If you get benefits or tax credits and are pregnant or have had a baby in the last three months you may be able to receive a one-off payment of £500 to help towards the cost of the baby.
A Sure Start Maternity Grant is a one-off payment of £500 to help with the costs of having a new-born or adopted baby.
You don’t have to pay the grant back and it won’t affect your other benefits or tax credits.
For full details on eligibility and how to claim the Sure Start Maternity Grant follow this link.
Further details and advice is availble from Turn2Us.
Claiming Sure Start Maternity Grant
You can apply for a Sure Start Maternity Grant by completing claim pack SF100 (Sure Start). To get a claim pack, contact your Jobcentre Plus on 0800 055 6688 (8.00 am to 6.00 pm Monday to Friday).
Alternatively, you can download the form this link.
You will need to provide evidence of your pregnancy. This is usually a medical certificate called a MATB1. Your doctor or midwife will issue you this no earlier than 20 weeks before your baby is due.
There is a certificate at the end the claim form that you will need to get signed by your doctor or midwife.
Reporting changes to your circumstances
You must report all changes in your circumstances that happen while you’re receiving Maternity Allowance, for example if you go back to work.
Your Maternity Allowance could be stopped or reduced if you do not report a change straight away. If you’re paid too much you might have to pay some of the money back. You might also have to pay a £50 fine.
If you deliberately do not report changes, you’re committing benefit fraud.
Details on how to report a change are availble at GOV.UK.
Healthy Start Scheme
If you are pregnant and/or have at least one child under four years old and your family are in receipt of certain benefits you may also be entitled to free milk, fresh fruit and vegetables, infant formula and vitamins under the Healthy Start scheme.
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