On this page you will find information about:
- Grants to purchase healthy food for those who are pregnant, have babies or young children in the UK.
- Where to find equivalent programmes if you are overseas with the Armed Forces.
- Further support for those who are pregnant, have babies or young children in the UK.
The government provides support programmes for those who are pregnant or have babies and young children in England, Northern Ireland, Wales and Scotland. If you are overseas supporting a serving member of your family, you may be eligible for other support offered by the MOD.
Healthy Start Vouchers are available to people who live in England, Wales or Northern Ireland. If you live in Scotland, you may be eligible for support from the Best Start programme.
Support programmes
Healthy Start Vouchers England, Northern Ireland and Wales
Healthy Start Vouchers provide financial support to purchase healthy foods and vitamins for pregnant people and parents/guardians with children under 4 years old.
If eligible, you will be sent a Healthy Start card with money on it that you can use in some UK shops. Your awarded amount will be added to this card every 4 weeks.
You can use your preloaded card to buy:
- plain liquid cow's milk
- fresh, frozen, and tinned fruit and vegetables
- fresh, dried and tinned pulses, and
- infant formula milk based on cow's milk
Find out more about Healthy Start Vouchers and how to use them on the Healthy Start NHS website.
Eligibility
You may be eligible for Health Start Vouchers if you:
- are more than 10 weeks pregnant,
- have a child under four years of age, or
- have a family monthly income of less than £408 or less from employment.
If you’re pregnant and under 18 you can claim even if you do not receive any benefits.
If you are not a British citizen but your child is, you may be eligible for Healthy Start depending on your immigration status.
What if you are not a British citizen but your child is?
You may still be eligible for the Healthy Start scheme if:
- You have at least one child under 4 years old who is a British Citizen.
- Your family earns £408 or less per month after tax.
- You cannot claim benefits - either because of your immigration status or because you do not have an immigration status.
You will be able to find this information on your biometric residence permit or your online immigration status. You may also find a letter from the Home Office.
If you are unsure whether your child is a British Citizen you can check on the GOV.UK website.
Check if your child is a British Citizen on the GOV.UK website.
Best Start - Scotland
If you live in Scotland you may be eligible to receive help from the Best Start Grants and Best Start Foods programmes.
Best Start Grant and Best Start Foods are two separate payments. You can apply for Best Start Grant and Best Start Foods using the same form.
Best Start Grants
Best Start Grants are split into three types of payments:
- Pregnancy and Baby Payment,
- Early Learning Payment, and
- the School Age Payment.
The Pregnancy and Baby Payment helps with the cost of having the baby. You can apply for this payment before or after the child is born.
You can receive the Early Learning Payment when the child is between two and three and a half years old. The grant is to help with the cost of early learning including clothes, toys, and trips to new places.
The School Age Payment is given to help with the costs of preparing a child to begin school. This can help towards the cost of clothes, school trips and stationery for school.
You can still be eligible to receive the Pregnancy and Baby Payment part of Best Start Grant for a baby that was stillborn or died after they were born. If you’re paid when you’re pregnant, and your baby is stillborn or dies later, you will not need to pay any money back.
Learn more about how Best Start Grants work on the mygov.scot website.
Best Start Foods
The Best Start Foods programme provides financial support through a prepaid card that can be used to purchase healthy foods. The amount you receive will change depending on the age of your child. The card can be used in shops and online.
Best Start Foods payment card can be used to pay for:
- milk
- first infant formula milk
- pulses
- eggs
- fruit and vegetables.
Learn more about the Best Start Foods payment card on the Citizens Advice Scotland website.
Eligibility
You may be eligible for Best Start if:
- you live in Scotland
- you or your partner are receiving certain benefits or tax credits, and
- you are pregnant/ caring for a child under three.
If you are under 18, you do not need to be on any payments or benefits to apply for Best Start Grant or Best Start Foods.
Read the full eligibility criteria on the mygov.scot website.
You may be able to get Best Start Foods for your child even if you cannot get certain benefits because of your immigration status.
Apply for Best Start on the Social Security Scotland website.
More support for people who are pregnant or have young children
Sure Start Maternity grant- England, Northern Ireland, and Wales
If you live in England, Wales, or Northern Ireland you may also be eligible for a one-off payment towards the cost of having a child, known as a Sure Start Maternity Grant.
The grant is a one off payment of £500 to help towards the cost of having a child and must be claimed within 11 weeks of the babies due day or six months after the baby’s birth.
You may be eligible for the grant if both of the following apply:
- you’re expecting your first child, or you’re expecting a multiple birth (such as twins) and have children already, and
- you or your partner already receive certain benefits.
You do not have to pay back a Sure Start Maternity Grant, and it will not affect other benefits or tax credits.
