How to get food and milk money on a prepaid card if you are pregnant or have a child under 4

If you are pregnant or have a young child and you claim Universal Credit, you could be missing out on free money for food and milk every month.

The NHS Healthy Start scheme puts money on a prepaid card every 4 weeks. From April 2026, the weekly amounts went up. Here is what you could get.

How much you can get

The amount depends on your situation:

• During pregnancy (from week 10): £4.65 a week
• A child under 1: £9.30 a week
• A child aged 1 to 4: £4.65 a week

Money is added to your card every 4 weeks. If you are pregnant, that is £18.60 added each time. If your baby is under 1, you get £37.20. If you are pregnant and also have a young child, the amounts add together.

What you can spend it on

You can use the card in any shop that accepts Mastercard. You can buy:

• Cow's milk and infant formula
• Fresh, frozen, or tinned fruit and vegetables
• Pulses such as lentils and chickpeas

You cannot use it for anything else and you cannot take out cash. Your balance does not roll over — spend it before your next top-up or you will lose it.

You also get free NHS vitamins posted to your home. These include folic acid during pregnancy and vitamin drops for children under 4.

Who qualifies

You can apply if you are at least 10 weeks pregnant or have a child under 4.

You also need to be getting one of these benefits:

• Universal Credit — as long as your take-home pay from work is £408 a month or less
• Income-based Jobseeker's Allowance
• Income-related Employment and Support Allowance
• Child Tax Credit (without also getting Working Tax Credit)
• Pension Credit

If you are under 18 and pregnant, you qualify even if you do not receive any benefit at all.

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How to apply

Go to gov.uk/healthy-start and fill in the short online form. You will need your address and your due date or your child's date of birth.

A midwife, GP, or health visitor needs to confirm your details before your card is approved.

Once your application is accepted, your card arrives by post in about 7 days. It tops up automatically every 4 weeks — you do not need to do anything.

Keep your details up to date

Tell the Healthy Start team if your baby is born, if you become pregnant again, or if your circumstances change. Your payment amount updates as your child grows older, so it is worth letting them know.

If you are not sure whether you qualify, Citizens Advice offers a free benefits check and can answer questions about Healthy Start in minutes.