If you get Universal Credit, you can apply online if:
you’re at least 10 weeks pregnant or have at least one child under 4 years old
your family’s monthly ‘take-home pay for this period’ is £408 or less from employment.
If eligible, you’ll be sent a Healthy Start card with money on it that you can use in some UK shops. Your benefit is added onto this card every 4 weeks.
You can use your card to buy:
You can also use your card to collect:
If you get Universal Credit, you can apply online if:
you’re at least 10 weeks pregnant or have at least one child under 4 years old
your family’s monthly ‘take-home pay for this period’ is £408 or less from employment.
If you get Child Tax Credit, you can apply online if:
Some children may be eligible for free vitamins if the family are not on benefits. See your health visitor for more details.
If you’re more than 10 weeks pregnant and have other children who are all aged 4 or older, you’ll need to apply by email or phone.
To apply online, you’ll need your:
Young children may not get enough vitamin A and D even if they’re eating well. If you’re pregnant and breastfeeding, you may not get enough vitamin C or D or folic acid.
You can use your Healthy Start card to get these important vitamins for free.
These come as NHS Healthy Start tablets and drops for children.
They do not contain:
They’re suitable for vegetarians and halal diets.
You can get the vitamin tablets while you’re pregnant and up to your baby’s 1st birthday.
They contain:
To collect your free vitamins, you’ll have to show your Healthy Start card. In Sheffield, vitamins are now available from every local Family Hub.
If you don’t qualify for Healthy Start, vitamins are also available to buy at low cost.
For further information about Healthy Start please ask your midwife or health visitor. You can also call 0845 607 6823 or visit www.healthystart.nhs.uk.