Sainsbury’s is boosting the value of Healthy Start vouchers by an additional £2 to help struggling parents.
Healthy Start vouchers are funded by the Government to help with the cost of fruit and vegetables and other good foods.
They can also be redeemed against milk, formula for babies and vitamins.
Each voucher is worth £4.25 per week - or if you have a child under the age of one, you could get two vouchers a week.
But if you shop at Sainsbury’s between December 9 and January 7, you’ll get an additional £2 coupon on top of your Healthy Start voucher.
This means you’ll get £6.25 in total to put toward healthy food - or £12.50 if you’re eligible for two vouchers.
Sainsbury’s says the £2 coupon will be automatically given to shoppers who use Healthy Start vouchers and can be spent during their next shop until January 21.
The £2 Sainsbury’s coupon can be used to buy additional fresh and frozen fruit and vegetables.
We explain how Healthy Start vouchers work - and who is eligible.
Who is eligible for Healthy Start vouchers?
Those that claim the following benefits could be entitled to the vouchers:
Child Tax Credit (only if your family’s annual income is £16,190 or less)
Income Support
Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance
Pension Credit (which includes the child addition)
Universal Credit (only if your family’s take-home pay is £408 or less per month from employment)
Income-related Employment and Support Allowance (but only if you are over 10 weeks pregnant)
Working Tax Credit run-on (this is the Working Tax Credit you receive in the 4 weeks immediately after you have stopped working for 16 hours or more per week)
Or, if you’re under 18 and more than 10 weeks pregnant, you’ll get Healthy Start vouchers until your baby is born regardless of whether you claim benefits or not.
Families in Scotland aren't eligible for Healthy Start and must apply for help through Best Start Foods instead.
What can I buy with the vouchers and where can they be used?
Only certain products can be bought with the Healthy Start vouchers, including:
Cow’s milk
Fresh, frozen or tinned fruit and vegetables
Infant formula milk
Fresh, dried, and tinned pulses
Free vitamins
You also need to check where they can be spent, as not all stores accept the Healthy Start vouchers.
Do you think enough is being done to help struggling parents? Let us know: mirror.money.saving@mirror.co.uk
Some of the most well-known retailers that accept them include Aldi, Lidl, Asda, Morrisons, Tesco and Sainsbury's.
You can find your nearest shops that accept them using the Healthy Start tool on its website.
How do I get the vouchers?
If you’re eligible for the vouchers, you’ll need to print off and fill in the following application form from the Healthy Start website .
Once you’ve filled out all your details, send it to:
Freepost RRTR-SYAE-JKCR, Healthy Start Issuing Unit, PO Box 1067, Warrington, WA55 1EG
Alternatively, you can call the Healthy Start helpline on 0345 607 6823 and they’ll send a form out to you, which you’ll then need to post back.
Vouchers are sent out every four weeks.
Are other supermarkets boosting Healthy Start vouchers?
Waitrose told The Mirror in May this year that it was adding an extra £1.50 to Healthy Start vouchers.
At the time, the supermarket wasn’t able to say if there would be an end date to this boost.
We’ve asked Waitrose if the additional £1.50 on top of the £4.25 Healthy Start vouchers still applies, and we’ll update this article when we know more.
If the extra amount is still in place, one voucher will be worth £5.75 instead of £4.25 - or £11.50 instead of £8.50 if you’re entitled to two.
The Co-op also told The Mirror back in May that it was topping up the value of the vouchers by £1.
This means if you shop at The Co-op, your voucher is worth £5.25 instead of £4.25 - or £10.50 instead of £8.50.
But again, the supermarket has yet to confirm if this increased amount still applies.
We’ve asked for more information and will update this article.
