Healthy Start briefing��January 2022

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Gemma Birley, Head of Programmes

Cambridge Sustainable Food CIC

Objectives

To understand:

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• What is Healthy Start
• Who is eligible
• How the scheme works
• What’s changing
• How to help increase uptake

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About Cambridge Sustainable Food

Building a fairer, more sustainable food system which supports the community and the environment

1. Strategic & collaborative approach
2. Building public awareness and a good food movement
3. Tackling food poverty, access and diet-related ill health
4. Supporting and growing a vibrant sustainable food economy
5. Sustainable procurement and local supply chains
6. Tackling climate and nature emergencies through food

What is the Healthy Start scheme?

• Financial support for families on low incomes to spend on certain healthy foods
• Worth:
• £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�
• Worth £1237 per child if a family receives their full entitlement from pregnancy to age four�
• Free Healthy Start vitamins for families on low incomes:
• Support mothers during pregnancy and breastfeeding
• Vitamin drops for babies and children up to age of 4

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https://www.healthystart.nhs.uk

What can it be used for?

HS paper vouchers / prepaid card can be used to buy:

• Plain cow’s milk
• Fresh, frozen or tinned fruit and vegetables (with no fat, salt, sugar or flavouring added)
• Fresh, dried or tinned pulses (no additives as above)
• Infant formula: stage one only (first infant formula), made from cow’s milk and nutritionally complete
• Can also be used to access free vitamins for women and children

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Eligibility

Families qualify for the Healthy Start scheme if they:

• Have at least one child under 4 years old
• Are at least 10 weeks pregnant

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Applicants must also be in receipt of any of the following:

• Child Tax Credit (only if the 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 the family’s take-home pay is £408 or less per month from employment)

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Eligibility

Applicants are also eligible for Healthy Start if:

• They’re under 18 and pregnant, even if they do not claim any benefits or tax credits. Eligible until baby is born. After which must receive benefits to continue Healthy Start support
• They claim income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) and are over 10 weeks pregnant
• They, their partner or carer get Working Tax Credit run-on only (the Working Tax Credit they receive in the 4 weeks immediately after they have stopped working for 16 hours or more per week)

Families stop receiving Healthy Start support when a child reaches 4 years old, or if they no longer receive benefits

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No Recourse to Public Funds (NRPF)

• Temporary extension of Healthy Start scheme to these families from June 2021
• To qualify for the temporary extension, applicants must meet all following criteria:
• Have at least 1 British child under 4 years old
• Their family’s take-home pay after tax is less than £408 per month
• They are excluded from claiming public funds e.g. benefits, as a consequence of their immigration status or lack of immigration status. More info on public funds here
• An applicant’s biometric residence permit (BRP) or online immigration status will say if they cannot claim public funds. They might also have a letter from the Home Office about it.
• If the applicant meets the eligibility criteria and would like to apply, they should email Healthystartclaim@dhsc.gov.uk to ask for an application form, stating that they cannot claim public funds because of their immigration status

Why Healthy Start?

• Families on low-incomes can struggle to access healthy food
• Poorest fifth of UK households would need to spend 40% of their disposable income on food to meet Eatwell Guide costs
• Only 30% of women eat 5+ fruit and vegetables per day
• Families in lower-income groups tend to have less vitamin C in their diet
• 8% of children under 5 in the UK do not have enough vitamin A
• Pregnant and breastfeeding women and young children are at risk of vitamin D deficiency
• Provides means-tested nutritional safety net, although not open to all families on Universal Credit

Current uptake

In Cambridgeshire and Peterborough:

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• Over 3,000 families missing out on support
• Every week over £15k worth of healthy food doesn't reach families who need it

Existing scheme: paper-based vouchers

• Paper Healthy Start food vouchers received by post every 4 weeks
• Paper vitamins voucher every 8 weeks
• Food vouchers can be used at stores registered with the scheme - see Excel link under ‘where you can use your vouchers’ here
• Not all registered stores are listed at link! Ask in your local shop if they accept them
• Vitamin vouchers: ask your midwife or health visitor where to redeem them or find locations online

What’s changing?

