If you are struggling to make ends meet and are on certain benefits – have you checked to see if you qualify for the NHS Healthy Start Scheme? 

The Healthy Start scheme is a government initiative aimed at providing nutritional support to low-income pregnant women and families with young children in Hertfordshire and across England.

An average of half a £million is unclaimed in Hertfordshire - this minimum weekly payment of £4.25 could help families across the county to eat healthily.

Pregnant women who are at least 10 weeks pregnant and families with children under the age of four are eligible for the Healthy Start scheme if they receive certain means-tested benefits such as Universal Credit or Child Tax Credit.

Qualifying families receive a prepaid card loaded with funds every four weeks.

The Healthy Start prepaid card will be issued by post. It’ll come with your first payment on it and instructions on how to activate and use it.

Money will be automatically added to your card every 4 weeks (worth £4.25 per child per week, or £8.50 per child per week under 1 year, for healthy food and milk). 

You'll receive:

£4.25 each week of pregnancy from the 10th week

£8.50 each week for children from birth to one year old

£4.25 each week for children between one and four years old

For healthy food and milk such as fresh or frozen fruits and vegetables, plain cow's milk, infant formula, and pulses.

More info on the website www.healthystart.nhs.uk.

In Hertfordshire FREE Healthy Start Vitamins are available from family centres for:

All pregnant women

All breastfeeding mums

All babies from the age of one month except those babies who are receiving more than 500mls of formula per day

All children aged one to four years.

You can collect the vitamin tablets or drops from your local family centre hub or child health/well baby clinic. (call first to check stocks 0300 123 7572).

Find out more at www.hertsfamilycentres.org/healthystartvitamins,

To contact Citizens Advice in North Herts or Stevenage, call the Hertfordshire Citizens Advice Line on 0800 144 88 48.

Opening hours are 10am to 9pm Monday to Wednesday, 10am to 8pm Thursday and Friday, and 10am to 4pm on Saturday.

You can also contact Citizens Advice North Herts via northhertscab.org.uk and Citizens Advice Stevenage via stevenagecab.org.uk.