Celebrity chef Tom Kerridge is among a group of campaigners urging the UK Government to take stronger action against food insecurity in its upcoming child poverty strategy.
In a letter, the campaigners highlighted the shortcomings of the Healthy Start scheme, a program aimed at helping families with young children buy nutritious food. They argue that the scheme needs to be expanded and reformed to reach more families in need.
Currently, the Healthy Start scheme is available in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland to those who are more than 10 weeks pregnant or have children under the age of four, provided they are claiming certain benefits. The scheme allows participants to buy healthy foods like milk and fruit, and receive free vitamins.
The Government’s child poverty taskforce, which works with devolved administrations, is set to release its strategy this spring.
The letter, co-ordinated by The Food Foundation, was signed by representatives from various charities and medical organizations. It was addressed to Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson, Health Secretary Wes Streeting, and Work and Pensions Secretary Liz Kendall.
Campaigners say that the Healthy Start scheme has been “neglected” in recent years and needs urgent changes to help give children a better start in life. They are calling for the following improvements:
Expanding eligibility to include all families receiving Universal Credit.
Raising the age limit to include children under five.
Increasing the value of the scheme to match inflation.
Introducing auto-enrolment, making the scheme “opt-out” rather than “opt-in,” which would remove barriers to participation.
According to the campaigners, the scheme could play a major role in reducing food insecurity through weekly food allowances and multivitamin supplements, but it is not currently reaching those who need it most.
Research from The Food Foundation found that nearly 18% of UK households with children experience food insecurity, compared to 11.7% of households without children.
Tom Kerridge, a signatory of the letter, emphasized the urgency of reform. “It is unacceptable that in the UK, so many households with children are facing food insecurity,” he said. “The Healthy Start scheme could be a vital resource, but it must be improved to reach those who need it most. These changes should be part of the Government’s child poverty strategy.”
In response, a Government spokesperson said, “No child should live in poverty. Our ministerial taskforce is exploring all available options to give children the best start in life. We will tackle food insecurity by rolling out free breakfast clubs in primary schools and providing free meals for children during school holidays. We are also increasing the National Living Wage and capping Universal Credit debt repayments as part of our Plan for Change.”
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