The Department of Health, National Assembly Government, Scottish Government, and Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety are consulting on whether women and families supported by Healthy Start should also be able to spend their vouchers on plain frozen fruit and vegetables, and whether there is a need to do more to ensure that vouchers are only spent on products that are included in the scheme.
The Department of Health is co-ordinating the consultation for the UK.
Adding plain frozen fruit and vegetables and minimising voucher misuse
Healthy Start vouchers were introduced across the UK in November 2006 to replace Welfare Food Scheme milk and infant tokens. They are available to pregnant women and families with children under 4 years old receiving one of a range of benefits or tax credits, and to all pregnant women under 18 years old. The vouchers can be spent on liquid cow’s milk, fresh fruit and vegetables, and infant formula milk at participating retail outlets.
They are particularly keen to hear from:
- voluntary groups supporting low-income families, and individual families getting Healthy Start vouchers;
- health professionals, NHS organisations, and health and social care organisations;
- retailers and their representative bodies; and
- any other interested parties.
Consultation timetable
This consultation will run from Friday 8 October to Friday 31 December 2010.
How to give your views
Go online at http://www.dh.gov.uk/en/Consultations/Liveconsultations/DH_120045
You can email hsconsultation@dh.gsi.gov.uk , or write to :
Healthy Start consultation, Department of Health Wellington House, 7th floor 133-155 Waterloo Road LONDON, SE1 8UG
The following questionnaire can also be filled in and emailed to hsconsultation@dh.gsi.gov.uk or filled in online