Healthy Start Vouchers in Crawley

It’s April Fools’ Day. Tempting as it to include some joke or delay posting until this afternoon, you are outside of the danger zone as the only fools on this occasion appear to be those responsible for Healthy Start data at the Department for Health.

The lead-up to bank holidays are sometimes seen by governments as a good time to publish embarrassing information, hoping that with fewer days left for journalists to publish their news and people distracted by the idea of time off work, that the story will get missed or at least get suppressed coverage. This appears to have been Dame Andrea Leadsom’s hope in publishing a written statement just before Easter admitting that the Government has underestimated the number of people eligible for Healthy Start vouchers and consequently overstated the level of take-up.

Healthy Start vouchers (this is a historic name, as it’s actually a card which looks and works just like a debit card) are part of the way we as a country try to give our newborn citizens a good start in life by enabling access to healthy food and vitamins for mothers and children who might otherwise be trapped for financial reasons onto a less nutritious diet.

The scheme is open to those over 10 weeks pregnant or with a child aged under four years old and in receipt of certain categories of benefits. The support can only be used to buy fresh milk, fresh fruit and vegetables, pulses, infant formula, and vitamins.

With in-work poverty in the town running so high that over a third of Crawley’s children are now growing up in poverty, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that Crawley is towards the top of the table in terms of claimants, coming 70th in percentage of claimants out of over 300 local authorities.

While none of these people have in any way been directly affected by the error, what it does mean is that instead of the 60%+ uptake in the town the Department for Health believed that there was for those eligible for the scheme, the actual numbers eligible and not claiming may well be much higher.

It certainly suggests that the level of effort needed to ensure that parents are aware of the scheme and children get the start to get a healthy start in life just isn’t there. That needs to be resolved urgently.

If you or anyone you know may qualify for a Healthy Start card, support can be applied for by going to: https://www.healthystart.nhs.uk/how-to-apply/

The card will work at most supermarkets, convenience stores, grocery stores, pharmacies, markets, newsagents, and petrol stations, but won’t work outside of locations like these. It works using the Mastercard system, so make sure to look out for the logo.

If you aren’t eligible but would like to do your bit to ensure the scheme is promoted better to those who need it, go to: https://foodjusticefinder.com/healthystart