The Welsh government will hand out debit-style cards preloaded with taxpayers’ money to gluten-free people to use for their food shops. People with diseases such as coeliac are currently given food on prescription from the pharmacy. While the prescription system will still be available, the new scheme allows people to the card to pay for gluten-free foods in places such as supermarkets, community pharmacies, and online shops.
Health Minister Jeremy Miles said the aim of the UK-first move is to “de-medicalise the supply of gluten-free foods”, which add 35% to bills, according to a Coeliac UK report. Cherylee Barker from Pembrokeshire was given £14 a month on her card during the pilot scheme, which she told the BBC “scratches the surface of the cost” and the food is “not that edible”.
She said: “I didn’t want to take the money from the NHS. I thought ‘just suck it up and see’, but after a little while I just found it was just becoming more and more expensive … It isn’t a lifestyle choice, it is a need.”
The Welsh government has not revealed how much money will be loaded onto the cards, though the figure will vary by person and be reviewed regularly.
It’s also not known how much will be spent on the scheme, but ministers said it would be “cost-neutral” and not add to the NHS budget.
Mr Miles said the new initiative would also cut “administrative burdens on GPs and pharmacies”. He added: “For people living with coeliac disease, following a strict gluten-free diet is not a lifestyle choice but a medical necessity.
“We want to de-medicalise the supply of gluten-free foods in Wales, giving people more freedom to access the food they want to eat, more conveniently, to help them to manage their condition.”
Gluten-free food is more expensive across the country’s four biggest supermarkets: Tesco, Asda, Sainsbury’s, and Morrisons.
An own brand loaf of bread costs 63p on average, whereas the gluten-free equivalent is a whopping £2.26. For penne pasta, it’s 56p per 500g on average, whereas the cheapest gluten-free option averaged £1.22.
Coeliac disease makes a person’s immune system attack their own tissues so their body cannot properly taken in nutrients, meaning they can’t eat gluten or suffer bloating, vomiting and diarrhoea.