Healthy Start

What is Healthy Start?

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 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
You can also get free Healthy Start vitamins.

If you qualify you get:

• £4.25 each week of your pregnancy from the 10th week
• £8.50 each week for children from birth to 1 year old
• £4.25 each week for children between 1 and 4 years old

Find out more information about Healthy Start


Eligibility

You’ll qualify for the Healthy Start scheme if you’re at least 10 weeks pregnant or you have at least one child that’s under 4.

In addition, you must be receiving any of the following:

• Child Tax Credit (only if your family’s annual income is £16,190 or less)
• Income Support
• Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance
• Pension Credit (which includes the child addition)
• Universal Credit (only if your family’s take-home pay is £408 or less per month from employment)

You will also be eligible for Healthy Start if:

• you’re under 18 and pregnant, even if you are not claiming any benefits
• you claim income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) and are over 10 weeks pregnant
• you, your partner or your carer get Working Tax Credit run-on only after you have reported you’re working 16 hours or less per week

To find out if your family earns £408 or less per month from employment whilst claiming Universal Credit, look at your ‘take-home pay for this period’ on your monthly Universal Credit award notice.

The money will stop when your child is 4 years old or if you no longer receive benefits.

 

Temporary extension to Healthy Start eligibility

The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) has agreed to temporarily extend the Healthy Start scheme for people who meet all of the following criteria:

• You have parental responsibility for at least one child who is less than 4 years old.
• Your family’s take-home pay is less than £408 per month.
• You are excluded from claiming public funds because of your current (or lack of) immigration status.

If you meet the eligibility criteria for the temporary extension, email the Healthy Start team at Healthystartclaim@dhsc.gov.uk to request an application form. This email address is only for those who meet the temporary extension criteria.

 

How to apply

If you get a qualifying benefit and are more than 10 weeks pregnant or have parental responsibility for at least one child under 4 years old.

You can apply online. To apply, you will need your:

• name
• address
• date of birth
• National Insurance number
• baby’s due date (if you’re pregnant)

If you’re currently receiving paper vouchers for Healthy Start, these will stop once you complete the online application. You can still use your Healthy Start vouchers until their expiry date. You can find the expiry date printed on your vouchers.

Apply for Healthy Start vouchers online today

 

Having issues or have questions?

If you're having any issues with the digital switchover, applying for the Healthy Start scheme or have any further questions we can help you with, please feel free to contact us at healthy.start@cornwall.gov.uk 

 

Healthy Start vitamin locations

In Cornwall, vitamins are available at the following pharmacies:

Pharmacy
Address
Town
Postcode
Opening times
Phone Number
Day Lewis Pharmacy 42 Fore Street St Just in Penwith TR19 7LJ

Mon - Fri 9:00 - 13:00, 14:00 - 18:00
Sat 9:00 - 12:30

01736 788440
Day Lewis Pharmacy 21 Trelowarren Street Camborne TR14 8AD

Mon - Fri 9:00 - 17:30
Sat 9:00 - 13:00

01209 714577
Boots Pharmacy 10 Commercial Street Camborne TR14 8JY Mon - Fri 8:30 - 18:15
Sat 8:30 - 17:30
01209 713194
Boots Pharmacy 34 Fore Street Bodmin PL31 2HL Mon - Sat 9:00 - 17:30 01208 72836
Tesco Pharmacy Station Road, Carn Brea Industrial Estate Redruth TR15 3QJ Mon 8:00 - 22:30
Tues - Fri 6:30 - 22:30
Sat 6:30 - 22:00
Sun 10:00 - 16:00
01172917236
Day Lewis Pharmacy 16 Chapel Street Redruth TR15 3DB Mon - Fri 8:45 - 17:45
Sat 9:00 - 12:00
01209 211056
Boots Pharmacy 25 Market Square Camelford PL32 9PD Mon - Fri 9:00 - 18:00
Sat 9:00 - 17:30
01840 212233
Boots Pharmacy 29 Fore Street St Austell PL25 5EP Mon - Sat 8:45 - 17:30
Sun 10:00 - 16:00
01726 72112
Boots Pharmacy

