New data shows extending Healthy Start eligibility to help with cost of living could generate £7.7 billion in return on investment

New data shows extending Healthy Start eligibility to help with cost of living could generate £7.7 billion in return on investment over 10 years 

• Government investment in the Healthy Start scheme through expanding eligibility and increasing value could deliver long-term social and economic gains.
• New analysis finds that expanding eligibility for the scheme to all families in receipt of Universal Credit would return £2.36 for every £1 invested, with £7.7 billion in societal net benefits over 10 years.
• Current payments have failed to keep pace with rising food prices, with new calculations by the Food Foundation showing they would now be worth at least £5.88 had they kept pace with inflation (£1.23 more than the current weekly value).  
• The Healthy Start scheme is unique in directly helping families to afford nutritious food: greater investment would support the Government’s ambitions to reduce health inequalities and raise the healthiest generation of children ever.

New analysis commissioned by The Food Foundation and Sustain demonstrates that the government stands to make significant social and economic gains by investing in the Healthy Start scheme, which is designed to provide a critical nutritional safety net for pregnant people and families with children under four on very low incomes.

Extending eligibility for the Government’s Healthy Start scheme to all families on Universal Credit would generate substantial long-term benefits, including an estimated £7.7 billion in net benefits to society over 10 years.

A briefing published today by The Food Foundation and Sustain finds that extending eligibility for Healthy Start to all families in receipt of Universal Credit would return £2.36 for every £1 invested through reductions in food insecurity, increased household disposable income and wider economic gains.

The briefing also highlights scope for strengthening the scheme by increasing its current value, with weekly payments of £4.65 falling short of escalating food costs. Rising food prices and consequences for children’s access to nutritious food mean that the Healthy Start scheme is especially important at present, but the payments’ values do not reflect the real cost of milk, fruit and vegetables.

New calculations by The Food Foundation find that, had payments increased in line with food inflation since April 2021, they would be worth at least £5.88 as of April 2026, which is £1.23 more per week compared to the current value (see Notes to Editors).

Aligning payments with inflation is particularly critical at this time, given the Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit warn that by November 2026, UK food prices could be 50% higher than they were at the start of the cost of living crisis in 2021, meaning families will be getting less for their money. 

At the same time, healthier food remains nearly twice as expensive per calorie as less healthy food, and the gap is widening.

The Food Foundation and Sustain are calling on the Government to increase the value of Healthy Start payments in line with inflation, and expand eligibility to reach more families in need. These investments would support the Government’s ambitions to reduce health inequalities, raise the healthiest generation of children ever and give every child the best start in life.

The Healthy Start scheme is an essential nutritional safety net provided across England, Wales and Northern Ireland that helps reduce the financial burden on the lowest income families during pregnancy and early childhood. The scheme provides weekly payments of £4.65 for pregnant people and children under four, or £9.30 for babies under one, supporting access to essential nutritious foods, such as fruit, vegetables and milk.

Children living in low-income households are especially at risk of negative impacts on their health without adequate support from the Healthy Start scheme: to afford the government-recommended healthy diet, the most deprived fifth of households with children would need to spend 85% of their disposable income on food, at a time when the cost per calorie of healthier versus less healthy foods is widening.

It’s unsurprising, then, that recent Food Foundation survey data shows half of food insecure families are cutting back on fruit and 40% are cutting back on vegetables. The health consequences are real for children in these households - children in the most deprived fifth of the population are nearly twice as likely to be living with obesity by primary school age and more than twice as likely to have tooth decay by Year 6, as those in the least deprived fifth.

The scheme’s restrictive eligibility criteria also mean many families experiencing poverty and food insecurity are excluded from support despite struggling to afford a healthy diet. Eligibility is limited to households with an income of £408 per month or less excluding benefits.

In May 2026, just 351,921 pregnant people and children under four were receiving Healthy Start support. Yet approximately 900,000 children under four are currently living in poverty, nearly three times more than the number who are in receipt of the scheme, highlighting that a substantial proportion of those most vulnerable to food insecurity may be missing out on vital support (see Note to Editors).

Additionally, the scheme is only available to families with children under four years old, leading to a gap between when they stop being eligible for Healthy Start (on their fourth birthday) and later qualifying for Universal Infant Free School Meals (when they start Reception).

