Forum home Pregnancy Pregnancy
🚨 Advance warning 🚨 This forum will be closing on 1st May – please see our pinned thread for more information.

Healthy Start Vouchers

Hi ladies
I've just been chatting to my neighbour who is pg and she was telling me about these vouchers she gets whilst pg and will also get after she's had the baby. I'm 24 weeks and she is 19 weeks and says shes been getting them since she was 10 weeks as the midwife told her about them at her 12 week booking in. I don't know anything about them, apparently you get ??2.80 per week towards milk or fruit and veg if your having 1 baby and ??5.60 if its a multiple birth. Once baby/babies are born it doubles. Does anyone else get these vouchers? I think its a government thing and i will ask at my next mw appointment.
«1

Replies

  • its worth checking out deffinatly (first ive heard about it though) it might be that certain people are entiltiled to these vouchers depending on their financial circumstances. My cousin was a single mother and i remember her saying she had vouchers for free milk but i really don't know if this had anything to do with the vouchers...knowing her she was just shaggin the milkman!!! sorry!! lol
    its worth asking your midwife next time u c her thats what im gunna do anyway
  • Hi there

    One of the ladies at my work was talking about them the other day and apparently you can claim them if you either don't work & claim certain benefits or if your income is low. I believe this is more or less the same as that sure start maternity grant of ??500 that you can claim too!
    I've looked into that grant and I won't be able to claim it as both my oh & I work full time and don't claim any benefits! Seems slightly unfair but there you go!

    Hope this has helped a wee bit!!
  • my neighbours oh is on a good wage so i dont think it goes on your financial situation. I know it doesnt sound a lot of money but every little helps and especially after baby is born as you get ??5.60. I intend on breastfeeding so hopefully wouldnt need the vouchers for milk but i want what i can get from this government lol. if your cousin got free milk for shaggin the milkman, does that mean if i shag the bank manager he'll give me money...lol!!
  • Hi Donna Once you have had the baby you will be entitled to child tax credits and then you can put in a claim for your sure start grant but you have to do it b4 the baby is 3 months old.
  • Yeah healthy start vouchers you can get from 10 weeks if you're receiving any benefits or on a low income xxx
  • just typed in 'Healthy Start Vouchers' into google and the first site on the list has a useful guide to whether or not you qualify. You have to be claiming certain benefits, ie income support, family tax credit etc to be able to claim them. If you have a quick peek on that site you only have to answer a few questions before it'll tell you if you qualify or not.

  • Actually not 'any' benefits - I think it's things like jobseekers/incapacity etc
  • donna take a look at this:-
    Who can get Sure Start Maternity Grants?
    You are eligible for a Sure Start Maternity Grant if you or your partner are getting Income Support, income-based Jobseeker's Allowance, Pension Credit, Working Tax Credit where a disability or severe disability element is included in the award or Child Tax Credit at a rate higher than the family element. [Legislation (2)] and one of the following applies:
    You or your partner:

    are pregnant and expecting a baby within 11 weeks,
    have had a baby in the past 3 months,
    have a dependent child or dependent young person who is pregnant and expecting a baby within 11 weeks or who has had a baby in the past 3 months,
    have adopted a baby who is under 12 months old,
    have, in certain circumstances, been granted a residence order by the courts in respect of a baby who is under 12 months old, or
    have been granted a parental order by the courts in respect of a surrogate birth.
    If you have a partner, either of you may apply for the grant. But if your partner applies, the name of the child's mother should be included.

    We use partner to mean:

    a person you are married to or a person you live with as if you are married to them, or
    a civil partner or a person you live with as if you are civil partners.
    If you have any savings
    Savings do not affect Sure Start Maternity Grants.

  • i get the vouchers, and my o/h is on a gd wage but cos i was 17 when i got pregnant (im 18 now) my midwife told me i was entitled to them. however, after the baby is born, unless i am entitled to a high rate of child tax credit, they will be stopped!
  • Hi Leanne i'm 24 weeks and had never heard of the vouchers but i will ask next time i see my mw
  • Cool! I'll have to have a look at that! Our accountant at work had told me about that grant and family tax credit but had said that I wouldn't qualify due to my salary! looks like he could have been wrong though!! fingers crossed, it would be nice to get a ??500 brucie bonus after the baby comes - could certainly do with it while trying to live on ??112 per week maternity pay!
    Thanks for that!
  • unless your family income is above ??60,000 per annum you qualify for some form of tax credits
  • i have just sent off for the vouchers. i can claim for myself, my 3 year old and my 19 month old. it's a good thing if you can get it. and have just sent off for the sure start grant. .xx
  • you might be able to get the healthy sart vouchers if you are under 20 and in full time education as well.. my midwife didnt tell me anything about them.. or much else to be honest
  • It's just a shame you can't get them if you're 22 and in full time education! grrr!
  • i know its not much but every little helps. im not gettin maternity pay because my work is so rubbish they cut my hours when i told em i was pregnant except over xmas when they needed extra staff.. gone from 25 to 10 hours a week.
  • Are they allowed to do that????
  • not really. they are just wankers. im gonna go to the citizens advice burea (i cant spell but u know what i mean) bout them
  • Yeah and so you should!!! I can see my work being iffy with me when it comes to maternity leave!! They already been iffy when I HAD to take time off when I crashed my car! I wasn't being unreasonable!!!
  • i got moaned at becasue i wouldnt go in n coverfor someone one night.. i was goin to see my grandad in hospital. and they've put some peoples wages up to ??5.50 an hour but not everyones (mine)
Sign In or Register to comment.

Featured Discussions