Jo Churchill MP Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for ... Start... · spending power to those...

JoChurchillMPParliamentaryUnder-SecretaryofStateforHealth 39VictoriaStreet London SW1H0EU22June2020 DearMinister, AcceleratingtheonlineapplicationprocessforHealthyStart DuringtheCovid-19crisiswehaveseenasignificantincreaseinfoodinsecurity,withanestimatedfivemillionpeople(17%)livinginhouseholdswithchildrenintheUKhavingexperiencedfoodinsecurityduringthefirstfiveweeksofCOVID-19lockdown,asreportedbytheFoodFoundation.Aseconomicuncertaintycontinuesinthecomingmonths,itisvitaltheGovernmentkeepstakingstepstoensurethemostvulnerableamongsocietycanaffordtheirnextmeal.HealthyStartprovidesyoungandlow-incomepregnantwomenandlow-incomefamilieswithchildrenunderfouryearswithvouchersworth£3.10perweek(£6.20forinfants)topurchasevegetables,fruit,milkandinfantformula,worthupto£900perchild.TheschemealsoprovidesvitaminvouchersandthereforeensuresagoodsourceofVitaminD,whichtheGovernmenthashighlightedasimportantduringthisperiodoflimitedexposuretotheoutdoorsformany.Wewelcometheinitialstepstakenoverthelastyeartodigitisethescheme,particularlyasonlypaperapplicationformsexistcurrently.Nowisthetimetocompletethismodernisationprogrammetosupportvulnerablefamilies,specificallybyacceleratingthedigitaltransformationoftheapplicationprocess.Manyfamiliesdonothaveaprinterathomeandsowouldnormallyrelyonchildren’scentres,librariesorothercommunityservicestoprintorprovideapplicationforms.Withlibrariesclosedandreducedcontactwithhealthandcommunityservices,ourpartnersinLocalAuthoritiesandpublichealthteamsreportthatmanyfamiliesarestrugglingtoaccesspaperformsatthistimeofgreatneed.Enablingfamiliestoapplyonlinefromtheirownhomewillgivemorespendingpowertothosewhoneeditmostrightnow.EnsuringpregnantwomenandyoungchildrenhaveaccesstothenutritionalsafetynetthatHealthyStartvouchersprovide,andwhichcanenhanceintakeoffruitandvegetables,isparticularlyimportantforcurrentandfuturehealth.ThereisalsolikelytobeasignificantincreaseinpregnantwomenandfamilieseligibleforHealthyStart,bothduringthepeakofthepandemicandbeyond.Weunderstandthat1.4millionpeopleclaimedforUniversalCreditduringarecent

four-weekperiod,comparedto240,000typically.Ifjust10%ofthesenewclaimantsareeligibleforHealthyStarttheprogrammecouldseeupto140,000newfamiliesapplyingforthescheme,comparedto1,400newclaimantsduringanaveragefour-weekperiodover2019.Processingthismanypaperapplicationsisinefficientandlabourintensiveatatimewhenresourcesneedtobedeployedeffectively.Familiescanrequestpaperapplicationsbepostedtothembycallingthehelpline,butagain,thisisnotatimeorcost-effectiveapproachnoworwithincreaseddemand.Fast-trackingcompletionoftheonlineapplicationprocesswillhavelong-termreturnsforbothfamiliesandtheNHSBusinessServicesAuthority.Asyouknow,newregulationstosupportthedigitalrolloutwerealreadypassedinMarch2020,helpfullylayingthekeygroundworkforgovernmenttonowre-prioritisethisvitalscheme.WhileweunderstandthatoverthelastmonthmanyresourceswithinNHSBusinessServicesAuthorityhaveneededtoberedeployed,developmentoftheonlineapplicationformforHealthyStartmustnowbeacceleratedinordertoensurevulnerablefamiliescanaffordthefoodtheyneed,andtoprepareforalikelyswellinapplications.Werecognisethatresourcesarerightlybeingprioritisedtoaddresstheimmediatecrisis,butwealsocallfortheinvestmentinpoliciesthatimprovethegeneralhealthandresilienceofthepopulation.Weareawarethatsignificantworkhasalreadybeencompletedtodevelopanonlineapplicationformandbelievethatthiscouldbeliveinaveryshorttime.Wewouldwelcomeanopportunitytodiscussourproposalsasamatterofsomeurgency.WefeelacceleratingtheonlineapplicationprocessfortheHealthyStartwouldbeanimportantsteptosupportvulnerablefamiliesatthistimeofcrisisandduringtheaftermath.WewouldalsolikeconfirmationofthedateforthefullHealthyStartconsultationwhichtheDepartmentofHealthandSocialCarecommittedtoinJune2018inChapter2ofChildhoodObesity:aplanforaction.Yourssincerely, KathDalmeny,ChiefExecutive,Sustain:theallianceforbetterfoodandfarming; MemberoftheDefraFoodandVulnerabilityvoluntarysectorliaisongroup,theLondonStrategicCoordinationGroupforfoodandvulnerability,andthefoodandvulnerabilityleadfortheSustainalliance GillWalton,ChiefExecutive,TheRoyalCollegeofMidwives

