A little-known discount card that is available to many people could be saving shoppers as much as £34 a month on essentials. The Healthy Start card is available to eligible people who are more than 10 weeks pregnant or have a child aged under four.
Those who are eligible for the card can save up to £34 a month on their shopping, as it is designed to cover healthy essentials, such as milk, fruit and veg. The card is automatically topped up every four weeks with the payment its holder is entitled to, reports the LiverpoolECHO. It is available to people receiving benefits such as Universal Credit.
What you can use your Healthy Start 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 use your Healthy Start 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 four years old
How much will I get for my children using Healthy Start?
- £4.25 each week of your pregnancy (from the 10th week of your pregnancy)
- £8.50 each week for children from birth to one year old
- £4.25 each week for children between one and four years old
Your money will stop after your child’s fourth birthday, or if you no longer receive benefits. You can also get free Healthy Start vitamins. The card is available in England, Wales and Northern Ireland more details can be found on the NHS website.
