Best Start Foods vs Healthy Start if I move to Scotland

What changes when I move to Scotland?

These are two different schemes, not a rename of the same card. NHS Healthy Start is for people who live in England, Wales or Northern Ireland. Its homepage says that if you live in Scotland you get help from Best Start Foods instead. mygov.scot says the reverse: if you live in England, Wales or Northern Ireland you cannot get Best Start Grant or Best Start Foods.

A Healthy Start Mastercard does not become a Best Start Foods card when your postcode changes. Social Security Scotland issues its own prepaid card after a Scottish application. NHS scheme rules also say you must report a change of address.

The practical gap Which? only mentions in passing is the house move: Healthy Start stops being the right scheme in Scotland, the prepaid card is different, Best Start Foods lasts until age 3 not 4, and the Scottish card can be used online.

How do the official amounts compare?

Quote each scheme in the unit its own page uses. NHS Healthy Start publishes weekly rates and says the card is topped up every 4 weeks. mygov.scot publishes 4-weekly Best Start Foods amounts. Do not treat a weekly figure as a 4-weekly figure.

If your child is already 3 but still under 4, Healthy Start can still apply in England, Wales or Northern Ireland. Best Start Foods official rules stop when the child turns 3. A move at that age can end the food payment even if the family still meets a low-income test.

Can I use the same card in shops or online?

No — and the shopping rules differ even before you move.

• Healthy Start. NHS scheme rules say the prepaid Mastercard is for permitted food and milk in UK shops that display the Mastercard logo. They also say you should not use the card to shop online, or outside the UK (including the Republic of Ireland).
• Best Start Foods. mygov.scot says payments go on a prepaid card you can use in shops and online. The card guide explains online checkout with a one-time passcode. Parent Club lists eggs as well as milk, fruit, vegetables and pulses — eggs are not on the NHS Healthy Start buy-list.
• Vitamins. Healthy Start also covers collection of NHS vitamins in England and Wales (and a posted route in Northern Ireland). That is a Healthy Start feature, not a Best Start Foods feature.

How do I switch after the move?

There is no official transfer button. Close the English, Welsh or Northern Irish claim properly, then start a Scottish application if you now live in Scotland and meet Social Security Scotland’s rules.

1. 1
   Tell NHS Healthy Start you have moved NHS scheme rules say you must report a change of address. The update your details page lists an online form and 0300 330 7010 (Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm except public holidays). If you get Universal Credit, keep the address on that claim in line as well.
2. 2
   Spend any remaining Healthy Start balance under the NHS rules Scheme rules say that if checks show you are no longer eligible, payments stop and you have 16 weeks to spend remaining funds before the card is closed. Unused money after that period is reclaimed. Use the card at least once every 16 weeks while it is open.
3. 3
   Apply for Best Start Foods in Scotland Use the mygov.scot Best Start Grant and Best Start Foods application (online, phone 0800 182 2222, or paper). You must live in Scotland. Qualifying-benefit rules are on the who should apply page — they are not the same list as NHS Healthy Start.
4. 4
   Activate the Scottish prepaid card mygov.scot says Social Security Scotland partners with allpay. Activate a first card on 0808 196 1687, then use it in shops or online from the first payment date on your letter. This is a new card, not your old Healthy Start Mastercard.

Does Best Start Foods last as long as Healthy Start?

Official pages say no. NHS Healthy Start is for pregnancy from 10 weeks or a child under 4. Best Start Foods is for pregnancy and a child under 3. mygov.scot also says you can apply for Best Start Foods as soon as you know you are pregnant, or until the child turns 3.

If a baby is born early, mygov.scot says the higher Best Start Foods amount runs from birth until 1 year after the due date. NHS Healthy Start uses the child’s actual age bands on the scheme-rules page.

What about Best Start Grant if I already had a Sure Start Maternity Grant?

Best Start Foods is the food card. Best Start Grant is a set of cash payments (Pregnancy and Baby, Early Learning, School Age) on the same Scottish form. mygov.scot says you cannot get the Pregnancy and Baby Payment if you have already had a Sure Start Maternity Grant for the same baby.

In shortOn a move to Scotland: tell NHS Healthy Start, do not expect the same Mastercard to keep working, and apply for Best Start Foods if you now live in Scotland. Compare age 4 versus age 3, in-store-only versus shops-and-online, and weekly versus 4-weekly published amounts before you assume the payment continues.