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Guidance

Healthy Start extension: application guidance

Sets out who is eligible to apply for the Healthy Start scheme under the extended criteria, and how to apply.

Updates to this page

From:
Department of Health and Social Care
Published:
31 July 2024
Last updated:
24 September 2026
Show all updates

  1. Updated to reflect that Healthy Start weekly payments for eligible families have risen to £4.65 per child under 4 and £9.30 per child under one; that only supporting organisations, not individuals, can apply on someone's behalf; and that if all requested documents are submitted within 16 weeks of the initial contact then the payment will be backdated to that date. Also updated the 'Evidence for NRPF' section to remove visa and biometric residence permit; the 'Evidence for no immigration status' to reflect both methods of accepted evidence are needed; and the 'Evidence for earned income' section to add "evidence for no immigration status" as an accepted method of evidence.

  2. Updated the definition of an eVisa in the section 'Evidence for NRPF'.

  3. Updated to reflect that the Healthy Start extension scheme is now managed by the NHS Business Services Authority (NHSBSA) (on behalf of the Department of Health and Social Care).

  4. Updated ‘Evidence for NRPF’ in section ‘1. No recourse to public funds or without any immigration status’ of the guidance. DHSC will accept as evidence a visa that states that you have NRPF and which has not expired. DHSC will also accept a biometric residence permit (even if this has expired) alongside the share code from an eVisa.

  5. First published.

Documents

Healthy Start extension: application guidance

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Details

The extended Healthy Start scheme is available 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

This guidance provides full details of:

  • who is eligible to apply for the scheme under the extended criteria
  • how to apply

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