Guidance

Healthy Start extension: application guidance

Updated 30 May 2025

바카라 사이트˜You바카라 사이트™ in this guidance means 바카라 사이트˜the applicant바카라 사이트™ (unless stated otherwise - for example, where a third party is applying on behalf of the applicant).

Introduction

The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) has extended eligibility for the Healthy Start scheme to British children aged under 4 years old whose parent or guardian meets the financial eligibility criteria and is either:

• subject to a no recourse to public funds (NRPF) condition (as attached to their immigration permission)
• without any immigration status

To qualify for the extension, you must meet all of the following criteria:

1. You are subject to an NRPF condition (as attached to your immigration permission) or do not have an immigration status.
2. You have a British child, or more than one British child, aged under 4 years old.
3. Your family바카라 사이트™s take-home pay is £408 or less per month.

The eligibility criteria for the extension of the Healthy Start scheme does not include pregnant women.

You will be required to provide the relevant supporting documents to demonstrate you meet the criteria to be eligible.

The NHS Healthy Start extension scheme is being delivered by the NHS Business Services Authority (NHSBSA). If you are eligible for the NHS Healthy Start scheme under this extended criteria, you will need to apply by email to healthystartnrpf@nhsbsa.nhs.uk.

Foods you can buy with Healthy Start

Eligible families with children aged over one and under 4 will receive £4.25 every week per child, and children under one will receive £8.50 every week per child.

Healthy Start can be used to buy, or be put towards the cost of:

• fresh, frozen or tinned fruit and vegetables
• fresh, dried and tinned pulses
• milk and infant formula

Healthy Start cannot be used to buy other items not detailed above.

People on the extended NHS Healthy Start scheme will also be entitled to free .

Demonstrating eligibility

Below, NHSBSA set out the evidence that they will accept when reviewing applications for the scheme.

Demonstrating all 3 parts of the eligibility criteria can be complicated. If you think you meet the criteria but do not have the accepted evidence, you should contact the team at healthystartnrpf@nhsbsa.nhs.uk.

Fraudulent applications

You may have action taken against you (such as civil and/or criminal sanctions) and may be required to return any overpayments received under this scheme if you:

• are found to have knowingly and dishonestly applied for this scheme when you do not meet the eligibility criteria
• are found to have submitted false documentation
• fail to notify NHSBSA of a change of circumstances that affects your eligibility for the scheme

1. No recourse to public funds or without any immigration status

Where a parent바카라 사이트™s immigration status is subject to an NRPF condition, the evidence confirming this needs to be provided with the application form.

This can be evidenced by providing a letter from the Home Office, copies of a biometric residence permit or by sharing your digital status share code. This is not the only evidence accepted to help demonstrate you meet this part of the eligibility criteria. Contact the team for help with any questions you may have.

Where a parent has no immigration status, it may not be straightforward to evidence this. The parent or a third party, with appropriate authorisation, should contact the team to discuss the application.

You should be aware that:

• where a family unit has access to public funds (for example, one of the parents has access to public funds), then this part of the eligibility criteria will not be met, and the application will not progress on that basis
• where a family unit has split but still live at the same address and one of the parents has access to public funds, then this part of the eligibility criteria will not be met, and the application will not progress on that basis

Evidence for NRPF

Accepted evidence (provide as many as possible of the following):

• a letter from the Home Office that states that, as a result of an application decision, you have a condition of NRPF
• a letter from the Home Office that states you are in receipt of the section 95 support scheme
• your visa, which states that you have NRPF and has not expired
• a biometric residence permit (even if this has expired), alongside the share code from your eVisa (see View your eVisa and get a share code to prove your immigration status online)

Evidence that is not accepted:

• a letter from a charity or local authority that states you have NRPF
• a letter from a charity or local authority that states your family are in receipt of section 17 support

In certain situations, you may have a letter from the Home Office on your application that shows you have access to public funds, but when you apply for these (such as Universal Credit) you are rejected. In situations where you have recourse to public funds but have been denied access, you are likely to be ineligible for the scheme. Contact the team to discuss your application to be certain. You should only contact the team where you meet the other 2 eligibility criteria (for example, you earn £408 or less per month and have a British child under 4 years old).

