Study finds that expanding eligibility for the scheme to all families on Universal Credit would return £7.7bn in societal net benefits over a decade
New analysis commissioned by The Food Foundation and Sustain demonstrates that the government stands to make significant social and economic gains by investing in the Healthy Start scheme.
The scheme is designed to provide a critical nutritional safety net for pregnant people and families with children under four on very low incomes. It allows them to buy fruit, vegetables and milk for free or at a discount using a Healthy Start card.
Extending eligibility for the government’s Healthy Start scheme to all families on Universal Credit would generate substantial long-term benefits, including an estimated £7.7 billion in net benefits to society over 10 years, the organisations argue.
A briefing published by The Food Foundation and Sustain highlights new research from the University of Birmingham, which finds that extending eligibility for Healthy Start to all families in receipt of Universal Credit would return £2.36 for every £1 invested through reductions in food insecurity, increased household disposable income and wider economic gains.
The briefing also highlights scope for strengthening the scheme by increasing its current value, with weekly payments of £4.65 falling short of escalating food costs.
Rising food prices and consequences for children’s access to nutritious food mean that the Healthy Start scheme is especially important at present, but the payments’ values do not reflect the real cost of milk, fruit and vegetables.
New calculations by The Food Foundation find that, had payments increased in line with food inflation since April 2021, they would be worth at least £5.88 as of April 2026, which is £1.23 more per week compared to the current value (see Notes to Editors).
Aligning payments with inflation is particularly critical at this time, given the Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit warn that by November 2026, UK food prices could be 50 per cent higher than they were at the start of the cost-of-living crisis in 2021, meaning families will be getting less for their money.
At the same time, healthier food remains nearly twice as expensive per calorie as less healthy food, and the gap is widening.
The Food Foundation and Sustain are calling on the government to increase the value of Healthy Start payments in line with inflation and expand eligibility to reach more families in need.
These investments would support the government’s ambitions to reduce health inequalities, raise the healthiest generation of children ever, and give every child the best start in life, the two organisations say.
The Healthy Start scheme is a nutritional safety net provided across England, Wales and Northern Ireland that helps reduce the financial burden on the lowest income families during pregnancy and early childhood.
The scheme provides weekly payments of £4.65 for pregnant people and children under four, or £9.30 for babies under one, supporting access to essential nutritious foods, such as fruit, vegetables and milk.
Children living in low-income households are especially at risk of negative impacts on their health without adequate support from the Healthy Start scheme: to afford the government-recommended healthy diet, the most deprived fifth of households with children would need to spend 85 per cent of their disposable income on food, at a time when the cost per calorie of healthier versus less healthy foods is widening.
It’s unsurprising, then, that recent Food Foundation survey data shows half of food insecure families are cutting back on fruit and 40 per cent are cutting back on vegetables. The health consequences are real for children in these households – children in the most deprived fifth of the population are nearly twice as likely to be living with obesity by primary school age and more than twice as likely to have tooth decay by Year Six, as those in the least deprived fifth.
The scheme’s eligibility criteria also mean many families experiencing poverty and food insecurity are excluded from support despite struggling to afford a healthy diet.
Eligibility is limited to households with an income of £408 per month or less excluding benefits. In May 2026, just 351,921 pregnant people and children under four were receiving Healthy Start support. Yet approximately 900,000 children under four are currently living in poverty, nearly three times more than the number who are in receipt of the scheme, highlighting that a substantial proportion of those most vulnerable to food insecurity may be missing out on support.
Additionally, the scheme is only available to families with children under four years old, leading to a gap between when they stop being eligible for Healthy Start (on their fourth birthday) and later qualifying for Universal Infant Free School Meals (when they start Reception).
The Food Foundation and Sustain recommend that the government:
- Increases the value of Healthy Start payments in line with food inflation to weekly values of £5.88 and keep aligned to inflation.
- Expands eligibility to all families in receipt of Universal Credit and increases the age threshold to include children aged four in line with the Free School Meal entitlement expansion.
- Extends eligibility to families with no recourse to public funds who meet the standard eligibility criteria.
In parallel, supermarkets should step in and top up the payments to their Healthy Start customers, the two organisations argue. Sainsbury’s has just announced it is working to offer a £3 top up to Healthy Start. Other retailers should follow suit.
The research demonstrates that by targeting lower-income families in particular, the Healthy Start scheme could help reduce nutrition-related ill health and overall health inequalities while easing future pressure on health and public services.
Although the value of Healthy Start was increased (for the first time since 2021) by 10 per cent in April 2026, the uplift remains well below cumulative food inflation over the same period.
Without further action, the scheme risks becoming progressively less effective at supporting access to a healthy diet during pregnancy and early childhood, the analysis shows.
Anna Taylor, executive director at The Food Foundation, said: “This analysis shows that investing in Healthy Start is not only the right thing to do for families with young children, it is a sound economic decision.
“Just last month, the government identified £150 million to remove tariffs on imported products, with a particular emphasis on chocolate and biscuits. That is roughly the amount needed to extend Healthy Start to all families with young children receiving Universal Credit.
“At a time when parents on low incomes consistently tell us they are struggling to afford healthy food, this marks a missed opportunity to support what households need most.
She added: “If the government is serious about reducing health inequalities and giving every child the best start in life, it must back policies that are proven to work.
“Reports that ministers are considering delaying health measures promised only a year ago because of cost-of-living pressures are concerning. We need to build the resilience that protects access to nutritious food and supports long-term health.
“It’s time to put access to affordable, healthy and sustainable food at the heart of policymaking, to support health, wealth and the economy.”
