Several nationwide charities are calling for the Healthy Start scheme to be up to date, together with Sustain, The Food Foundation, and Feeding Britain.
Newcastle-based Feeding Britain director Andrew Forsey stated: “Given the increases in food prices that are coming our way in the months ahead we need every layer of protection possible for families on the lowest incomes.”
He stated the federal government will have to make Healthy Start an auto-enrollment scheme for eligible families.
“The government can use the data and the technology at its disposal to register parents automatically, just to lift some of the burden off parents’ shoulders,” he stated.
Labour MP for South Shields, Emma Lewell, stated she were campaigning to take a look at and ensure that the allotted cash does now not go back to the Treasury if unclaimed.
“It just feels like such a no brainer,” she stated.
“The money is there, the government have it, it’s not going to the people who need it and there’s things we can do to make sure it does, but they’re not being done.
“I’m truly pissed off.”
Charities are also calling on the Department for Health and Social Care to release updated figures on enrollment on the scheme.
The NHS stopped publishing data in January 2023 due to an inaccuracy that was discovered and this has not since been rectified.
It means charities and local authorities cannot track who might be missing out.
The department has been approached for comment.
Follow BBC North East on X, external, Facebook, external, Nextdoor and Instagram, external.