Sure Start Maternity Grant

The Sure Start Maternity Grant is a one-off payment of £500 to help with the costs of having a new baby. It is paid to families in England, Wales and Northern Ireland who receive certain benefits, and it is tax free: you do not need to pay it back, and it does not reduce any other benefits you get 1. It is normally available only for a first child, or for the babies of a first multiple birth such as twins or triplets, though there are exceptions for families who have arrived in the UK from abroad and for some other situations 2.

The grant does not exist in Scotland. Families there claim the Best Start Grant Pregnancy and Baby Payment instead, which pays more for a first child and is handled by Social Security Scotland 3. This page explains who qualifies for the Sure Start Maternity Grant, how much is paid for single and multiple births, when a claim can be made, what evidence to send, and what to do if a claim is refused.

A one-off £500 payment towards a new baby

The Sure Start Maternity Grant is a single payment, not a regular benefit. Official guidance describes it as "a one-off, tax-free payment to help towards the cost of maternity expenses and baby items" 1. It is there to help with the one-off costs that arrive with a baby: clothes, cot, pram, feeding equipment and the other things a newborn needs. There are no rules about what the money is spent on.

The payment is administered by the Department for Work and Pensions in Great Britain and by the Department for Communities in Northern Ireland 4. It sits within the Social Fund, the part of the benefits system that covers occasional lump-sum help rather than weekly or monthly payments. Because it is a grant rather than a loan, nothing is deducted from later benefit payments and there is nothing to repay if your circumstances change 1.

The grant is means-tested in the sense that you must be receiving a qualifying benefit to get it, but there is no separate savings or income test beyond that 4. There are no age rules beyond the general requirement that the person claiming is aged 16 or over 2.

Take-up of the grant has historically been low. A Maternity Action survey of parents in 2022 found that less than 1% of respondents reported receiving the Sure Start Maternity Grant, Healthy Start or the Scottish Best Start grant and food vouchers 5. Many families who could qualify never claim, which is one reason to check entitlement rather than assume a refusal. Free benefits calculators and advisers can confirm whether a particular set of circumstances qualifies, as covered in checking what you are entitled to.

Who can get it: qualifying benefits and the first-child rule

Two conditions sit at the heart of eligibility: where you live, and which benefits you or your partner receive.

Where you live. The grant covers England, Wales and Northern Ireland. The person claiming must be aged 16 or over and live in one of those nations 2. Scotland has its own scheme, covered below.

Qualifying benefits. You must be receiving one of the qualifying benefits when you claim. Universal Credit is the most common route, and Pension Credit also qualifies 2. Income-related Employment and Support Allowance is another qualifying benefit 1. The benefit can be paid to either partner: the grant is available to families where the mother or her partner has recourse to public funds and receives certain benefits, so a partner who receives a qualifying benefit can claim even if the mother does not 6. Statutory Maternity Pay guidance makes the same point: you may be able to get a Sure Start Maternity Grant if you or your partner or civil partner are claiming benefits 7.

The first-child rule. The grant is normally paid only for your first child, or for the babies of your first multiple birth 2. Independent guidance states you can only get it for your first child born or adopted, or a similar arrangement, on or after April 2011 8. A child already in the family, aged under 16, normally blocks a new claim. The rules count children in the family, not just your own biological children, which is where the exceptions in the next section matter.

Claiming for someone else's baby. You can also claim for a dependant's new baby. If a dependant of yours who is under 20, and who you receive benefit for, is expecting their first child, you may be able to claim on their behalf 1. Independent guidance adds that this applies where the dependant is under 20 and has no other children 8. This route matters for families where a young person is still counted as a dependant on a parent's benefit claim.

Adoption and surrogacy. The grant is not only for births. You can claim if you have an adoption order, if a child under 12 months is placed with you for adoption, or if you have permission to adopt a child from abroad under 12 months, provided the baby is under 12 months when you claim 8. A parental order for a surrogate birth also qualifies, again with the baby under 12 months 2.

