South Cambridgeshire has seen the biggest increase in NHS Healthy Start claims in the country, following a targeted campaign by the District Council encouraging eligible parents to sign up for free food and milk support. The three-week campaign is projected to have distributed nearly £60,000 of previously unclaimed funds.
The campaign used the District Council’s innovative new Low-Income Family Tracker (LIFT) software to identify families who were likely to be eligible for this support. These families were then sent a letter or text encouraging them to apply if they had not already done so.
The NHS Healthy Start scheme provides vital help for pregnant women as well as parents with children under four, offering free fruit, vegetables, milk and infant formula to those who qualify. It can be worth up to £8.50 a week depending on the age of the child - however many people are unaware of their eligibility.
Thanks to the Council’s proactive approach, the number of people claiming from the NHS Healthy Start scheme in the district jumped by over 12% between February and March - from 526 to nearly 600 residents. This increase is higher than any other district in the country for this time period and compares to a national increase of just 1.4%. Using average claim figures, this increase is projected to be worth a total of £42,858.40.
The Council also used the campaign as an opportunity to increase uptake of the Household Support Fund, a one-off payment of £110 to eligible families. 137 Household Support Fund applications were completed as part of the campaign, valued at over £15,000. This takes the financial impact of this three-week campaign to £57,928.40.
Cllr Henry Batchelor, Lead Cabinet Member for Communities for South Cambridgeshire District Council, said: “The increase in uptake of 12% is the largest recorded by any council area nationwide during this project, marking a major step forward in helping local families access the support they’re entitled to. The numbers of people in South Cambridgeshire claiming had barely shifted from month to month before we started using LIFT.”
He added: “We’re absolutely thrilled with the response to this campaign. It shows how a smart, targeted approach can make a real difference to people’s lives. These results aren’t just numbers on a spreadsheet - they represent parents who can now enjoy better nutrition to support healthier families, and less pressure on household budgets during tough times. We’ll continue working hard to make sure every eligible family knows about and can access this support."
The Healthy Start scheme is offered by the NHS to parents receiving certain benefits but were estimated to go unclaimed by more than a third (38%) of eligible parents in South Cambridgeshire which is why the District Council campaign was launched.
The Low-Income Family Tracker (LIFT) identified 377 households who were likely to be eligible for the Healthy Start scheme. All these households were contacted by letter and text where possible encouraging them to apply if they had not done so already.
Carol Anderson, Chief Nurse at NHS Cambridgeshire & Peterborough, said: “Every child, regardless of their background or where they live, should have an equal opportunity to start their life with access to healthy food and vitamins. Which is why I’m pleased to see more families than before accessing Healthy Start vouchers to help support them during pregnancy, weaning and beyond, giving children the opportunity to thrive. I would urge anyone who thinks they might be eligible to check online and take advantage of the support on offer.”
Parents are eligible for the NHS Healthy Start scheme if they have a child under the age of four and are on certain benefits. If eligible, parents will receive a Healthy Start card that can be used in most UK supermarkets, like a debit card. The card will be pre-loaded with £8.50 a week for children aged under one, and £4.25 a week for children aged between one and four years old. The card can be used to buy:
- fresh, frozen, and tinned fruit and vegetables
- fresh, dried, and tinned pulses
- plain liquid cow’s milk
- infant formula milk based on cow’s milk
The card can also be used to collect:
- Healthy Start vitamins – these support a parent during pregnancy and breastfeeding
- Vitamin drops for babies and young children – these are suitable from birth to 4 years old
A household must be claiming one of the following benefits to quality:
- Universal Credit with earned income of less than £408 per month from employment
- Child Tax Credit
- Income Support
- Income-related Employment Support Allowance
- Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance (not contributory benefits) and have a household income below a specified amount
The easiest way to apply for the Healthy Start scheme is online. If residents are unable to apply online, they can call the Healthy Start helpline on 0300 330 7010 and a member of staff will help complete an application.
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