Many families are missing out on a scheme that provides them with free food and drink.

The NHS scheme offers support to families with young children and pregnant women who are on a low income and receiving qualifying benefits.

It can be used to buy healthy food such as milk, infant formula, and fruit and vegetables.

Those eligible could receive top-ups of £4.25 or £8.50 per week based on their child’s age.

Last August, the take-up rate of 63.9 per cent fell below the government’s target of 75 per cent, and meant that 200,000 families were missing out on a collective £880,000 worth of healthy meals each week.

Since then, 113,624 more people have applied for the scheme and there are currently 356,267 on the families in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland who are benefitting from it.

You can apply by email or phone if you’re at least 10 weeks pregnant, or have at least one child under four years old, and get Income Support, Universal Credit, Working Tax Credit run-on) and you do not get Child Tax Credit, or Pension Credit.

You can also apply by email or phone if you’re at least 10 weeks pregnant and either under 18 years old and not getting any benefits, getting Child Tax Credit and not getting Working Tax Credit and your family’s annual income is £16,190 or less, or getting income-related Employment and Support Allowance.

Healthy Start vitamins provide the correct amount of vitamins recommended by the government. They are available to pregnant and breastfeeding people, people with a child under one year old, and children under the age of four.

A spokesperson said: “Healthy Start vitamins are important because eight per cent of children under five in the UK do not have enough vitamin A in their diet.

“Families in lower-income groups tend to have less vitamin C in their diet “All pregnant people, breastfeeding people and young children are at risk of vitamin D deficiency (teenagers, younger adults and those from ethnic minorities are particularly at risk).”

The published data shows the number of people on the digital scheme. This includes the number of children under the age of four and the number of pregnancies over ten weeks.

The data reflects all who have been accepted onto the scheme through an online application and issued with a prepaid card.

The total number of people eligible for the scheme and the uptake percentage for August 2024 are not available due to an issue with the source data.

To apply, visit healthystart.nhs.uk/how-to-apply/.