The Food Foundation and Sustain recommend that the Government:  

• Increases the value of Healthy Start payments in line with food inflation to weekly values of £5.88 and keep aligned to inflation.
• Expands eligibility to all families in receipt of Universal Credit and increase the age threshold to include children aged four in line with the Free School Meal entitlement expansion, and extend eligibility to families with no recourse to public funds who meet the standard eligibility criteria.   

In parallel, supermarkets should step in and top up the payments to their Healthy Start customers. Sainsbury’s has just announced it is working to offer a £3 top up to Healthy Start. Other retailers should follow suit.

The return on investment identified by the University of Birmingham’s research demonstrates that a strengthened Healthy Start scheme would deliver in the long term on the Government’s ambitions to raise the healthiest generation of children ever.

By targeting lower-income families in particular, the Healthy Start scheme could help reduce nutrition-related ill health and overall health inequalities while easing future pressure on health and public services.

Although the value of Healthy Start was increased (for the first time since 2021) by 10% in April 2026, the uplift remains well below cumulative food inflation over the same period. Without further action, the scheme risks becoming progressively less effective at supporting access to a healthy diet during pregnancy and early childhood. 

Anna Taylor, Executive Director, The Food Foundation, said: "This analysis shows that investing in Healthy Start is not only the right thing to do for families with young children, it is a sound economic decision. Just last month, the Government identified £150 million to remove tariffs on imported products, with a particular emphasis on chocolate and biscuits.

"That is roughly the amount needed to extend Healthy Start to all families with young children receiving Universal Credit. At a time when parents on low-incomes consistently tell us they are struggling to afford healthy food, this marks a missed opportunity to support what households need most.

"If the Government is serious about reducing health inequalities and giving every child the best start in life, it must back policies that are proven to work. Reports that ministers are considering delaying health measures promised only a year ago because of cost of living pressures are concerning: we need to build the resilience that protects access to nutritious food and supports long-term health.

"It’s time to put access to affordable, healthy and sustainable food at the heart of policymaking, to support health, wealth and the economy."

Professor Emma Frew, Director of the Centre for Economics of Obesity at the University of Birmingham, said: "Our analysis suggests that extending Healthy Start to all families receiving Universal Credit could generate benefits that exceed the costs of implementation, indicating that investment in Healthy Start should be viewed not only as a social policy but also as an economic investment.

"While Healthy Start is primarily designed to support families during pregnancy and early childhood, our findings show that extending the scheme to reach more families in need has the potential to deliver wider economic benefits through reducing food insecurity and increasing household spending power.

"Importantly, these estimates should be considered conservative as they do not include the longer-term health benefits that may arise from improved nutrition in early life."

Kirstie, mother of four, Southampton, said: "As a mum of four children, Healthy Start has been a valuable support for my family. The payments help towards essentials such as milk, new fruit and vegetables, which can make a real difference when budgets are stretched.

"The scheme helps families give their children a healthy start in life and supports parents during pregnancy and the early years. I believe it is important that the Government continues to invest in Healthy Start because it helps reduce financial pressure on families while encouraging healthy nutrition for babies and young children.

"I would also love to see greater awareness of the scheme, as many eligible families may not know it exists, along with improvements such as an app to check balances and find participating shops. Personally, I think extending support until children start primary school would also benefit many families."

Sue Davies, Head of Food Policy at Which?, said: “Too many families are struggling to put healthy food on the table as the cost of living crisis continues to put household budgets under pressure.

"Which? research has found that many consumers are having to make difficult compromises on the food they buy, with three million UK households being forced to skip meals, resorting to drastic measures to deal with rising costs.

"Improving the effectiveness of Healthy Start by expanding eligibility to all families receiving Universal Credit, uprating the value annually to be in line with food price inflation and encouraging supermarkets to provide extra help to recipients would provide vital support to households at a time when food costs remain a major concern." 

Alison Morton OBE, CEO, Institute of Health Visiting, said: "Healthy Start is one of the most important early intervention programmes we have to support babies, young children and pregnant women living in poverty. Health visitors see every day the impact that financial hardship and food insecurity can have on a child's development, health and wellbeing, particularly during the critical first 1,001 days of life.

