Healthy Start payments set to rise

The government has announced plans to increase the value of Healthy Start scheme payments from April 2021.

The scheme payments will rise from £3.10 to £4.25 a week.

Healthy Start provides vouchers for pregnant women or those with children under four, if they are on benefits. These vouchers can be used in shops to buy fresh fruit and vegetables. The scheme was expanded on 1 October to include and tinned fruit and vegetables.

The announcement is part of the new winter package from the government to provide further support for children and families.

Other measures in the package include a £170 million Covid Winter Grant Scheme, which will be run by councils in England, and the expansion of Holiday Activities and Food programme, covering Easter, Summer and Christmas in 2021.

The government has also pledged additional funding of £16 million for food distribution charities.

The funding under the Covid Winter Grant Scheme will be ring-fenced, with at least 80 per cent earmarked to support with food and bills, and will cover the period to the end of March 2021.

“We want to make sure vulnerable people feel cared for throughout this difficult time and, above all, no one should go hungry or be unable to pay their bills this winter,” Work and Pensions Secretary Thérèse Coffey commented.

The Association of Convenience Stores (ACS) has welcomed the increase in the Healthy Start payments.

“Around a third of convenience retailers currently accept Healthy Start vouchers in their stores and we are committed to growing this number further,” said James Lowman, ACS chief executive.

“The Healthy Start scheme works, it’s getting bigger, and the people it aims to help are core convenience store customers – our sector needs to get behind Healthy Start even more.”

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