Exclusive: Scheme aiming to reduce child poverty and health inequalities excludes some of poorest families
An eleven-month-old baby and her mother are bringing a case in the high court to try to secure the baby’s right to free vitamins, formula milk and nutritious food.
In the first case of its kind, lawyers for the mother and baby are arguing the baby should not be excluded from the government’s Healthy Start scheme, which aims to reduce child poverty and health inequalities. The programme provides vitamins, nutritional advice and weekly vouchers to buy healthy food such as fresh fruit and vegetables or infant formula to low-income families with pregnant women and children up to the age of four. It is intended to benefit those with the “greatest need”.
