Healthy Start
A prepaid card topped up every week to spend on milk, fruit, vegetables and pulses if you're pregnant or have a child under 4.
Roughly worth: £4.65 a week in pregnancy and for each child aged 1 to 3. £9.30 a week for each baby under 1.
First step: Apply online for a Healthy Start card.
Who it is for
You're at least 10 weeks pregnant or have a child under 4, and you get a qualifying benefit. On Universal Credit, your household take-home pay must be £408 a month or less. If you're under 18 and pregnant, you qualify without benefits.
How to get it
Apply online on the NHS Healthy Start website.
Run by NHS Business Services Authority. Last checked 13 October 2026 against the official source.