Immigration status. The grant is only available to families where the mother or her partner has recourse to public funds 6. People subject to the no recourse to public funds condition cannot claim it, though asylum seekers receiving asylum support may be able to claim a maternity payment through a separate route, with the same claim window of 11 weeks before the due date to 6 months after the birth 9. The no recourse to public funds rules are covered in detail elsewhere on the site.

Exceptions: multiple births, young parents, refugees and families from Afghanistan and Ukraine

The first-child rule is not absolute. Several exceptions widen the grant to families who would otherwise miss out.

Multiple births. Where a multiple birth happens when there are already children under 16 in the family, the law provides for entitlement in respect of the babies of that multiple birth 10. The number of grants payable is determined by reference to the number of children under 16 already in the family and the number of children born as a result of the multiple birth 10. Where each existing child under 16 was born as a result of separate pregnancies, a grant is awarded for all but one of the babies of the multiple birth 10. In plain terms, a family whose existing children were all single births can still get a grant for a twin or triplet pregnancy, reduced by one.

Young parents. Where a parent of the child is under 20 and a member of the claimant's family, the definition of "existing member of the family" is narrowed: it means any member of the claimant's family who is also a child of that parent, apart from the child claimed for or any other child of the same pregnancy 10. This means a grandmother claiming for her teenage daughter's first baby is not blocked by other children in the household who are not her daughter's children.

Non-parental caring arrangements. A child for whom the claimant is responsible under a formal or informal non-parental caring arrangement is excluded from the definition of "existing member of the family", provided the child was over 12 months old when the claimant became responsible for them 11. A later amendment ensures such a caring arrangement will not prevent the carer from claiming a Sure Start Maternity Grant for their own child 12. In other words, taking on the care of someone else's older child does not use up your first grant.

Refugees and humanitarian protection. You can claim if you have refugee status or humanitarian protection and have children from before you arrived in the UK 1. This recognises that a child born abroad, who would normally count against the first-child rule, should not block a grant for a baby born here.

Afghanistan and Ukraine. The same principle extends to two specific groups. You can claim if you left Afghanistan because of the collapse of the Afghan government on 15 August 2021, or if you were resident in Ukraine immediately before 1 January 2022 and left because of the Russian invasion on 24 February 2022 1. Families on these routes can qualify for the grant even where they already have children.

Scotland's equivalent payment has its own, wider set of exceptions to the first-child rule, including for refugees, people forced to leave home with a child due to domestic abuse, and people who took on responsibility for a child who was more than 12 months old 13.

How much you get: £500 per baby, up to £1,000 for triplets

The standard grant is £500. Official statistics confirm Sure Start Maternity Grant payments are £500 for the first child 14, and independent guidance describes it as a one-off payment of £500, or £500 per baby for a multiple birth 2.

For a multiple birth with no other children under 16 in the household, you get £500 for each baby 15. So twins as a first multiple birth mean £1,000 in total, and triplets mean £1,500. Official guidance sets out the position for triplets or more: where there has been no previous multiple birth, the payment is £1,000 1. Where you have already had triplets or more, the payment is £0 1.

The table below draws the position together from official guidance:

The interaction between the multiple birth rules and children already in the family is where most confusion arises. The grant is reduced by one for each child under 16 already in the family who was born from a separate pregnancy 10. A family with one existing child expecting twins would therefore normally receive one grant of £500 rather than two. A family with no existing children expecting twins receives two grants. The Scottish payment works differently and is more generous for subsequent children, as the next section explains.

Scotland: the Best Start Grant replaces it

The Sure Start Maternity Grant is not available in Scotland. Official guidance is direct: "If you live in Scotland, you need to apply for Pregnancy and Baby Payment" 1. The Scottish Government replaced the UK grant with the Best Start Grant Pregnancy and Baby Payment 3, and independent guidance confirms the Sure Start Maternity Grant "is no longer available in Scotland" 16.

