Healthy Start helps you give your family the very best start in life

If you’re pregnant or have a child under 4, you could get Healthy Start vouchers to help buy some basic foods. This important means-tested scheme provides vouchers to spend with local retailers. Pregnant women and children over 1 and under 4 can get one £4.25 voucher per week. Children under 1 can get two £4.25 vouchers (£8.50) per week.

The vouchers can be spent on:

  • Plain cow’s milk – whole, semi-skimmed or skimmed. It can be pasteurised, sterilised, long life or UHT
  • Fresh, frozen and tinned fruit and vegetables including loose, pre-packed, whole, sliced, chopped or mixed fruit or vegetables, fruit in fruit juice, or fruit or vegetables in water, but not those to which fat, salt, sugar or flavouring have been added
  • Fresh, dried and tinned pulses, including but not limited to lentils, beans, peas and chickpeas but not those to which fat, salt, sugar or flavouring have been added
  • Infant formula milk that says it can be used from birth and is based on cow’s milk

You can check your eligibility and apply for vouchers on the Healthy Start website. 

Healthy Start vitamins

Women and children getting Healthy Start food vouchers also get vitamin coupons to swap for free Healthy Start vitamins. Healthy Start vitamins are specifically designed for pregnant and breastfeeding women and growing children.

Healthy Start vitamins are given out by the Children’s Centres in Greenwich.