Healthy Start scheme

The NHS Healthy Start scheme offers weekly financial support to help you buy milk, infant formula, fruit, vegetables and pulses.

How the scheme works

Healthy Start provides a prepaid card you can use in most supermarkets to buy healthy essentials.

From Monday 16 March, you can also use your card at your nearest Family Hub to collect:

• Healthy Start vitamins for you - to support you during pregnancy and breastfeeding
• vitamin drops for babies and young children - suitable from birth to 4 years old

This helps to support healthy growth, development and overall wellbeing.

Show your card to a member of the Family Hubs team who will be on hand to answer any questions and provide further support. Find your nearest Family Hub.

Get help to buy food and milk

If you are eligible, you will receive:

• £8.50 per week for each baby under 1
• £4.25 per week for each child aged between 1 and 4
• £4.25 per week from the 10th week of pregnancy

You can use the card to buy fresh, frozen or tinned fruit and vegetables, pulses, plain cow’s milk and infant formula.

Shop for healthy food and milk in any shop that accepts Mastercard card payments.

Who can get a card and how to apply

You can apply online, by phone or email.

Find out more about who can apply and how on the NHS website:

What happens next

Once you have filled in the online application form, you will receive your prepaid card in the post.

Activate your card by calling 0300 330 2090 and get your PIN.

Your card will be topped up with your payment every 4 weeks.

If you need help applying

General enquiries

To talk to someone about NHS Healthy Start, you can:

• call 0300 330 7010 from Monday to Friday between 8am and 6pm (calls charged at local rate)
• email [email protected]

Prepaid card

For help with your prepaid card, call 0300 330 2090 any time (calls charged at local rate).

You can:

• activate your card
• find out your PIN
• check how much money is on your card
• tell us your card is lost or stolen

Last updated 27 February 2026