For anyone who receives Healthy Start vouchers...

[kimberleyrobx]

Isn't this just ridiculous?! I didn't notice with Emily because I didn't sign up for the milk tokens after I had Emily for some strange reason. I was in asda the other day and thought to myself "OH, Nathan is six months old now, need to start buying in the stage 3 formula from six months onwards!" So I pick up a tub (for £7.99!) and go to the check out. I dive into my purse and bring out the milk tokens and the cashier says to me "You can't use them, they are for formula stated 'from birth' only" and for a minute I thought she was joking! Until I looked at the voucher and noticed she was right! How ridiculous! What is the point in stopping these vouchers once your baby hits 6 months?! So stupid! I was in Tesco yesterday (buying another tub) and I told the cashier about it and she was gob smacked! Shouted the manager over to take a look at my vouchers and said something along the lines of "Oh dear, well the law is the law, we'll just have to abide by it from now on" obviously they didn't even know about it! They were still accepting vouchers for these tubs of six months +! So now I receive around £34 in vouchers and I can only use it on certain cows milks, fruit and veg! Who the hell spends that much on cheap items every month? Sorry about the rant, I just think it's so ridiculous! Did anyone else know about this?

 

[LoveMyBaby786]

Yeh I only started getting them 2 months ago so ive only ever used them on fresh cows milk and fruit for my lo but I also think it is silly for those that are not using from birth formula milk! They should change the rules

 

[Natasha2605]

Thats strange, especially as milk is meant to be their main source of food till one... scares me that vulnerable mothers may just switch to cows milk early as they cant afford formula.

Saying that, with two kids, I easily spend £34 a month on cows milk and fruit and veg and don't recieve vouchers anyway. At present I probably spend about £15 a week filling them up!

 

[MrsButterfly]

Can you not just still give the stage one milk? We never did follow on milk - my HV said there was actually no point provided they have a varied diet. That way you can still use the vouchers.

 

[randomrach]

There's no reason you have to switch to the 6+ month milk you can use from birth milk up to a year. Both milks are practically the same but the 6 month milk has slightly more iron. It isn't a choice between using formula and cows milk, there's absolutely no reason you can't use stage 1 still.

 

[kimberleyrobx]

I think what I'll try doing is going to the self scanning and trying the vouchers there haha but I think it is stupid that you can only use these vouchers on the first two stages of formula... we don't rely on these vouchers but I feel very sorry for people on say income support and job seekers allowance with children, at £7.99 a tub it's very expensive! But they will do anything to get more money in for formula! They definitely should change the rules, the cashier in Tesco said she might just do that!

 

[MrsButterfly]

But other than the extra iron, the third stage formula is no different. It only exists really as companies are allowed to market it which they can't for first stages, so it makes them lots of ££. So I don't really see the issue. No one with the vouchers would need to start paying for formula but would just stick to stage one or two milks until a year old?

 

[AP]

Theres nothing wrong with staying on stage 1 milk, so theres no issue We didnt switch. If you wanted vitamins they are generally free in some places too, so worth speaking to your Health Visitor.

So now I receive around £34 in vouchers and I can only use it on certain cows milks, fruit and veg! Who the hell spends that much on cheap items every month?

Umm... breastfeeding mothers do? We bought cows milk and fruit and veg for the family

 

[kimberleyrobx]

I didn't know there wasn't much difference in them... Think ill just go back to stage 2! yes we receive free vitamins for our selves and for our children along with these vouchers, we mainly used up all our vouchers for Nathan's formula as it is so expensive but now we have all these left over ones! Will definitely go back to stage 2, I really need to do more research into these things!

 

[Midnight_Fairy]

Ive never switched at 6mo xx always stayed on first milk x

 

[Smudge101]

Isn't this just ridiculous?! I didn't notice with Emily because I didn't sign up for the milk tokens after I had Emily for some strange reason. I was in asda the other day and thought to myself "OH, Nathan is six months old now, need to start buying in the stage 3 formula from six months onwards!" So I pick up a tub (for £7.99!) and go to the check out. I dive into my purse and bring out the milk tokens and the cashier says to me "You can't use them, they are for formula stated 'from birth' only" and for a minute I thought she was joking! Until I looked at the voucher and noticed she was right! How ridiculous! What is the point in stopping these vouchers once your baby hits 6 months?! So stupid! I was in Tesco yesterday (buying another tub) and I told the cashier about it and she was gob smacked! Shouted the manager over to take a look at my vouchers and said something along the lines of "Oh dear, well the law is the law, we'll just have to abide by it from now on" obviously they didn't even know about it! They were still accepting vouchers for these tubs of six months +! So now I receive around £34 in vouchers and I can only use it on certain cows milks, fruit and veg! Who the hell spends that much on cheap items every month? Sorry about the rant, I just think it's so ridiculous! Did anyone else know about this?

I don't get healthy start vouchers but I spend a lot more than £34 a month on fruit and veg.

 

[randomrach]

Me too, Smudge!

I easily spend more on whole milk, fruit and veg in a month. I think fruit and veg are really quite expensive but maybe I buy more than most? I'm sure my shopping bill is far more than most families of 3

 

[CoffeePuffin]

If I had vouchers, I would keep getting the first milk.
And I spend way more than that on fruit/veg a month unfortunately.

 

[MumMumMum]

I don't get the vouchers either but easilu spend that much on dd1 a month on whole milk, fruit and veg for making my own meals for her in batch. I think the fresh stuff is all quite expensive!