Parents who receive ‘NHS Healthy Start’ vouchers are being warned that they need to apply for a new prepaid card, with the current paper vouchers no longer being sent out from 10th March.
Healthy Start currently issues payments in the form of four weeks worth of paper vouchers that can be used in shops that have registered with the Healthy Start scheme. Recipients then have 12 weeks to spend these vouchers. However from 10th March this will change and thousands are yet to apply for the prepaid card.
You’ll qualify for the Healthy Start scheme if you’re at least 10 weeks pregnant or you have at least one child that’s under 4.
In addition, you must be receiving any of the following:
- Child Tax Credit (only if your family’s annual income is £16,190 or less)
- Income Support
- Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance
- Pension Credit (which includes the child addition)
- Universal Credit (only if your family’s take-home pay is £408 or less per month from employment)
You will also be eligible for Healthy Start if:
- you’re under 18 and pregnant, even if you are not claiming any benefits
- you claim income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) and are over 10 weeks pregnant
- you, your partner or your carer get Working Tax Credit run-on only after you have reported you’re working 16 hours or less per week
To find out if your family earns £408 or less per month from employment whilst claiming Universal Credit, look at your ‘take-home pay for this period’ on your monthly Universal Credit award notice.
How to apply
If you get a qualifying benefit and are more than 10 weeks pregnant or have parental responsibility for at least one child under 4 years old
You can apply online. To apply, you will need your:
- name
- address
- date of birth
- National Insurance number
- baby’s due date (if you’re pregnant)
- benefit award letter if you’re over 18 (you must enter the same information that’s on this letter)
If you’re currently receiving paper vouchers for Healthy Start, these will stop once you complete the online application. You can still use your Healthy Start vouchers until their expiry date. You can find the expiry date printed on your vouchers.
Further Details – https://www.healthystart.nhs.uk/how-to-apply/
