Champion cook Gary promotes vital Best Start
support
Superchef Gary Maclean has urged people to check whether they may
be newly-qualified for a benefit which helps with the cost of
buying healthy food, milk and first infant formula.
Best Start Foods is up to £39.60 via a pre-paid chip and pin card
every four weeks to spend on food from pregnancy until a child
turns three.
The Scottish Government benefit was extended In February to
include 20,000 more people by removing income limits. Now
anyone who gets a qualifying benefit, is pregnant or has a child
under 3, is eligible regardless of their other income.
Some of those who are eligible might not yet have applied and
Gary, who won series nine of the BBC’s Masterchef in 2016, urged
them not to miss out.
Gary, who became Scotland’s first national chef in 2017,
emphasised the importance of expectant parents getting all the
support available to buy nutritious foods.
The 52-year-old, said extra available cash could be vital in
making ingredients go further when cooking for babies and
toddlers.
Gary said:
“Best Start Foods is really vital extra help at an important time
in people's lives and I would encourage all those who think they
may qualify to make the most of it.
“We are all aware of the rising costs of food in recent years so
any help in buying nutritious ingredients can make a
difference.
“Pregnancy is definitely a time when good wholesome food is
especially important. This payment is available from as soon as
you know you are pregnant and I want people to be aware of
that.
“There are people who may not have been eligible before but are
now following some changes to the rules – people can check online
and apply if they think they qualify.”
Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice said:
“Gary has been a champion of using locally sourced healthy
ingredients and using budgets sensibly to make great nutritious
meals.
“Best Start Foods is now available to more people than ever
before thanks to our commitment to tackling poverty – with
investment of £1.1 billion more than the UK Government gives to
the Scottish Government for social security.
“As Gary has said we want to make sure as many people as possible
get this support. If you think you are eligible please check
online and apply.”
The call has been echoed by charity One Parent Families Scotland.
Chief Executive Satwat Rehman said:
“The Best Start Foods grant is a vital source of support for
parents, and we very much welcome the fact that the income
threshold to qualify has been increased.
“This means that a large number of parents we support will now be
eligible, having previously lost out because their income was
only just above the threshold.”
Notes to editors
The Scottish Government replaced the UK Healthy Start Voucher
scheme in Scotland with Best Start Foods in August
2019.
Details of who is eligible can be accessed here Who should apply -
mygov.scot
The payment provides £19.80 every four weeks throughout
pregnancy, £39.60 every four weeks from birth until a child turns
one, then £19.80 every four weeks until a child turns
three.
The payment is due to rise in line with inflation from next
month.
