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THOUSANDS of children and low-income pregnant women missed out on free food vouchers last year after the government failed to promote the scheme, concerned charities and welfare organisations have reported.
In a joint letter to Health Secretary Matt Hancock, the 26 signatory organisations said that more than 130,000 households entitled to the Healthy Start vouchers missed out on £28.6 million worth of free fruit, vegetables, milk and infant formula.
Only 64 per cent of vouchers were claimed in England and Wales, according to the letter, whose signatories include the Trussell Trust, Sustain, the Royal Society for Public Health and the Royal College of Midwives.
They are now calling on savings from unclaimed vouchers to be used to help fund an awareness campaign for foodbanks.
An increasing number of people in Britain do not know where their next meal will come from, with an estimated 8.4 million experiencing household food insecurity, including about 19 per cent of children, the letter said.
“We call on the government to fund a national programme to ensure that midwives, health visitors, GPs and other relevant staff in health, social care and early-years settings actively help all eligible pregnant women and new parents claim the Healthy Start vouchers,” it said.
“We ask you to work with local authorities and the third sector to make sure that no child or expectant mother misses out on this important safety net.”
An inquiry by the Food Foundation think tank reported that the current £3.10 per week in vouchers has not been adjusted since 2009 and is not aligned with the government’s own estimates of the cost of fruit and vegetables.
The foundation has urged the value be raised to a minimum of £6 per week.
London had the highest value of unclaimed food, with more than £4.5m not being claimed. The north-east of England wasted the least nationally, at just over £1.3m.
While the shortfall took place, the government “wasted time fighting over Brexit” and spent £1.5 billion in the same year as preparation for a no-deal outcome, the organisations said.