The Scottish payment is worth more. It provides £754.65 on the birth of a first child and £377.35 on the birth of any subsequent children 3. For a multiple birth, you get an additional grant of £398.35 on top of the grant you have already received 17. One point of detail worth checking: official factsheets have quoted different figures for the first-child payment, with one giving £796.65 for a first baby 18 and another £767.50 19, so the current rate needs to be confirmed with Social Security Scotland when claiming.

Eligibility for the Scottish payment follows a similar shape to the UK grant: you must live in Scotland, receive certain low income benefits, and be pregnant or responsible for a baby of the right age 20. The application window is wider, running from 24 weeks pregnant to 6 months after the birth 3. You can apply online, download a form and apply by post, or ring 0800 182 2222 6. The payment is not made automatically: Social Security Scotland cannot automatically pay the Best Start Grant Pregnancy and Baby Payment, so you still need to apply 21.

The full details of the Scottish scheme, including Best Start Foods and the later payments for nursery age and school age, are on the Best Start Grant and Best Start Foods page.

Claim window: 11 weeks before the due date to six months after

A claim can be made from 11 weeks before the baby is due until 6 months after the birth 22. Official statistics state the same window: from 11 weeks before due date to 6 months after birth 14. If you are pregnant, you can claim from 11 weeks before the baby is due 1.

The six-month deadline is calculated from different dates depending on how the baby joined the family. A filled-in form must be sent within six months of the baby being born, the date of the adoption, residence or parental order, or guardianship appointment, or the date you took responsibility for the baby 1. Independent guidance sets out the same deadlines: within six months of becoming responsible if you have become the responsible parent of a baby but are not the mother, within six months of the order being granted for an adoption, residence or parental order, and within six months if your dependant has become the responsible parent of a baby 8. For adoption, the claim must be made within six months of the date of the adoption 23.

The legislation behind the window describes it as the period beginning 11 weeks before the first day of the expected week of confinement and ending 3 months after the actual date of confinement for pregnancy and birth claims 24, with a separate claiming period running from the date a claimant becomes responsible for a child until 3 months after that date in other cases 25. The six-month period in current guidance is the one that applies to claims today.

How to claim on form SF100

Claims are made on form SF100 (Sure Start) 2. The process is the same in outline across England, Wales and Northern Ireland, though the form and the postal address differ: there is a different form and postal address if you live in England or Wales 1.

1. Get the form. You can download a claim form from the Department for Work and Pensions website, print it and return it by post, or call the Sure Start helpline to order a form 23. Forms are also available from Jobcentre Plus offices 22.
2. Fill it in. The form asks about the pregnancy or baby, the benefits being received, and any other children in the family.
3. Attach your evidence. See the next section for what to send.
4. Send it in. In Northern Ireland, you send the completed form to the Department for Communities at DfC Sure Start Maternity Grants, Mail Handling Site A, Wolverhampton, WV98 2JX 1. England and Wales claims go to the address printed on that version of the form.
5. Wait for a decision. If you have made a claim for Universal Credit, you will not get a decision on your Sure Start Maternity Grant until after your Universal Credit application has been processed 1.

If you are close to the deadline, you can send in the form without evidence from a healthcare professional and send the evidence later 23. This protects the claim date, which matters because the claim must be made within the prescribed time 26.

Evidence you need to send with your claim

What you send depends on how the baby joined your family.

Pregnancy or birth. You need a MAT B1 signed by a health professional, or another statement signed by a health professional 1. Independent guidance describes this as evidence of the pregnancy or childbirth from a health professional, such as a doctor or midwife 23. The MAT B1 is the same maternity certificate used for Maternity Allowance and Statutory Maternity Pay claims, and for those benefits the original, not a certified copy, must be sent 27.

Stillbirth. If the baby was stillborn, you send their birth certificate or other notification instead 1.

Adoption, residence or parental order. If you are claiming as the person responsible for a child under 12 months, you need to send the adoption order, residence order, parental order, or a similar document 1. The legislation defines a qualifying order as an adoption order, a parental order or a residence order 24.

If you are adopting, the claim must be made within six months of the date of the adoption 23, so it is worth gathering the order at the same time as the form.