3 Alverton Street

Penzance TR18 2QW Mon-Sat 9:00-17:30 01736 362130
Boots Pharmacy 44-46 Fore Street, Copperhouse Hayle TR27 4DY Mon-Fri 8:30-18:00 Sat 9:00-17:30 01736 752189
Boots Pharmacy 28 Brooad Street Launceston PL15 8AE Mon-Fri 8:45-17:30 Sat 8:45-17:00 01566 772085
Boots Pharmacy 3 Fore Street Mevagissey PL26 8JQ Mon - Fri 9:00 - 18:00
Sat 9:00 - 17:00
Sun 10:00 - 16:00
01726 842349
Boots Pharmacy Union Square St Columb Major TR9 6AP Mon-Fri 9:00-18:00 01637 880251
Boots Pharmacy 94 Pydar Street Truro TR1 2BD Mon-Sat 8:30-17:30 Sun 10:30-16:30 01872 272810
Boots Pharmacy 21-22 Baytree Hill Liskeard PL14 4BG Mon, Weds - Fri 8:30 - 18:00
Tues 9:00 - 18:00
Sat 8:30 - 17:30
Sun 10:00 - 16:00
01579 343183
Boots Pharmacy Bassett Road, Illogan Redruth TR16 4SS Mon-Fri 9:00-18:00 Sat 9:00-13:00 01209 843856
Boots Pharmacy 2-3 Beach Road Perranporth TR6 0JL Mon-Fri 8:30-18:15 Sat 9:00-17:30 01872 573196
Boots Pharmacy 8-10 Market Street Padstow  PL28 8AL Mon - Fri 9:00 - 18:00
Sat 9:00 - 17:00
Sun 10:00 - 16:00
01841 532327
Day Lewis Pharmacy Narrowcliff Surgery, Narrowcliff Newquay TR7 2PG Mon-Fri 8:30-18:00 01637 872589
Millbrook Pharmacy The old blacksmiths shop, The Parade, millbrook Torpoint PL10 1AX Mon-Fri 9:00-18:00 sat 9:00-13:00 01752 822391
Boots Pharmacy 16 Fore Street Torpoint PL11 2AD Mon-Sat 9:00-18:00 01752 812591
Boots Pharmacy 4 Fern Lea Villas St Blazey PL24 2JG Mon-Fri 9:00-18:00 Sat 9:00-13:00 01726 815498
Boots Pharmacy 16-18 fore street fowey PL23 1AQ Mon-Sat 9:00-17:30 01726 833332
Dudley Taylor Pharmacy 26 Belle Vue Bude EX23 8JS Mon-Fri 9:00-17:30 Sat 9:00-17:00 01288 352026
Boots Pharmacy 24 Fore Street Saltash PL12 6JW Mon-Fri 8:30-17:30 Sat 9:000-17:00 01752 847707
Boots Pharmacy 40 Meneage Street Helston TR13 8QY Mon-Sat 9:00-17:30 01326 572030
Boots Pharmacy Stennack St Ives TR26 1RU Mon-Thurs 8:45-19:00 Fri 8:45-18:15 01736 795047
Boots Pharmacy 47-49 Market Street Falmouth TR11 3AB Mon-Sat 9:00-17:30 Sun 10-:30-16:30 01326 312373
Isles of Scilly Pharmacy The Health Centre, King Edward Lane, St Marys Isles of Scilly TR21 0HE Mon-Fri 9:00-13:00, 14:00-17:30 Sat 9:30-12:00 01720 422021
Boots Pharmacy 1-6 Coach House Arcade, Fore Street Looe PL13 1DT Mon-Fri 9:00-18:00 Sat 9:00-17:30 01503 262980