Concern young children missing out on Healthy Start scheme, as figures show a quarter of households with under-fours skip meals

Just over six in ten families eligible for Healthy Start – part of the UK Government’s benefits scheme targeted at families with children under the age of four and pregnant women – currently use it, according to the latest official figures.

NHS BSA, which operates the Healthy Start scheme on behalf of the Department for Health and Social Care (DHSC), has missed its target of 75 per cent uptake for Healthy Start, with just 64 per cent of eligible parents and carers on average accessing the scheme across England, Wales and Northern Ireland (NHS Digital, 31 March 2023).

The figures show that 334,063 beneficiaries were taking up the Healthy Start scheme as of the end of March, out of 521,662 that are eligible for it.

The statistics coincide with the release of the latest data from the Food Foundation, which shows that more than a quarter of families with young children experience food insecurity, i.e are missing meals or going hungry, amid the rise in the cost-of-living, inflation and increase in food prices.

Food insecurity rates are higher in households with children under the age of four than those with only school-age children or no children at all, according to the Food Foundation, which began tracking food insecurity through regular surveys since March 2020, around the start of the Covid pandemic, to assess the impact of household food insecurity across the UK.

The Food Foundation, with Sustain and organisations working across food security and early years health and nutrition, are calling on the Government to increase the value of Healthy Start and do more to encourage its take-up.

This includes:

• £5m of funding for a comprehensive communications campaign to improve awareness and uptake of Healthy Start – as recommended in the National Food Strategy. 
• Increase the Healthy Start allowance in line with food price inflation alongside other government benefits and review the value every six months.  
• Expand eligibility to all families on Universal Credit and equivalent benefits with children under five years old, as recommended in the National Food Strategy. 

The Food Foundation is also calling on retailers to promote the Healthy Start Scheme to raise awareness among eligible customers as part of their Kids Food Guarantee.  

Healthy Start is part of the UK Government’s benefits scheme targeted at families with children under the age of four and pregnant mothers on very low incomes, as well as all pregnant teenagers under 18.

It aims to provide a key nutritional safety net for the most nutritionally vulnerable, and is made up of a cash allowance and multivitamin supplements.

Eligible families receive £4.25 per week per eligible individual (£8.50 for infants under 1) intended for spending on fresh, frozen or tinned fruit and vegetables, pulses and grains, cow's milk or infant formula, as well as free multivitamins for both pregnant and breastfeeding mothers and infants and children under four-years-old. 

In April 2021, the Government increased the value of Healthy Start allowances from £3.10 to £4.25 a week, but the value of payments is not keeping up with high levels of inflation and rising food prices.

According to analysis by First Steps Nutrition Trust, between August 2021 and November 2022, the cost of infant formula has increased by as much as 23 per cent – more than double the average increase in food prices. The current Healthy Start allowance is now not enough to cover the full cost of any infant formulas on the market

A mum of four young children from Southampton, said, 'Now my twins have turned four years old it [Healthy Start] has changed already. They sent me an email a few days ago; they said I will be receiving for the baby only now…I felt a bit disappointed because before I used to make sure that every day [my children] could eat some fresh fruits with some vitamins in them – now there will be a decrease in all that.

'Right now Healthy Start is not covering the cost of the formula for [my baby]. The price of formula has changed a lot…I used to buy the same one for £12-14 but right now it is £17.” 

'More advertising is needed. For people [who] go at least once or twice a week, the supermarket is the best place to tell more people about Healthy Start. The government should do more advertising and supermarkets can do this. Supermarkets could definitely do more to promote healthy foods instead of junk foods.'

In 2021 Sustain and The Food Foundation established a working group for civil society and early years healthcare representatives working on the Healthy Start scheme ‘to amplify messaging around the programme’ in the run-up to the scheme being digitised.

The group has 10 members who work to ensure Healthy Start is meeting its original intentions and is adequately serving those families who most need its support.

Anna Taylor, executive director of the Food Foundation, said, ‘Debilitating food price rises are making it incredibly challenging for low-income young families to afford a healthy diet. ‘This is extremely concerning given how important good nutrition is for young children’s growth and development. Healthy Start is a highly-targeted scheme that should be helping families most in need, but pitifully low uptake levels mean there are families all over the country who are missing out on this statutory scheme.’

They include the Institute of Health Visiting(iHV) and the Early Years Alliance.

Alison Morton, CEO of the iHV, said, ‘The Healthy Start scheme has had a positive impact on the nutritional health of babies, children and families for many years by helping the families who most need support in order to reduce inequalities. However, the scheme urgently needs updating to resolve the barriers to accessing the scheme, keep pace with inflation and reach the growing numbers of families that have been pushed into poverty in the cost-of-living crisis.’

Neil Leitch, CEO of the EYA called on the Government to make funding for healthy meals in early years settings an urgent priority.

‘It is extremely concerning that more than a quarter of households with children under the age of four are facing food insecurity,’ he said.

‘Every child, regardless of their circumstances, should be able to access affordable, healthy meals – and yet, we know that the cost-of-living crisis is heaping unbearable pressure on families and that, as a result, more and more young children are coming into early years settings hungry. 

'While providers are doing all they can to provide well-balanced, affordable meals and snacks, rising costs are making this a near-impossible task. We urge the government, therefore, to commit to providing specific funding for the delivery of healthy, nutritious food in early years settings as well as ensuring that early years funding actually covers the cost of delivering quality care and education more broadly.

Food insecurity

The figures are released as the Food Foundation’s new data shows that 27 per cent of UK households with children under the age of four experienced food insecurity in January. 

The Food Foundation data shows that this age group is at particularly high risk of food insecurity and more needs to be done to support younger children.

In January, food insecurity was experienced by 23 per cent of households with school-age children (5-17 years) and 15 per cent of households without children.

The charity tracks and reports on the experiences of food insecurity, particularly on specific high groups such as families with children, ethnic groups, people with disabilities and people on benefits. 

The research for the latest survey was based on 10,814 Uk adults between 31 January and 3 February, analysed independently by The Food Foundation and the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine.  

Questions to find out how many households have experienced food insecurity, include whether respondents have eaten smaller meals than usual or are skipping meals due to being unable to afford or get access to food;  being hungry but not eating due to being unable to afford or get access to food ; and not eating for a whole day due to being unable to afford or get access to food. If they answered yes to any of these three questions, they are classified as food insecure.

• Food Foundation Insecurity tracker here.