Healthy Start: help with milk, fruit, vegetables and vitamins
How Healthy Start works, what the prepaid card can buy and how to resolve missing payments or retailer problems.
Last reviewed: 6 July 2026 · UK guidance
In brief
Healthy Start provides support for eligible pregnant people and families with young children in England, Wales and Northern Ireland; Scotland has Best Start Foods. The current eligibility and application route should be checked for the nation.
The card is restricted to approved food and vitamins. It is not general supermarket credit. Keep contact details current, check balances and report a lost card through the official service.
Apply through the correct national scheme
Check age, pregnancy, child and benefit conditions on the official page. Young pregnant people may have different eligibility. Use the named application route and keep the confirmation.
Use the card for eligible items
Approved purchases generally include specified milk, infant formula, fruit, vegetables, pulses and vitamins under current rules. Separate ineligible items at checkout if necessary and ask the retailer to process the card correctly.
Collect free vitamins
Ask a health visitor, midwife, children’s service or local distribution point where vitamins are available. Card payments and vitamin collection can use different local arrangements.
Fix missing or failed support
Check the card balance, award status and contact information. Keep the declined receipt and contact the official service. If eligibility depends on a benefit change, provide only the requested evidence.
A Healthy Start problem report
Use this for a missing payment or application issue.
My Healthy Start application or card for [name] has a problem: [brief issue]. Please confirm current eligibility, the award period, card balance or replacement action, and whether any evidence is missing. I also need the local route for free vitamins.
A practical checklist
- Use Healthy Start or Best Start Foods for the nation.
- Keep the application confirmation.
- Check approved purchases before shopping.
- Report card problems through the official service.
Check the current information
These are the most relevant official or specialist places to confirm live rules, availability and application details.
gov.uk
Open official informationhealthystart.nhs.uk
Open official informationgov.uk
Open official informationgov.uk
Open official informationChoose one next action
You do not need to finish everything today. Find a relevant organisation through National Help, or save the action you want to return to in your Support Plan.
HiddenHelp explains options and helps you organise a next step. It does not decide eligibility, make awards, or replace regulated legal, medical or financial advice.