DuncanStephenson,DeputyCEO,RoyalSocietyofPublicHealthProfessorRussellViner,President,RoyalCollegeofPaediatricsandChildHealth

CouncillorIanHudspeth,ChairmanoftheLocalGovernmentAssociationCommunityWellbeingBoardLynneStubbings,ChairofTheWomen’sInstituteAnnaTaylor,ChiefExecutiveoftheFoodFoundationRobPercival,HeadofPolicy(FoodandHealth),SoilAssociationSabineGoodwin,Coordinator,IndependentFoodAidNetworkCarolineBoveyBEM,BritishDieteticsAssociationChairSimonCapewellMDDSc,ProfessorofClinicalEpidemiology,UniversityofLiverpool,onbehalfoftheUKFacultyofPublicHealthDrCheryllAdamsCBE,FRSPH,D(Nurs),MSc,ExecutiveDirector,InstituteofHealthVisitingStephanieWood,Founder/CEO,SchoolFoodMattersHelenCrawley,Director,FirstStepsNutritionTrustNiallCooper,Director,ChurchActiononPoverty KieronBoyle,ChiefExecutive,Guy’sandStThomas’CharityJonathanPauling,ChiefExecutive,AlexandraRoseCharityKatiePalmer,ProgrammeManager,FoodSenseWalesVictoriaWilliams,Director,FoodMattersTomSkinner,Director,GreaterManchesterPovertyActionKatharineJennerRNutr,CampaignDirector,ActiononSugar ProfessorGrahamMacGregor,ChairmanofActiononSalt DanParker,ChiefExecutive,LivingLoudDr.RachelLoopstra,DepartmentofNutritionalSciences,King'sCollegeLondonGeoffTansey,Chair,FabianCommissiononFoodandPoverty2014-2015DanCrossley,ExecutiveDirector,FoodEthicsCouncil

NehaAgarwal,DirectorofDevelopment,TheAkshayaPatraFoundationUK

TomAndrews,ProgrammeDirector,SustainableFoodPlacesClairePritchard,CEO,GreenwichCooperativeDevelopmentAgencyVicBorrill,Director,Brighton&HoveFoodPartnershipKerryMelville,Coordinator,BelfastFoodNetworkEmilyFay,ShropshireFoodPovertyAllianceCo-ordinatorCouncillorKemiAkinola(Wandsworth),Founder/CEOofBe-EnrichedandDirectorofBrixtonPeople'sKitchenRebeccaSmith,DeputyCEO,SocialEnterpriseKentJenGriffiths,ChairofGoodFoodFlintshireandtheNorthWalesFoodPovertyAllianceVirginiaNimarkoh,Director,LambethLarderCommunityFoodResourceForcorrespondencepleasecontactSustain’sHealthyStartcampaignmanagerMaddieGuerlain:maddie@sustainweb.org