Beneficiary journey

Prepaid cards replace paper vouchers

• Paper vouchers end in March 2022
• Paper vouchers can still be used until the expiry date printed on vouchers
• Families currently receiving paper vouchers need to reapply online to continue receiving support from March 2022
• Successful applicants will receive Healthy Start payment card by post with first payment pre-loaded
• Money will be automatically added to the card every 4 weeks

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Online application

• Families receiving paper vouchers invited by post to apply online for prepaid card from Autumn 2020
• Anyone eligible can apply online now, no need to wait for a letter
• To apply online, families need to provide:
• Name, address and date of birth
• National Insurance number
• Baby’s due date if pregnant
• Benefit award letter if over 18 years old (enter the same information that’s on this letter)
• If cannot apply online, can apply over the telephone on 0300 330 7010. Can also talk to an advisor or interpreter on this number
• Should receive prepaid card within 5-10 working days (but delays have been reported)
• A family will stop receiving paper vouchers once they complete the online application

Families currently receiving paper vouchers need to reapply online to continue receiving support from March 2022

Card activation and checking balance

• Card must be activated before use by calling 0300 330 2090 and choosing option 1 (phone line open 24/7). Need to provide date of birth and client ID (located at the top of the letter received with card)
• PIN number needed to use card. If did not give email address or phone number when registered, PIN will be sent in post 2 days after card is sent
• Or can find out PIN when call to activate card or get a reminder on number above. Need to provide date of birth and 6-digit telephone access code
• Can check balance on card at any cashpoint using PIN or through phone line above.

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Using Healthy Start card for food

• Can use Healthy Start card to buy eligible foods on their own or with other shopping
• Accepted in most places that sell eligible foods. Only retailers displaying Mastercard symbol can accept Healthy Start cards
• For first contactless payment, insert card in reader and enter PIN. After that, can make contactless payments of up to £45
• If buying only HS foods: can pay with HS card using contactless/ chip and pin
• If buying HS and non-HS foods: need to split payment between HS card and normal bank card/cash. Tell the cashier you want to do this and how much you want to spend on your HS card and normal bank card/ cash
• At self checkout machines: cannot split payment between HS card and another bank card. Can only part pay using HS card if paying the rest in cash.
• Cannot use HS card for online shopping
• For problems with using card or if lost/ stolen call 0300 330 2090�

Using Healthy Start card for vitamins

• Vitamins are available every 8 weeks for:
• Children under 4 years old – drops containing vitamins A, C and D
• Pregnant and breastfeeding women – tablets containing folic acid and vitamins C and D
• Ask midwife or health visitor where to collect free Healthy Start vitamins
• Or check who stocks Healthy Start vitamins in local area here
• Show Healthy Start card as proof of your entitlement when collecting vitamins. May be asked to provide proof of the children’s age.

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Benefits of digital scheme

• A quicker decision on applications
• Payment automatically added to card – do not need to wait for vouchers to arrive in the post
• Can use the card anywhere that accepts Mastercard and sells eligible food
• Any money remaining on card can be put towards eligible food in the future (different to paper voucher scheme)
• Can check balance to help manage finances
• Retailers do not need to be registered with the scheme, submit paperwork or wait to receive reimbursement for vouchers

However….

Issues

• Not all families on Universal Credit are eligible: 250,000 children cannot access scheme
• Long term plan for British children from families with NRPF is unclear (consultation expected)
• Instead of being automatically transferred onto the digital scheme, existing users need to reapply to sign-up to the new terms and conditions of the pre-paid card
• Long phoneline wait times and expensive call charges: applicants advised to check their phone contract for call charges to 0300 numbers and/or ask health visitor, midwife or children's centre to support application
• Unsuccessful applications despite eligibility: applicants advised to submit information exactly as stated on benefit award letter
• Delays in receiving cards
• Separating HS food from non-HS shopping in order to use card
• Supply chain issues with Healthy Start vitamins: check with local health visitor how to access
• Email Sustain to let them know issues being experienced by beneficiaries. They are working with DHSC to raise and resolve issues foodpoverty@sustainweb.org

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What can you do?

• Raise awareness and signpost families to online application form at https://www.healthystart.nhs.uk
• Share briefing with your teams and incorporate into staff handbooks / training. Train employees to become Healthy Start Champions
• Promote scheme in public places e.g. GP surgeries, community centres, early years settings, libraries and online. Resources available here
• Provide translations e.g. some from Lambeth Council here
• Follow CSF and @NHSHealthyStart on social media for updates
• Join Sustain’s Healthy Start email forum to ask questions and share resources. Email healthy_start-subscribe@lists.riseup.net to join and once subscribed email the group at healthy_start@lists.riseup.net.
• Promote recipes using HS ingredients e.g. CSF recipe book, Full Time Meals
• Contact us to get involved in Cambridge/ wider county Food Poverty Alliances

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Thank you

Gemma Birley

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gemma@cambridgesustainablefood.org

cambridgesustainablefood.org

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Twitter: @foodcambridge

Facebook: @cambridgefood

Instagram: @cambridgesustinablefood