Some 80 signatories are behind a letter co-ordinated by The Food Foundation charity calling on the taskforce to use the forthcoming Child Poverty Strategy to strengthen the NHS Healthy Start scheme - a “critical nutritional safety net for many pregnant people and families with children under four years old who are living in poverty” - claiming it has been “much neglected” and is “not fit for purpose”.
The letter, addressed to taskforce chair, Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson, criticises the scheme’s “restrictive eligibility criteria” that means “many families experiencing poverty cannot benefit”, in contrast with the Scottish version that is available to all families on Universal Credit who are within the required age bracket.
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It is signed by organisations including councils, medical bodies, anti-poverty campaigners including TV chef Tom Kerridge, Barnardo’s, the Institute of Health Visiting, Royal College of Midwives, and The Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health.
In June 2024, research by The Food Foundation found that food insecurity was experienced by 18% of households with children, compared to 11.7% of households without children.
The organisation said: “The Healthy Start scheme has huge potential to help families at risk of food insecurity to access the basic nutrition they need through weekly payments for fruit, veg, milk, formula and multivitamin supplements.”
To address the problem, the letter recommends the following changes:
- Expand eligibility to include all families on Universal Credit (£244m), and extend the age-eligibility to include children under five years old (£175m).
- Increase the value of the Healthy Start allowance in line with inflation and price increases (£184m).
- Introduce auto-enrolment, with an “opt-out” rather than the current “opt-in” system
The charity adds: “High levels of food insecurity among households with children are particularly concerning given how important good nutrition is in pregnancy and for young children’s growth and development.
“Food insecurity in pregnancy has been linked to antenatal depression, gestational diabetes, and excessive or insufficient weight gain in mothers. For babies, good nutrition is essential for healthy growth, strong immunity and preventing diet related illnesses later in life.”
📢 80+ campaigners are calling for urgent improvements to the @NHSHealthyStart scheme.
— The Food Foundation (@Food_Foundation) January 15, 2025
It's meant to prevent #foodinsecurity and malnutrition amongst pregnant women and young children but too many families in #poverty are missing out.
Read more: https://t.co/Ezen7VowVY… pic.twitter.com/N0P489XEaq
Shona Goudie, policy and advocacy manager at The Food Foundation, said, “By the time children start school, one in five are already an unhealthy weight, with rates twice as high among the most deprived communities compared to the most privileged.
“Not only that, but a third of five-year-olds have tooth decay. These shocking figures highlight a glaring truth: more needs to be done to ensure our children are getting a nutritious start in life.”
Kerridge said: “The Government’s Healthy Start scheme has the potential to help but is currently not reaching the people who need it most. Improvements to the scheme need to be urgently included in the Government’s upcoming Child Poverty Strategy.”
Barbara, a mother of two young daughters and a food ambassador for the charity said, "Healthy Start aims to help and support pregnant women, mums, babies and toddlers have necessary supplements and nutrition.
“It was only when I saw the GP because I was feeling sick and dizzy, that I found out I had an iron deficiency and lacked some vitamins. I really wish that Healthy Start and nutrition education was shared with new mums when leaving hospital, so that they know if they can receive the Healthy Start benefits.
“More awareness and auto-enrolment of Healthy Start, would help many parents on low incomes from facing unnecessary challenges with food and health.”
