Pregnant women and toddlers from low income families to get free fruit and vegetables

stressedaah30

i have found myself in position of singlemum and now get these vouchers and previously spent more than the vouchers ammount on formula milk and fruit for my kids
yes the world isnt fair and i can understand people sometimes feel whats the point in working when it seems u get penalised
this should be a universal programme for all familys with kids

Sazere

I used to receive Milk Tokens and then Healthy Start Vouchers. I received first lot of Healthy Start Vouchers and put them with my money off vouchers that I use in Tescos ready for when I went shopping. Instead hubby went shopping and handed over all my vouchers to checkout operator, he accepted the whole months vouchers off my shopping. But hubby did not buy any fruit, veg, or milk (don't use formula as breastfeeding) instead he bought two tins of Quality Street, bottle of vodka, case of budweiser, a turkey, some crisps and some other bits. So the point of my post is the vouchers have been used off Christmas shopping and the kids have not benefited at all. We are no longer entitled to vouchers but I thought the whole point of these were to ensure the kids had 'a healthy start'! What safeguards are in place to ensure people aren't using these against cigarettes, alcohol, etc?

earthmother

Like some other posters on here, one carton of formula a week is not enough for my youngest - he goes through 6 every 4 weeks (it wasn't for the elder two either - and they were on hungrier formula). Add to that the fact that mine can only tolerate Aptimil (at £7 a carton) and we're financially about a carton a month down on what we got under the old scheme.

Also, in case you are not aware, this new scheme ends at 4, not 5 as the old scheme did, so you get it for a year less than before.

I'm all for encouraging healthy eating, but if the supermarkets are taking them for anything (and my first shop with these wasn't checked either - they just scanned them all through), then it is not going to have the desired effect.


In the end it a rushed through cost cutting exercise, that just happens to make the government look good to those not actually living the experiment.

Tetsuko

fluffbag1 wrote:

If you work, you don't get anything in this country!

I think the point is if you are working, you can afford milk and fruit >.<

It's not meant as a freebie to those just scrimping on pennies who could afford to buy it otherwise but whose budgeting leaves alot to be desired. It's for low-income families who are struggling to give their children basic nutrition.

I would never begrudge a child a good start in life.

woekitten

I think these vouchers ae great!

The old milk tokens were unfair to breastfeeding mothers, as formula feeding mothers got a tin of milk a week whereas breastfeeding mothers only got milk. This effectively meant your voucher was worth £7 if you bottle fed, but only £2 or less (depending on where you got your milk) if you breatsfed. Also you dont even need to drink extra milk if you are breastfeeding, so I think it is great that you can get fruit and veg now.

I think it is a lot fairer that everyone gets the same and that breastfeeding is being encouraged, now that the clinics dont give out baby milk. Ive never understood why the NHS would want to help pay for something which put people at greater risk of illness, after all it is the national HEALTH service! People here are complaining they have to pay a bit for their formula now, but breastfeeding is free for everyone!

earthmother

woekitten wrote:

... breastfeeding is free for everyone!

It may be free - but sadly it isn't always possible - trust me, I would love to have never used a carton of formula for my three, but it was not to be.


I do however agree that the old system was biased, in the first year at least, towards formula feeders.

astonsmummy

And some people just dont want to brestfeed, i didnt want to.

kev801

Tetsuko wrote:

I think the point is if you are working, you can afford milk and fruit >.<

It's not meant as a freebie to those just scrimping on pennies who could afford to buy it otherwise but whose budgeting leaves alot to be desired. It's for low-income families who are struggling to give their children basic nutrition.

I would never begrudge a child a good start in life.

yup but some of these so called low-income families who just sponge of the working people and cant afford to look after there kids would rather have Sky TV, Smoke and go down the pub every week ETC.
While some people who try to hold down a job pay taxes and end up with alot less and struggle to survive and if they want help they just get told NO YOU WORK.

kev801

Sorry did not mean to offend just had a opinion

woekitten

astonsmummy wrote:

And some people just dont want to brestfeed, i didnt want to.

yeah and that is their choice, but why expect the nhs to supplement that choice?

the best food available for babies is FREE, so why expect to be given help to CHOOSE to BUY something that is not as good? surely no one should be complaining at havng to pay towards it just because they used to get it free.

Some mothers choose to feed their kids crap like twizzlers yet you dot get people complaining that you have to pay for them rather than get a voucher to get it FREE like you do for HEALTHY food