General Enquir ies From Healthy Start Issuing Unit Regarding Entitlement To Healthy Start Vouchers (Info)

There is an Action Guide for this subject, click on 'Next Page' to access it

The Healthy Start Issuing Unit (HSIU) is contracted to the Department of Health (DoH). It is their responsibility to issue Healthy Start vouchers to tax credit claimants who have applied for them and whose details have been passed to the HSIU by HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC).

The information is passed to the HSIU every 2 weeks. Once the data is passed to the HSIU it is their responsibility to verify any applications for Healthy Start vouchers, and issue them where appropriate. There could be up to a 5 week delay from the date the claimant applied for Healthy Start vouchers before they receive their first issue of them from the HSIU.

When an application for Healthy Start vouchers has been made and the data is passed to HSIU, entitlement to Healthy Start vouchers will automatically be backdated 8 weeks or to the start date of the claimant's award, whichever is earlier.

As HSIU does not have access to the tax credits computer, they will contact a dedicated person by email to establish if there is entitlement to Healthy Start vouchers from an earlier date.

The criteria for receiving Healthy Start vouchers is listed in Healthy Start Vouchers.

In order to answer the query, you must use the tax credits computer to check the entitlement period and reply to the email confirming the entitlement.