Government finally cave on my request for better Healthy Start Scheme communication

April 18, 2024

Last year, I coordinated a letter calling for all eligible families not receiving Healthy Start payments to be informed of the scheme.

This came alongside my Private Members Bill calling for auto-enrolment of families on the scheme to reach the 190,000 low-income pregnant women, babies and children who were missing out on their entitlement to free milk, baby formula, fruits and vegetables.

Although the Government did not allow time for my Bill to pass through parliament, I believed that at an absolute minimum the families missing out should be contacted.

Nearly a third of eligible parents and children are missing out either through difficulty accessing the website, confusing applications processes or simply not being aware of the scheme’s existence.

Finally, after a year of campaigning, the Government has agreed to contact families using DWP data to let them know they are eligible but missing out – and so we have taken a step forward in getting this crucial help to those who need it.

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