NHS Healthy Start Voucher Scheme hit by computer glitch

The scheme offers a prepaid card to be used in certain retailers

Technical issues with a voucher scheme offering fresh food to low income families are causing "embarrassment and confusion", campaigners have said.

The NHS Healthy Start scheme allows some parents to claim up to £8.50 a week towards the cost of fruit and veg, milk and pulses.

A technical issue when the scheme was digitised last year led to existing recipients being refused funding.

The government said the glitch had been fixed and payments would be backdated.

The scheme, administered by the NHS Business Services Authority, was introduced to provide money for low-income households to buy healthy food.

But people who had been eligible on the previous paper-based scheme found themselves rejected when applying online.

Following its digitisation in October 2021, instead of vouchers users receive a Healthy Start card preloaded with money to be used in certain retailers.

However some existing recipients reported being rejected when applying online.

Messages were posted on social media ahead of the 'digital rollout' of the Healthy Start scheme

Sam Watts, of the Winchester Food Partnership, said the technical issues were proving a "huge problem".

"It's only through community groups that we got the briefing that there was a glitch, so we are trying to go back to families and say 'please reapply'.

"These new cards can't be used for part-payment... that's causing real embarrassment and confusion at the tills - and you can't use them for online shops."

Orla Delargy, of anti-poverty charity Sustain, said the issues with the digital scheme were "shocking".

"We know that with increasing energy and food prices, more people are being tipped into poverty and its really key that they get these benefits they are entitled to," she added.

The Department of Health and Social Care said the technical problem had been fixed and announced the the backdating the payments last week.

It said 330,000 people in England, Wales and Northern Ireland were currently benefiting from the scheme and insisted there was a "comprehensive communications plan in place" to encourage anyone rejected to reapply.

"People who qualified for paper vouchers have been sent four invitation letters via post or email to transition to the digital scheme, and the NHS Business Services Authority is advertising via leaflets, texts and social media."