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You could get a one-off payment of 拢500 to help towards the costs of having a child. This is known as a Sure Start Maternity Grant.

You usually qualify for the grant if both of the following apply:

• you鈥檙e expecting your first child, or you鈥檙e expecting a multiple birth (such as twins) and have children already
• you or your partner already get certain benefits

You must claim the grant within 11 weeks of the baby鈥檚 due date or within 6 months after the baby鈥檚 birth.

You do not have to pay the grant back and it will not affect your other benefits or tax credits.

A Sure Start Maternity Grant is 拢500 and you do not have to pay it back.

If you already have children under 16

You might be able to get the grant if you鈥檙e having twins or triplets. How much you鈥檒l get depends on the children you already have.

You鈥檒l also need to meet the other eligibility requirements.

How you鈥檙e paid

All benefits, pensions and allowances are paid into your bank, building society or credit union account.

Usually, to get a Sure Start Maternity Grant you must have no other children under 16. You or your partner must also get one of these benefits:

• Income Support
• income-based Jobseeker鈥檚 Allowance
• income-related Employment and Support Allowance
• Pension Credit
• Child Tax Credit
• Working Tax Credit that includes a disability or severe disability element
• Universal Credit

You may also qualify if you鈥檙e getting a Support for Mortgage Interest loan.

If you already have children under 16

You may be able to get a grant if you or your partner get one of the benefits above and any of the following apply:

• you鈥檙e expecting a multiple birth (such as twins)
• the child you鈥檙e caring for is someone else鈥檚 (but not your partner鈥檚) and the child was over 12 months old when the arrangement started
• you have refugee status, humanitarian protection or you鈥檝e come to the UK from Afghanistan or Ukraine
• you鈥檙e claiming for a family member who鈥檚 under 16, or 16 to 19 and in certain types of education or training

If you have refugee status or humanitarian protection or you鈥檝e left Ukraine or Afghanistan

You can get a grant for your first child born in the UK if one of the following is true:

• you have refugee status or humanitarian protection
• you left Afghanistan because of the collapse of the Afghan government which happened on 15 August 2021
• you were resident in Ukraine immediately before 1 January 2022 and you left because of the Russian invasion which happened on 24 February 2022

If you鈥檙e claiming for a family member who lives with you

You can get a grant if you鈥檙e claiming for a family member who is having their first child and lives with you. That family member must be either:

• under 16 years old
• 16 to 19 years old and in 鈥榓pproved鈥� education or training

Approved education must be full-time (more than an average of 12 hours a week supervised study or course-related work experience) and can include:

• A levels or similar, for example Pre-U or International Baccalaureate
• T levels
• NVQs and other vocational qualifications up to level 3
• home education - if it started before they turned 16 or after 16 if they have special needs
• traineeships in England

Courses are not approved if paid for by an employer or 鈥榓dvanced鈥�, for example a university degree or BTEC Higher National Certificate.

Approved training should be unpaid and can include:

• Foundation Apprenticeships or Traineeships in Wales
• PEACE IV Children and Young People 2.1, Training for Success, or Skills for Life and Work in Northern Ireland

Courses that are part of a job contract are not approved.

If you鈥檙e not giving birth

You may also be able to get a grant if you鈥檙e adopting or becoming a surrogate parent.

The baby must be less than 1 year old on the date you claim. You must be receiving one of the benefits above and one of the following must also apply:

• you鈥檝e become responsible for the baby and you鈥檙e not the mother
• the baby has been placed with you for adoption
• you鈥檝e got permission to adopt a baby from abroad
• you鈥檝e got a parental order for a surrogate birth
• you鈥檝e been appointed as guardian
• you鈥檝e an adoption or a residence order

You can claim from 11 weeks before the week your baby is due. The latest you can claim is 6 months after your baby is born.

If you鈥檙e becoming responsible for a child, you must claim within 6 months of this happening. For example, if you鈥檙e adopting a child, you must claim within 6 months of the child being placed with you.

Claim by post

Print out and fill in the Sure Start Maternity Grant (SF100) claim form.

You also need to provide evidence of the pregnancy or childbirth from a health professional (such as a doctor or midwife). They can either:

• fill in a form MAT B1 (they should have a copy of the form already)
• write a statement confirming the pregnancy or childbirth

Post your SF100 form with the evidence of the pregnancy or childbirth to 鈥楩reepost DWP SSMG鈥�. You do not need a postcode or a stamp.

You can send your form without the evidence of the pregnancy or childbirth if necessary to meet the deadline. If you do this, you鈥檒l be contacted about arranging this evidence at a later date.

You will get a letter about whether your claim is successful within 28 days of the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) receiving your form and evidence. If you鈥檝e recently made a new Universal Credit claim, it could take longer.

Get help with your claim

Call the Sure Start Maternity Grant helpline.

You can also contact Jobcentre Plus.

Alternative formats

Call the Sure Start Maternity Grant helpline to ask for alternative formats, such as braille, large print or audio CD.

If you disagree with a decision

You can challenge a decision about your claim. This is called asking for mandatory reconsideration.