The campaigns are urging the government to rectify the NHS Healthy Start program, as the cost of living is biting the crisis and food price inflation is hurting household budgets. The benefit, which helps low-income parents and pregnant women pay for fruit, vegetables, milk and formula, has been plagued by malfunctions since switching from paper vouchers to digital cards last year. Eligible families are being told they are not eligible for support, prepaid cards are being rejected at checkouts and it is very difficult to get to the helpline, charities say. About 52,000 families who used the program in the past have not successfully registered on the cards, according to official figures. In addition, many more eligible households have never filed a claim. The Healthy Start Facebook page has been flooded with complaints from frustrated parents. The government’s White Paper on Food Strategy ignored the digitization problems and called for the program to be expanded, instead boasting that it “made it easier for new families to apply and use the Healthy Start Program”. “No family should be left without food,” said Jonathan Pauling, chief executive of Alexandra Rose, a charity that runs a separate voucher program in London, Liverpool, Barnsley and Glasgow. This is not just a cost-of-life crisis, but a health crisis that could have a lifelong impact. “It is crucial that issues with the digitization of the Healthy Start system be addressed as soon as possible. “Meanwhile, tens of thousands of families are left without the fruits and vegetables and formula they need for their children.” Chloe MacKean, head of business engagement at the Food Foundation, said the delays in resolving digitization issues were “just tough”. He added: “The government needs to do more to help the unprecedented number of families who are not receiving the necessary nutrients due to the cost of living crisis.” Healthy Start, released in 2006, is available to applicants for universal credit earning £ 408 or less per month and to applicants for child tax credit with an annual income of £ 16,190 or less. Old-timers can also claim benefits, including income support, job search allowance, pension credit and work tax credit. It is worth, 4.25 for each week of pregnancy from 10 weeks, then 50 8.50 εβδομάδα per week for children up to one year and, 4.25 £ per week for children up to four years. The value of the benefit last rose in April 2021 for the first time since 2009 after pressure from activists, including Marcus Rashford, but has not strengthened again this year despite rising costs of many of the things it is designed to pay for. The money was previously distributed as paper coupons that could be redeemed at supermarkets, but this was phased out by March 31 and replaced by a prepaid card, which is replenished every four weeks. However, the facility, which began last fall, has been plagued by problems, leaving troubled households unable to receive the support for which they are eligible. According to the NHS Business Services Authority, 547,662 people in England, Wales and Northern Ireland were eligible for the program in March, with 392,694 applicants receiving the benefit. As of April 29, there were 288,963 households receiving the allowance. It is not possible to make a “similar” comparison, as the NHSBSA has begun to record households rather than individual beneficiaries. However, he confirmed that as of May 19, 52,000 households that had previously received paper coupons had not successfully applied for the new payments. Sofia Parente, policy and campaign coordinator at the food charity Sustain, said: “There are still a huge number of families – mostly women – who really need the program and do not receive the payments.” Jade Martin, 25, was left without receiving money for her daughter for six months and said she was told by a Healthy Start consultant to go to a food bank while she waited for payment. The single mother of two, who is universally credited, said: “Every time I call them, they just refer me to the local food bank, but my daughter needs some kind of formula. “I told them, ‘I do not have milk, so what should I do?’ “They have all the evidence they need for my claim.” A mother of two, who owed nearly λί 100 before receiving the delay in May, said the problems started when the digital card was activated. “I’m quite frugal in general, I still work part-time but I do not earn much. I spend it all on the boys and their clothes and activities. “I have never been on holiday, we shop at Lidl, Poundland, Wilko, we try to manage our finances strictly,” he said. “But with the cost of living rising, everything adds up and I just had to make sacrifices and put the kids first.” The NHSBSA acknowledged in April that there was a technical issue that meant applications were being rejected. He stated that the problem had been resolved quickly and had affected only a small number of plaintiffs. The Guardian understands that the system automatically rejected anyone with outstanding universal credit payments, although this has not been confirmed by the NHSBSA. Old-fashioned privileged families are still unable to apply online and must either apply by telephone or email. Subscribe to the First Edition, our free daily newsletter – every morning at 7 p.m. BST The current problems with web applications are caused by a mismatch between the details provided by families about Healthy Start claims and their DWP benefit records, the NHSBSA said. In the meantime, ex post payment will only be granted if individuals can prove that they have tried to apply, such as providing a screenshot. Parents and pregnant women have reported having difficulty crossing the Healthy Start Helpline and having their payment cards discarded in stores. An NHSBSA spokesman said: “We consider the telephone lines to be extremely busy. “The NHSBSA provides several key services supporting people in need. All NHSBSA call center agents have extensive skills in the services we provide and support is provided by telephone, email and social media, as well as a range of automated self-service options that customers can use without the need for an agent to speak. . “ They added: “There are several reasons why a card may be rejected at the store.
