Healthy start vouchers - who was right?

[Bearcrumble]

Just witnessed a bit of a scene in Sainsbury's. A lady was trying to pay for Aptamil 6 months plus with Healthy Start vouchers but they wouldn't accept them. They said it was for infant formula only. As babies can't have straight cow's milk until 1 year surely this would count?

I had a look on the healthy start website and it said only for plain cow's milk or formula that says suitable from birth - which leaves a gap surely if they need a different formula at 6m?

I really don't know the ins and outs of it as have never used formula of any kind. Am just feeling a bit guilty for not offering to help her and just pretending it wasn't happening like everyone else... while she shouted and cried.

They don't need a different formula at 6 months, follow on milk is a loophole for companies to advertise formula. They can have birth onwards till they are old enough for cows milk (clue is in the word onwards) and it does them no harm as that is what it is designed for.

Try telling my SIL this, who got it anyway just to 'be on the safe side'

The shop was right

"You can’t spend your vouchers on infant formulas that are not based on cow’s milk – such as soya formulas or follow-on formula milks that say on the packaging that they are for babies aged six months or older"

Healthy Start vouchers are for fruit, veg, plain old cows milk, Healthy Start vitamins and first infant formula.

So Sainburys woman was right.

Oh, ok - thanks. That's good, I feel much less guilty for not getting involved now. The shopper seemed so sure she was right, she said she'd used them for that milk at another local branch.