Stillbirth and baby loss

A stillbirth does not end entitlement. For Maternity Allowance, a mother may still qualify if the baby dies or is stillborn after the start of the 24th week of pregnancy, or was born alive at any point during the pregnancy 27. The same 24-week boundary appears in the Sure Start evidence rules: a stillbirth certificate or notification replaces the MAT B1 1.

In Scotland, the Best Start Grant Pregnancy and Baby Payment may be available for parents whose baby was stillborn or died after birth 18. Social Security Scotland guidance confirms a client may be eligible for the payment if they have experienced a stillbirth or infant death 28. If the baby was born before 24 weeks, the application window is up to six months after the birth date 18.

One further protection is worth knowing. Under the Scottish scheme, if you are paid while pregnant and your baby is stillborn or dies later, you will not need to pay any money back 29. Bereaved parents may also qualify for other support, covered on the Bereavement Support Payment and help with funeral costs pages.

How the grant affects tax and other benefits

The grant is tax free and you do not have to repay it 8. It also does not count as income when your entitlement to other means-tested benefits is calculated 4. So a £500 grant does not reduce a Universal Credit award, Housing Benefit or Council Tax Reduction in the month it is paid, and it is not treated as savings for means-tested purposes in the way a wage would be.

This treatment is different from the maternity payments that arrive alongside it. Maternity Allowance is treated as unearned income for Universal Credit and is deducted in full 2. Statutory Maternity Pay is treated as earnings for Universal Credit, and is partly disregarded under the work allowance if you have a child or limited capability for work 2. Official guidance lists Statutory Maternity Pay, Statutory Paternity Pay, Statutory Shared Parental Pay, Statutory Parental Bereavement Pay, Statutory Adoption Pay and Statutory Sick Pay among the statutory payments counted as earnings 30. The grant sits outside all of this: it is neither earnings nor unearned income.

Two further rules affect particular situations. A grant cannot be paid on top of the Scottish equivalent: recipients of a Best Start Grant are not eligible for a Sure Start Maternity Grant, and the provision against double payment covers both a second Sure Start grant and a first one where a Best Start Grant has been given 31. And a trade dispute rule applies in legacy cases: where the claimant or partner is affected by a trade dispute, a grant is made only if the dispute has continued for not less than six weeks at the date of the claim, or where the relevant claim was made before the dispute began 32.

Challenging a decision: mandatory reconsideration within one month

If you think a decision on your claim is wrong, the time limit for getting in touch is one month from the date of the letter telling you the decision 1. The decision will then be looked at again in what is called a mandatory reconsideration, and you will be sent a letter explaining whether the original decision has been changed 1.

Independent guidance gives the same deadline for benefit decisions generally: you must ask for a mandatory reconsideration within one month of the date of the decision letter 2. If you disagree with the decision made on your claim, you can usually ask for it to be looked at again, and you will normally be given one month to dispute a decision 33. If the reconsideration does not change the outcome, the next step is an appeal to an independent tribunal 33.

The one-month deadline is the one that catches people out. If it has already passed, late challenges are sometimes possible, and the appealing after the one-month deadline page explains when. The full process, including what to put in a reconsideration request, is covered in challenging a decision and appealing to a tribunal.

Where to get free help

Free, independent help with the grant and with benefits generally is available from several sources. Turn2us publishes guidance on the Sure Start Maternity Grant, including how much is paid, how to claim and how to challenge a decision 4. Maternity Action provides advice on money for parents and babies, including for families with no recourse to public funds 6. EntitledTo's guidance on the maternity grant sets out the eligibility rules and deadlines in plain terms 8.

For families expecting a child, the wider benefits picture matters as much as the grant itself. Help available alongside the grant includes Maternity Allowance, Statutory Maternity and Paternity Pay, Child Benefit, Healthy Start help with food and milk, and the Universal Credit elements for children. A free benefits calculator, as described in checking what you are entitled to, will show which of these a particular household can claim, and the benefits section covers each of them in detail.