Thousands of families do not benefit from the free healthy eating program

Low-income families and pregnant women in Leeds are being urged to use a healthy food scheme as statistics show almost 3,000 households could be going without.

The Healthy Start scheme, a national food assistance scheme, aims to improve the nutrition of pregnant women and children up to the age of four from low-income families. All pregnant women under the age of 18 are also eligible for payments.

Anyone eligible receives monthly payments that can be used to buy fresh, frozen or canned fruits and vegetables, dried or canned legumes, cow’s milk or cow’s milk-based infant formula.

In Leeds, 24.6% of children live in families on relatively low incomes (2020/21) and despite increased need due to the cost of living crisis, take-up of the scheme is stagnating across the country. Of the more than 8,000 eligible families in the city, only 68% use the scheme.

Leeds City Council is now urging everyone who qualifies for the scheme to sign up and use the prepaid card.

To qualify for Healthy Start, you must be at least 10 weeks pregnant or have a child under 4 and receive:

• Income support or
• Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance or
• Income-related Employment and Support Allowance or
• Child Tax Credit (with a family income of £16,190 or less per year) or
• Universal Credit (with a family payment of £408 or less per month) or
• Pension credit (which includes the child allowance).

You also qualify if you’re under 18 and pregnant, even if you don’t receive any of these benefits or tax credits.

What you will get:

• £4.25 each week of pregnancy from 10 weeks
• £8.50 per week for children from birth to 1 year old
• £4.25 per week for children aged 1-4

The prepaid card can be used at most places that sell eligible health foods and dairy products and accept Mastercard®. The card is reloaded every four weeks with payments.

There are several traders in Kirkgate Market who support the scheme, where you can get great value fruit and vegetables and other healthy food:

• Greenzone, Unit 280 and 282, Room 1875
• Neils Quality Greengrocers, unit D, 1904 Hall
• Nut Shop, Unit V, Room 1904
• Tony Banks fresh fruit and vegetables, unit 227, fish and game
• WhittakersEggs and Cheese, Unit 324 and 325, Fish and Game Row

Councilor Salma Arif, Leeds City Council’s executive member for adult social care, public health and active lifestyles, said:

“The Healthy Start scheme is there to help families increase the amount of fruit and vegetables they eat and give their children a great start in life. We know that a good diet during pregnancy and early life is essential to prevent disease and ensure children reach their full potential for growth and development.

“It’s a great scheme and we want to make sure everyone who’s eligible gets the most out of it and doesn’t miss out on support for themselves and their family.”

Councilor Jonathan Pryor, Deputy Leader of Leeds City Council and Executive Member for Economy, Culture and Education, said:

“We are delighted that Kirkgate Market traders have decided to get involved with the Healthy Start scheme, supporting our communities to gain access to fresh fruit and vegetables.

“As a city, we want to make sure all children get the start in life they deserve, so don’t hesitate to apply for the program if you’re eligible.”

Victoria Eaton, director of public health at Leeds City Council, said:

“It is very important that we ensure that every child in Leeds has the right conditions for the best start in life. This is a priority for improving the health of the city. The Healthy Start scheme can be a lifeline for many pregnant women and families with children under 4 in Leeds, acting as a nutritional safety net and enabling them to buy more milk, fruit and vegetables and claim vitamins. We are really keen to make people aware of this and encourage and support all eligible families to sign up to the scheme.”

To apply, visit healthystart.nhs.ukor e-mail [email protected]or call 0300 330 7010. Recipients will receive a plastic card that can be credited automatically. If you need help with the application process, please contact Digital Health Hubs – 100% Digital Leeds on www.digitalinclusionleeds.com.

To be a Healthy Start champion and promote the scheme in your local area, resources can be accessed at NHS Healthy Start Communication Toolkit (nhsbsa.nhs.uk).

This post is based on a press release issued by Leeds City Council

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