Waitrose adds £1.50 to value of Healthy Start vouchers

Waitrose has become the latest supermarket to top up the value of the government’s Healthy Start vouchers.

It is increasing the value of the £3.10 vouchers to £4.60.

The John Lewis-owned supermarket said it had made the move to help recipients increase their fruit & veg intake.

Healthy Start vouchers are issued to pregnant women and families on low income with children under the age of four. They can be used to purchase healthy products, such as fresh, frozen, and tinned fruit & vegetables.

Customers with the vouchers need to present them at the checkout at any Waitrose store to increase their value.

This comes ahead of the government’s promise that the payments would increase from £3.10 to £4.25 from April this year.

Waitrose’s top-up follows Central England Co-op and Lidl bolstering the allowance by £1 and £1.15 respectively in December.

“We’re committed to helping people across the country access nutritious food,” said James Bailey, executive director for Waitrose. “We hope this latest move will help boost the fruit & veg intake for expectant mothers and thousands of young children at a vital stage of their development. 

“We know Healthy Start Vouchers provide essential support to people so we wanted to help make them go even further.”