Provision of Healthy Start Jersey vouchers

WQ.206/2026

WRITTEN QUESTION TO THE MINISTER FOR SOCIAL SECURITY BY DEPUTY L.M.C. DOUBLET OF ST. SAVIOUR

QUESTION SUBMITTED ON MONDAY 12th OCTOBER 2026 ANSWER TO BE TABLED ON MONDAY 19th OCTOBER 2026

Question

"In relation to the provision of Heal thy Start Jersey vouchers for fresh fruit and vegetables, will the Minister provide an update of the information supplied in Written Question 248/2023, to include the relevant information to date, and will she further provide a breakdown, for each of the years identified, of the number of recipients who have received these vouchers who were not on Income Support but were identified by a Heal th Visitor as living in poverty, and the cost of that provision?"

Answer

The Heal thy Start scheme supports good nutrition during pregnancy, breastfeeding and early life by providing vouchers to purchase fresh fruit and vegetables in local shops. The scheme is available to low income families as follows:

• A pregnant woman who is receiving Income Support can apply for the Heal thy Start scheme once she has had her first midwife appointment.

• A parent with children aged 0–5 (until the day before their 6th birthday) who is receiving Income Support is automatically enrolled in the Heal thy Start scheme, with the option to opt-out. Eligibility is identified and participants enrolled automatically by the Employment, Social Security and Housing Department once a child is born and registered.

• A parent who is receiving Income Support can apply for the Heal thy Start scheme on behalf of a child up to the child's 6th birthday.

• The scheme can also support parents of children aged 0-5 who have lived in Jersey for less than five years and are not eligible to apply for Income Support, if a Family Nursing and Home Care (FNHC) health visitor or school nurse confirms their need to receive this support. Charities and

community organisations are also able to refer families to FNHC to receive a Heal thy Start assessment.

The below table summarises the number of recipients and the cost of these vouchers from 2024 – October 2026. Please note the scheme was extended to include children under 6 in November 2025 (prior to this, only pregnant women and parents with children under 4 were eligible).

The number of recipients who have received these vouchers through an FNHC assessment is shown in the table below. This data is only available from 2025 when eligibility was extended to families with under 5 years residency