Healthy Start scheme expands product options from October

Frozen fruit and vegetables and cow’s milk are some of the many additional products that will be available members of the Government’s Healthy Start scheme in England and Wales from October.

Healthy Start is an initiative which provides pregnant women and parents with young children vouchers who are in receipt of qualifying benefits to purchase certain products in store.

From 1st October 2020 in England and Wales the Healthy Start scheme will be extended to include pulses and tinned fruit and vegetables but not on products to which fat, salt, sugar or flavouring have been added.

For example, pulses such as butter beans, chickpeas and fruits in their own juice or water will be allowed, but not baked beans or fruits in syrup.

Currently, the inclusion of additional items will not apply to Northern Ireland but ACS will provide further information for retailers once the regulations have been updated.

ACS chief executive James Lowman said: “Local shops play a key role in feeding their communities, including providing customers with a healthy food provision with around a third of convenience retailers currently accepting Healthy Start vouchers in their stores.

“We want to grow this number of retailers accepting Healthy Start vouchers, and to grow the benefit that customers and retailers can get from the scheme, so we are pleased that the scheme has been extended to include a range of additional products and we are committed to continue growing the number of stores who accept Healthy Start vouchers.”

Retailers can sign up to accept vouchers and access further resources via the Healthy Start website here.