Evidence for no immigration status

Accepted evidence (provide at least one of the following):

• confirmation the applicant has no legal status due to arriving illegally or their visa has expired
• copy of original visa that has expired

2. British child aged under 4 years old

Children born in the UK to a British or settled parent are automatically British citizens. Children born abroad to a British parent may be British citizens: their status will depend on how the parent in question acquired British nationality. There are special provisions for the children of Crown servants and armed forces.

Children born in the UK

If at least one of the parents is a British citizen or Irish citizen living in the UK, then the child is a British citizen. This can be evidenced by providing the British passport for the child, a full UK birth certificate or a naturalisation or registration certificate for the British parent. For Irish parents, the team need an Irish passport or evidence of Irish nationality and proof of address. In both cases, the team need the full birth certificate (showing the parents바카라 사이트™ details) of the child born in the UK.

Where neither of the parents held British or Irish citizenship, the child will only be automatically a British citizen if, when they were born in the UK, at least one of their parents was settled. This can include:

• indefinite leave to remain
• settled status
• permanent residence status
• right of abode
• right to re-admission

This can be evidenced by providing information regarding the immigration status of the parent - for example, their passport or a biometric residence permit.

If one of the parents was in the UK armed forces, the child is automatically a British citizen. This can be evidenced by providing the passport of the parent and evidence of service in the forces, such as a letter from the Ministry of Defence.

Children of European parents

A child born in the UK after 1 July 2021 to European parents will become a British citizen automatically where their parent is successful in being granted indefinite leave to remain under the EU Settlement Scheme after the child바카라 사이트™s birth.

Information about children of EEA nationals is available at Check if you바카라 사이트™re a British citizen.

Children born outside the UK

British citizenship is normally automatically passed down one generation to children born outside the UK. A child born abroad to a British parent will become a British citizen by descent. The exception to this is if the British parent themselves holds their nationality by descent from their own birth abroad.

British citizens by descent cannot normally pass on their citizenship to children born outside of the UK (see exceptions below), but a British citizen otherwise than by descent can. It does not affect any other of the rights or duties that go with British citizenship.

A parent who is a British citizen by descent cannot normally pass that status on, unless the British parent was in one of the 3 types of service listed below at the time of the birth:

• Crown service - the recruitment must have taken place in the UK
• specially designated service - the recruitment must have taken place in the UK
• European Community institution service - the recruitment must have taken place in a country which was a member of the European Union

Generally, parents who were born in the UK or naturalised or registered as a British citizen based on a period of residence in the UK are British citizens otherwise than by descent.

Children born abroad need to provide their birth certificate and evidence of their parents바카라 사이트™ British nationality.

Contact the team if you have any questions.

Adopted children

A child who is not already a British citizen becomes a British citizen from the date of an adoption order if:

• the adopter (or, in the case of a joint adoption, one of the adopters) is a British citizen and the adoption is authorised by a court in the UK
• it is a convention adoption under the 1993 Hague Convention on intercountry adoptions and the adopter (or, in the case of a joint adoption, both of the adopters) are habitually resident in the UK

This can be evidenced by an adoption order made by a court in the UK or a certificate showing adoption under the Hague Convention. The team also need evidence showing the parent is a British citizen.

Newborn infant found abandoned

A newborn infant found abandoned in the UK will be a British citizen. This can be evidenced by documents from the police or local authority.

Evidence for British child aged under 4 years old

Accepted evidence:

• a valid British passport for the child on the application

Evidence that is not accepted:

• UK birth certificate for the child where both parents are not born in the UK
• UK birth certificate with one parent who was born outside of the UK

Single parent with NRPF with a British child

Where the British child, who is aged under 4 years old, is in sole custody of the parent who has NRPF, that parent can apply for the Healthy Start scheme under the extended criteria. This is only when the other parent, who is a British citizen, is not claiming any public funds for that child. In certain circumstances the child may not have a British passport.

Evidence for single parents with NRPF who have sole custody of a British child

Accepted evidence where there is no British passport for the child (provide all of the following):

• full UK birth certificate with both parents바카라 사이트™ details (read more about UK birth certificates)
• British passport for the parent who is a British citizen

Where it is not in the interests of the parent with NRPF to get in touch with the other parent due to personal circumstances, please make the team aware of this when applying - the team will work with you to fully understand the situation to see if they can progress your application.

