Sainsbury’s will be helping to feed more than half a million pregnant women and children as it reintroduces its £2 top-up coupons to run alongside the government-funded NHS Healthy Start scheme.
Starting from this Wednesday (12 October) and running throughout the winter, the programme will see eligible customers automatically receiving a £2 coupon at the checkout each week, when they use their Healthy Start card in-store.
The NHS Healthy Start scheme has been designed to encourage a healthy diet for pregnant women, babies and young children under four from low-income households. Sainsbury’s additional funds are expected to help feed more than half a million pregnant women and children in need of support over the course of the six-month period to April 2023.
The weekly coupon will allow shoppers to put the extra money towards purchasing fresh, frozen and tinned fruit and vegetables, in a move to help families access affordable, nutritious food.
Sainsbury’s first introduced the £2 top-up coupon in 2021, helping families during February half-term and beyond. The coupon was later reintroduced that winter to provide extra help to those struggling over the Christmas period.
Sainsbury’s director of corporate responsibility and sustainability, Ruth Cranston, said: “We know that times are tough for millions of families across the country and that the rising cost-of-living is causing uncertainty for many of our customers.
“As part of our brand promise Helping Everyone Eat Better, we believe that everyone deserves to eat well, and the cost of healthy food shouldn’t be a barrier to this. We hope this additional support will ensure that good, quality food is accessible for everyone.”
The additional £2 has been found to have a significant change on customer eating habits. Analysis by Leeds Institute for Data Analytics, in partnership with IGD, revealed that customers using the top-up coupon purchased around 13 more portions of fruit and vegetable per basket compared to those that didn’t.
Sainsbury’s is also working with The Bread and Butter Thing, a community-led network of food clubs across the North of England, to help increase the uptake of the NHS Healthy Start scheme among low-income communities.
