What is Healthy Start?
Healthy Start is a scheme that provides financial support to eligible young families with children under the age of 4 and pregnant women for fruit, vegetables, pulses and milk, as well as providing FREE vitamins. The scheme has moved to digital, with families receiving a pre-paid card with money added every 4 weeks to help families who are most in need to buy healthy food and drink including cow’s milk, infant formula, fresh, frozen and tinned fruit and vegetables, fresh, dried and tinned pulses.
Applying for Healthy Start
Signpost families to the website How to apply – Get help to buy food and milk (Healthy Start)
When can women first apply for Healthy Start?
Women can apply for Healthy Start from confirmation of pregnancy at 10 weeks. After the baby is born, parents must notify the Healthy Start Issuing Unit to continue receiving payments for the baby.
How much will recipients of the scheme get each week?
When is money paid?
Every four weeks money is paid onto the pre-paid card.
Collecting vitamins from Oldham Right Start Children’s Centres
Healthy Start women’s vitamin tablets or children’s drops can be collected from Oldham’s Children's Centre (except Stockbrook) by showing pre-paid card.
Vitamins can be purchased for those not eligible for Healthy Start:
• Vitamins tablets for women - 80p
• Vitamin drops for children - £1.60
Children having 500ml or more of formula milk a day do not need Healthy Start vitamins
Babies having more than 500ml (about a pint) of first infant formula a day, do not need a supplement because formula is fortified with vitamin D.
After 12 months when infant can be offered cow’s milk Healthy Start vitamins can be given.
For more information visit Get help to buy food and milk (Healthy Start)