We know that many families across Cambridgeshire continue to face significant cost-of-living pressures, and Healthy Start can provide valuable support at a time when every pound counts. Through this targeted campaign, we're helping families access money that they are entitled to, putting additional income into household budgets while supporting healthy eating and giving children the best possible start in life. This is exactly the kind of prevention-first approach our new anti-poverty programme is designed to deliver. By working with our district and city council partners to identify and contact families who may be missing out on support, we're helping residents build greater financial security and resilience for the future. It also supports the council's ambition to enable full and healthy lives for all.
Cambridgeshire Councils Launch Campaign to Boost Healthy Start Uptake
Targeted outreach aims to connect eligible families with vital financial support for healthy food for young children.
By Rebecca Flint
••3 min read
AI
Generic image.
Cambridgeshire County Council, in collaboration with district and city councils, is launching a campaign to ensure eligible families receive vital financial assistance through the Healthy Start scheme.
Throughout November, approximately 1700 households across Cambridgeshire will be contacted via letter, email, phone, and text message. These households have been identified by the Low-Income Family Tracker (LIFT) platform as potentially eligible for the Healthy Start support. The campaign aims to encourage them to apply if they are not already receiving it. Families who are not contacted are still urged to check their eligibility, as they could be missing out on significant annual financial support.
The Healthy Start scheme, run by the NHS, provides financial aid to eligible pregnant women and families with children under four to purchase healthy food and milk. Eligible families receive £4.65 per week for each child under four, and this amount doubles to £9.30 per week for infants under one year old. This support is provided on a card usable in most supermarkets for items like cow's milk, fresh fruit, and vegetables.
This targeted initiative is part of the LIFT income maximisation programme, funded by the UK Government through the Crisis and Resilience Fund. The programme seeks to increase household incomes, improve financial resilience, and prevent families from facing hardship. Research indicates that Healthy Start is significantly underclaimed across England, with an estimated 62% of eligible families in Cambridgeshire currently claiming the benefit, potentially missing out on over £431,000 annually.
The campaign will reach households across all five Cambridgeshire districts: Cambridge City Council (413 households), East Cambridgeshire District Council (165 households), Fenland District Council (332 households), Huntingdonshire District Council (468 households), and South Cambridgeshire District Council (395 households). Information on how to apply will be provided to contacted households.
This campaign is part of a broader anti-poverty strategy approved by Cambridgeshire County Council in June, which includes investment in income maximisation services and a new crisis payment scheme. Families can check their eligibility and apply online at www.healthystart.nhs.uk. Residents are reminded to verify the authenticity of any communications by contacting their local council directly.
Based on information from the official source: Cambridgeshire County Council (04/11/2026)
