Healthier Wigan Partnership

The Healthier Wigan Partnership is Wigan Borough’s Local Care Organisation (LCO) and brings together the main health and care providers across Primary, Community, Mental Health, Social Care and the hospital.

The website link below combines information on health and care services and makes it easier for you as a parent to find sources of relevant knowledge and support.

HEALTHY START VOUCHERS:

If you’re pregnant or have a child under 4, the Healthy Start scheme can help you buy basic foods like milk or fruit.

If you qualify for the scheme you’ll be sent vouchers you can use in over 30,000 shops in the UK.

You can also get coupons to swap for:

•pregnancy vitamins

•breastfeeding vitamins

•vitamins for children aged 6 months to 5 years old

What will you get?

If you qualify, you’ll get vouchers worth £3.10 each to spend on: milk, fresh fruit and vegetables, frozen fruit, infant formula mile

You will receive a voucher a week if you are pregnant or have a child aged between 1 and 4

You get 2 vouchers a week if you have a child under 1.

You can also get free vitamin supplements.

Who is eligible?

You will qualify for the Healthy Start scheme if either:

•you’re at least 10 weeks pregnant

•you have at least 1 child under 4 years old

In addition, you must be receiving any of the following:

•Income Support

•income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance

•Child Tax Credit (but only if your family’s annual income is £16,190 or less)

•Universal Credit (but only if your family earns £408 or less per month from employment)

•income-related Employment and Support Allowance

•Working Tax Credit (but only if your family is receiving the 4 week ‘run-on’ payment)

You’ll also be eligible for the Healthy Start scheme if you’re pregnant and under 18, even if you do not receive any benefits.

You can download the Healthy Start application form on www.healthystart.nhs.uk

The Healthy Start website has an eligibility tool which is quick and easy to use, you can apply online and the site even has a map of local shops who accept the vouchers.

How to claim

You will need to get their midwife, health visitor or registered doctor or nurse to sign it before returning it to:

Freepost RRTR-SYAE-JKCR

Healthy Start Issuing Unit

PO Box 1067

Warrington

WA55 1EG

You can also get an application form from your midwife or ‘health visitor’, or by phoning the Healthy Start helpline on: 0345 607 6823