Local Senedd Member for Llanelli, Lee Waters, is urging people to check if they are eligible to claim a Healthy Start payment.
The MS was startled to read the latest figures stating that nearly 40% of eligible people within Wales are currently not claiming it.
The NHS’s Healthy Start scheme provides healthy food and vitamins for free to people who are more than 10 weeks pregnant or have a child under four and are in receipt of certain benefits.
Those who are eligible can get a pre-paid card that is topped up every four weeks with credit to help them buy healthy food such as cow’s milk, fresh, frozen, and tinned fruit and vegetables, and first infant formula milk. They can also get free Healthy Start vitamins.
Lee Waters MS said:
“It is important to raise awareness of this scheme. Four in ten people across Wales, who could be receiving support with the cost of healthy food through Healthy Start, have not yet applied. You could be entitled to more than £1,200 to spend on healthy food.”
“With the cost-of-living crisis affecting so many families in and around Llanelli, I want to make sure that people are aware of the help which is available to them.”
You can check out if you are eligible at www.healthystart.nhs.uk.
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