Evidence that is not accepted:

• full UK birth certificate with one parent who was born outside of the UK

3. Family바카라 사이트™s earned income is £408 or less per month

You will need to provide financial statements to demonstrate the family바카라 사이트™s earned income is £408 or less per month. This can be in the form of a bank statement or a letter from an organisation providing information that demonstrates the family meets this criteria. If the family is in receipt of local authority or Home Office support, you should include this information in your application as this may help the team understand your current financial situation.

These are not the only documents the team will accept to help demonstrate you meet this part of the eligibility criteria - contact them if you have any questions.

Evidence for earned income

Accepted evidence (provide at least one of the following):

• full copy of the previous month바카라 사이트™s bank statement
• Home Office letter dated within 3 months, in relation to the applicant바카라 사이트™s immigration status, stating there is a no work control in place

How to apply

All applications must be made electronically by email.

If you are unable to submit your application by email, call NHSBSA on 0300 330 7010 or email healthystartnrpf@nhsbsa.nhs.uk.

You can apply on behalf of someone but only with their written consent. The applicant named on the application form will need to provide their consent for you to apply on their behalf, either on the form itself or by email to the team.

Decisions are based on the applicant meeting all of the eligibility criteria as set out below:

• you are subject to an NRPF condition (as attached to your immigration permission) or do not have an immigration status
• you have a British child, or more than one British child, who is aged under 4 years old
• your family바카라 사이트™s take-home pay is £408 or less per month

The application process step by step

Step 1: request an application form

You will need to email the team at healthystartnrpf@nhsbsa.nhs.uk to request an application form. You must only use this email address if you think you cannot claim public funds because of your immigration status.

Step 2: complete the form and gather supporting evidence

Once you have received the application form you will need to complete it and gather your supporting evidence to demonstrate you meet all the eligibility criteria. You will need to provide copies, where applicable, of:

• your passport number or Home Office reference number or case ID (if known)
• Home Office share code
• proof of your address
• your child바카라 사이트™s birth certificate
• your child바카라 사이트™s British passport
• proof of your earned income from the previous month - for example, a copy of your recent bank statements (if you do not have a bank statement you must provide documents that demonstrate you meet the financial criteria - the team will contact you as soon as possible if they require further information to help process the application)
• proof that you have NRPF

The evidence that is accepted for each criteria is set out in the relevant sections above.

If you have any questions, contact the extension team at healthystartnrpf@nhsbsa.nhs.uk. NHSBSA will work with all applicants and third parties prior to the completed application being submitted to help answer any questions. NHSBSA will respond to emails within 5 working days.

Step 3: submit the form and supporting evidence

Once you have all the supporting evidence and have signed and dated the application form, send these to healthystartnrpf@nhsbsa.nhs.uk.

Step 4: get outcome

The NHS Healthy Start extension team will only review fully completed applications.

You will receive email confirmation of the outcome of your completed application within 5 working days.

If the application or the supporting documents are missing or do not clearly show the applicant meets all 3 parts of the eligibility criteria, the team will contact you to progress the application.

The team may at this stage let you know that you are not eligible for the scheme, and will explain why.

Successful applications

If your application is successful, because you meet all the criteria set out above, your initial payment will be backdated to the point you (or someone acting on your behalf with your written consent) first emailed the NHS Healthy Start extension team at healthystartnrpf@nhsbsa.nhs.uk to request an application form.

You will receive payments into your bank account every 4 weeks. If you do not have a bank account, let the team know and they will work with you to help you receive your benefit.

If your circumstances change

You must update the team when your circumstances change - for example if:

• there바카라 사이트™s been a change in your earned income from work, meaning you earn more than £408 per month
• your address has changed
• your immigration status has changed, meaning you have access to public funds

If you need to add another British child under the age of 4 to your claim, you must contact the team to notify them. You will be asked to complete a new application to reconfirm your eligibility and begin receiving payments for the new child. You will be entitled to payments for the new child from the date that you first notified the team of the new child.

Unsuccessful applications

If your application is unsuccessful, the team will let you know why you are not eligible for the scheme.

Depending on the reasons for the decision, you may be able to re-apply if your situation changes - for example, if you earned over £408 per month but then find yourself earning less. If you have any questions, contact the team.

Contact the team

You can contact the NHS Healthy Start extension team at healthystartnrpf@nhsbsa.nhs.uk.

The team will respond to all emails within 5 working days.