the application form by email rather than apply through the standard process.
Can I get Healthy Start in Scotland?
No. If you live in Scotland, you cannot get Healthy Start. Best Start Foods, run by Social Security Scotland, is the equivalent scheme there.
What if I am under 18 and pregnant?
If you are under 18 and more than 10 weeks pregnant, you can claim Healthy Start even if you do not receive any benefits.
Where do I apply for Healthy Start?
Apply through the route GOV.UK links to from its Healthy Start guidance. If you cannot claim public funds because of your immigration status but have a British child under 4, email [email protected] to ask for the extension application form instead.
Related guides
Information on this page was checked against the official guidance on 25 August 2026. The source page was last updated on 1 January 2025.
This is general information, not financial or legal advice. Money Decisions UK is not authorised by the Financial Conduct Authority and does not arrange, recommend or introduce any credit, debt or mortgage product.