Giving children a Healthy Start in Richmond

If you're more than 10 weeks pregnant or have a child under 4, you may be entitled to help with buying milk and healthy food under the NHS Healthy Start scheme.

We have written to over 260 households across the borough to let them know that they could be eligible for Healthy Start.

What you can claim

Under the Healthy Start Scheme, eligible families can receive vouchers worth up to £280 a year. These vouchers can be used to purchase healthy food items such as milk, fresh, frozen, and tinned fruit and vegetables, and infant formula milk.

Additionally, families can also receive free vitamins to support their health and wellbeing.

Who is eligible

To qualify for the Healthy Start Scheme, you must meet the following criteria:

• You are more than 10 weeks pregnant or have at least one child under four years old and
• You receive Universal Credit and your family's monthly take-home pay is £408 or less or
• You receive Child Tax Credit and your family's annual income is £16,190 or less, and you do not receive Working Tax Credit

How to apply

The way you apply depends on your circumstances:

• If you receive Universal Credit, you can apply online
• If you receive Child Tax Credit and have children under four, you can apply online
• If you are claiming Child Tax Credit, are more than 10 weeks pregnant and have other children who are all aged 4 or older, you’ll need to apply by emailing healthy.start@nhsbsa.nhs.uk or calling 0300 330 7010