Digitisation of food vouchers for UK families left them hungry and desperate

Analysis: in a botched upgrade the fruit and veg Healthy Start scheme turned away numerous eligible low-income families

• Thousands of families miss out on healthy food benefit due to IT failures

As the cost of living crisis blew up in March, and millions faced starve or freeze" choices, it emerged - with dismal timing - that the rollout of the government's newly digitised Healthy Start fruit and veg voucher scheme for low-income mothers was in chaos.

About 550,000 mothers who are pregnant or who have children aged three or under are in theory eligible for the scheme, which is worth between 4.25 and 8.50 a week. Designed to ensure their kids get their five-a-day portions, milk or formula, it should have been a timely boost.