"This new analysis reinforces what health professionals have long understood: investing in good nutrition in pregnancy and early childhood delivers lasting benefits for children, families and society.

"Expanding Healthy Start eligibility and ensuring payments keep pace with the rising cost of healthy food would help more families access the nutritious foods they need during this crucial stage of life and help deliver on the Government’s ambition to raise the healthiest generation of children ever.

"At a time when health inequalities are widening, strengthening Healthy Start is a practical, evidence-based measure that can improve health outcomes, reduce pressures on public services, and help give every child the best possible start in life."

Kath Dalmeny, Chief Executive, Sustain, said: "Food prices are on the rise, with price inflation predicted to bite especially hard towards the end of 2026 and into 2027. Food insecurity is higher among families with children, millions of whom already struggle to feed their children the good food they need to thrive.

"For families on a low income, Healthy Start is a key nutritional security scheme helping pregnant people and young children to afford fruit, veg and milk. Expanding the scheme to reach more families living in poverty, and increasing the value in recognition of rising food prices, would help families nourish their children, even through hard financial times."

Lynn Perry, Chief Executive, Barnardo’s, said: "Barnardo’s welcomes this important analysis from The Food Foundation and Sustain. The continued high cost of living is making it increasingly difficult for families to afford nutritious food - with serious lifelong consequences for children’s health and development.

"Our recent research suggests that four in 10 parents struggle to afford all the essential items for their baby's first six months.

"These findings reinforce what we see every day - too many families are being left without the support they need at a critical, early stage in a child’s life. Expanding the eligibility of the Healthy Start scheme and making sure payments keep pace with inflation would be a crucial step towards reducing food insecurity and widening health inequalities.

"Investing in children’s nutrition is not only the right thing to do - it delivers clear long-term social and economic benefits. We urge government to act now so every child can access the healthy food they need to thrive."

NOTES TO EDITORS:

Please contact: Pandora Haydon, Communications Manager, The Food Foundation on 07789 712608 or email pandora.haydon@foodfoundation.org.uk

AVAILABLE FOR INTERVIEW

Hannah Brinsden, Head of Policy, The Food Foundation

Kath Dalmeny, Chief Executive, Sustain  

Kirstie, mother of four, Southampton  

Calculations by the Food Foundation showing they would now be worth at least £5.88 had they kept pace with inflation: The Healthy Start inflation figure was calculated by a) re-referencing the CPI index base year from 2015 to 2021, as 2021 coincides the eve of the cost-of-living crisis that saw record food inflation. b) We then adjusted the Healthy Start voucher value using the CPI index for all food items. This was done by multiplying the 2021 value (£4.25) by (CPI food index year n / CPI food index 2006), where 'year n' represents the year of interest, in this case April 2026. Please contact Food Foundation for further details.

Approximately 900,000 children under four are currently living in poverty, nearly three times more than the number who are in receipt of the scheme. Food Foundation calculations taking the number of children under four in Northern Ireland, Wales and England, and the percentage of this population living in relative low income after housing costs see here and here). This latter poverty rate is then adjusted by an uplift factor of 1.71 based on the fact that of all children living in relative poverty in the UK, 48% live in households where the youngest child is 0-4 years old, compared to just 41% of all children. This adjusted poverty rate for under fours is then applied to age group populations of under 4s for England, Wales and Northern Ireland. For further details, please contact the Food Foundation.   

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About The Food Foundation
The Food Foundation is a charity working to influence food policy and business practice, shaping a sustainable food system which makes healthy diets affordable and accessible for all. We work in partnership with researchers, campaigners, community bodies, industry, investors, government and citizens to galvanise the UK’s diverse agents of change, using surprising and inventive ideas to drive fundamental shifts in our food system. These efforts are based on the continual re-evaluation of opportunities for action, building and synthesising strong evidence, convening powerful coalitions, harnessing citizens’ voices and delivering impactful communications.
Registered Charity Number 1187611.

ABOUT SUSTAIN
Sustain advocates food and agriculture policies and practices that enhance the health and welfare of people and animals, improve the working and living environment, promote equity and enrich society and culture.