Wales debit card to pay for gluten free food in shops

People who cannot eat gluten in Wales will be given a pre -loaded bank -style cards with money to help pay their food.

The first move of the UK, which started later this year, will be an alternative to the existing system that has a prescription food from the pharmacy – affecting one of the 100 people.

Pembrokeshire, 54 -year -old Celiac Cherylee Barker from Narberth joined a pilot plan and took £ 14 a month and said, “The surface of the cost is drawn.”

A Celiac UK report said A gluten -free diet with 35% added to food invoices Health Minister Jeremy Miles said the Wales government wanted to “identify the supply of Gluten -free foods”.

The new card will work like a chip and pin debit card, and according to the Welsh government, supermarkets, stores, community pharmacies and online stores, including gluten -free foods will be taken in most places.

He does not tell people how much to be given – it will vary only according to the person and are regularly reviewed – or how much will be spent on the plan.

Ministers predict that this will be “cost neutral” and will not add any more to the NHS budget.

The prescription model will still be available in Wales, which are similar to plans in England, Scotland and Northern Ireland.

With celiac disease Because the immune system attacks its own tissue, it cannot eat gluten and cannot properly take its bodies nutrients.

It results in symptoms such as inflating, vomiting and diarrhea.

There is also an additional cost. Gluten -free food is more expensive tesco, ASDA, SAINSBURY’s and Morrison, the leading four supermarkets.

The average price of its own brand nut bread was 63p, £ 2.26 for a gluten -free equivalent.

Supermarket Penne Pasta is 56p per 500g, while the lowest gluten -free option was £ 1.22 an average.

Ms. Barker has been a part of the pilot plan in the Hywel DDA medical committee for the last five years.

It takes £ 42 every three months, which is equal to £ 14 a month, and described the previous prescription system as “a little embarrassing” and food “as it is not edible.”

He said: “I didn’t want to get the money from NHS. ‘I just thought and see, but after a short time I saw that it was just becoming more expensive.

“This is not a lifestyle choice, but a need.”

Although the card said it was “fantastic”, the amount he received was that the amount of increasing costs for everyone, especially for coaching, said.

Bethan Williams, a 24 -year -old Cardiff, said that the prescriptions did not work for him because the food is low quality.

As a vegetarian, he said that cash cards can give people with additional diets to give healthy choices to make healthy choices.

“I’m in a good position where I can meet high quality bread, but this is not the case for all people,” he said.

“Eating and eating a balanced diet is not a privilege, it is something that everyone should have right.”

For businesses like Plumvanilla Cafe and Deli in Narbert, which accepts the cash card, it is more necessary to make sure that they can serve the needs of the community.

Gemma Beere, who works in the cafe, said, “We noticed that they are shopping with gluten -free requirements, so we like to keep a big stock.”

However, it is a challenge to stock up shelves with high -cost products and to make sure that nothing is wasted.

Miles, the movement “GPS and pharmacies on the administrative loads” will cut, he said.

“For people with celiac disease, it is a medical necessity, not a choice of lifestyle after a strict gluten -free diet.

“We want to reduce the supply of gluten -free foods in Wales, provides people more freedom to reach the food they want to eat, more comfortable, will help them manage their situation.”

Tristen Humphreys from Celiac UK said: “We should not know that a gluten-free diet is celiac disease treatment, this is not a choice of lifestyle, but a serious autoimmune disease-we are recognized.”

He added that supporting people’s diets will help to prevent health complications and even to prevent NHS “affordable cost” and would call other England countries to follow the case.

Additional reporting by Sara Dafydd