Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of (1) the eligibility criteria, and (2) the available methods of applying, for people aged under 18 with children who are seeking to apply for the NHS Healthy Start scheme.

The Department keeps the eligibility criteria for the Healthy Start scheme under continuous review. There are no current plans to change eligibility for the scheme. The NHS Business Services Authority also keeps the application methods for the NHS Healthy Start scheme under review, and there are no current plans to change the process for under 18 year olds.

Those who are under 18 years old, with parental responsibility for at least one child under four years old, and who meet the eligibility criteria for Healthy Start through Universal Credit or Child Tax Credit, can apply online. This is the same process for all who are eligible through these qualifying benefits.