Healthy Start Scheme


Healthy Start
Healthy Start

Many families in Northern Ireland who are eligible for the Healthy Start Scheme, which provides vouchers to help buy food and milk, are not availing of it.

You can access up to £442.00 per year and can get it from the point of pregnancy to when your child is four years old. 

If you’re more than 10 weeks pregnant or have a child under 4, you may be entitled to get help to buy healthy food and milk.

If you’re eligible, you’ll be sent a Healthy Start card with money on it that you can use in some UK shops. We’ll add your benefit onto this card every 4 weeks.

You can use your card to buy:

  • plain liquid cow’s milk
  • fresh, frozen, and tinned fruit and vegetables
  • fresh, dried, and tinned pulses
  • infant formula milk based on cow’s milk

You can also use your card to collect:

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


The details on applying are here:Healthy Start Website




Last Updated: 08/11/2023