Pregnancy and Baby Payment in 2022: how to get this benefit

What is Pregnancy and Baby Payment? How much is Pregnancy and Baby Payment? Am I eligible? You may get one-off payments through this benefit if you are eligible. It is one of 3 payments that you may receive through Best Start Grant. Your Benefits will tell you all you need to know about Pregnancy and Baby Payment. 

Apply for Pregnancy and Baby Payment

As said before, you can apply for Pregnancy and Baby Payment if you are in one of several situations. First, if you are the biological mother of the child, or pregnant. You can also apply if this is the case for your partner. However, you need to be either civil partners, married, or living together as if this was the case. 

Furthermore, you must receive a qualifying benefit. If the pregnant person is not eligible to apply, you must receive a qualifying benefit for them. Indeed, this can be Pension Credit, Child Tax Credit, Child Benefit or the child element of Universal Credit. 

Pregnancy and Baby Payment: what if I adopted a child?

You can apply if you adopted a child younger than 1 year old. Furthermore, you may not have to show proof of adoption. This is the case if you receive Pension Credit, Child Tax Credit, Child Benefit or the child element of Universal Credit.

However, you may not receive any of these benefits. In this case, you will need to send a copy of the legal order allowing you to care for the child to Social Security Scotland. Again, you are recommended to send a copy, not the original document.

What if I am a kinship carer for a child?

You may be a kinship carer for a child. Then, you may apply until the child is 1 year old (instead of 6 months). What this means is, because a close friend or family member cannot care for the child, you are doing it instead. 

You do not need to send proof if you receive Pension Credit, Child Tax Credit, Child Benefit or the child element of Universal Credit. If you do not, then you will need to send proof to Social Security Scotland.  This can include the following:

• Proof which shows that you contacted the social work department to work out your situation caring for the child in question;
• A copy of the legal order document which enables to care for the child in question.

If you require, you can ask to be sent a pre-paid envelope by Social Security Scotland. Indeed, you will be able to send your document this way. Furthermore, you can request this by phone.

What if multiple want to apply for the same child?

Only one person at a time can receive Pregnancy and Baby Payment for the same child. In fact, if multiple people apply, the person which receives the benefit will be determined by the benefits that they already receive for the child, as well as proof received of bearing responsibility for them.

You will be able to receive the benefit if you get one of the following for the child: Universal Credit with child element, Pension Credit with child element or Child Tax Credit.

Additionally, will be able to receive the benefit if none of the people applying already receive said benefit. Otherwise, you will be able to receive payments if the circumstances demonstrate that you are the person who bears responsibility for the child.

Furthermore, you will receive payments if you get Child Benefit, and no one applying receives Pension Credit, Child Tax Credit, or Universal Credit for the child, or is considered a kinship carer.

How much is Pregnancy and Baby Payment?

You will be able to receive £642.35 for your first child, and any subsequent child will make you eligible for £321.20. These are one-off payments, you will not receive them weekly or monthly. Furthermore, you may use these payments to help cover costs incurred by your pregnancy or caring for your child. 

Pregnancy and Baby Payment is a one-off payment benefit for people living in Scotland. In fact, you may receive certain amounts for each child that you have. You can usually claim Pregnancy and Baby Payment prior to the birth of your child, or 6 months after they were born.

Am I eligible for Pregnancy and Baby Payment?

In order to be eligible for the Pregnancy and Baby Payment, a couple of things need to be true. Indeed, first, you must apply in time. However, if you need to apply after missing the deadline, you may still be able to do so. 

Then, you need to have a new baby or be pregnant. Then, you need to receive a qualifying benefit. If you are a young person, this may not apply to you. Lastly, you must reside in Scotland. If you live abroad or are not a United Kingdom citizen, you may still be eligible. 

Usually, you will not be able to receive this payment if someone is already claiming it for the same baby. The only exception for this is if you are someone who adopted responsibility for a child younger than one year old. For example, this may mean that you are a kinship carer. 

You start applying for Pregnancy and Baby Payment from the end of the 24th week of your pregnancy. Then, you may apply until your baby is 6 months old. This period is also known as the ‘application window‘.

You may be eligible for an application window that lasts for longer. Indeed, this is the case if you are not the partner of the mother. Additionally, you must also have adopted responsibility of the child. Lastly, the child needs to be under 1 year old.  

You may have missed the application window. Then, usually, you will not be eligible to apply. However, your reason for missing the window may be justified. This is the case if you couldn’t apply because of coronavirus, or were waiting to know if you could receive a qualifying benefit. Then, you may still apply.

Can I apply if my situation differs from the conditions above?

Your baby may have been born prematurely. Indeed, they may have been born either prior to or during your pregnancy’s 24th week. If this is the case, you can apply earlier than the 24th week.

Your baby may also have been stillborn when they were born. Indeed, if this occurred after the 24th week of your pregnancy, you would then be eligible for Pregnancy and Baby Payment.

Furthermore, you may have adopted responsibility for a child younger than 1 year old.  Indeed, you may apply for Pregnancy and Baby Payment until the child turns 1 year old in this condition. If this applies to you, you may be considered a kinship carer. What this means if you are caring for a child, because a close friend or family member cannot do so anymore. 

To know if you are eligible to apply, look at when you were paid the qualifying benefit. You may have received payments for the benefit for at least one day in the ‘application window’. Then, you can apply for the benefit. However, you need to send your late application to Social Security Scotland no later than:

• 3 months: this is 3 months after knowing that your local council or the Department for Work and Pensions let you know about the possibility of backdating your claim;
• 20 working days: depending on your situation, this is either 20 working days after the child’s 6 months or 1 year birthday.

Pregnancy and Baby Payment: what is a qualifying benefit?

In order to be eligible for Pregnancy and Baby Payment, you need to be earning at least one of the following benefits:

• Universal Credit;
• Working Tax Credit;
• Pension Credit;
• Housing Benefit;
• income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA);
• Child Tax Credit;
• income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA);
• Income Support.

Typically, you will need to have received one of these benefits by the time that you apply for this aid. However, you may not even have to receive one of these benefits. Indeed, this is the case if you are one of the following:

• 18 or 19 years old and in an education course or undertaking training;
• younger than 18 years old;
• receiving Universal Credit.

What if I am waiting for a decision on my benefits claim? 

You may have applied to Pregnancy and Baby Payment but not received a decision on your claim. If this is the case, you may still be able to apply. When that is depends on the benefit you are claiming.

You may be waiting for a decision on a benefit that is not Universal Credit. Then, your claim will be held for 10 days. As such, if you receive your decision within those 10 days, you may be able to receive Pregnancy and Baby Payment. If you receive a decision later, you will have to re-apply.

Furthermore, you may be waiting for a decision on your Universal Credit claim. In this case, your claim for Pregnancy and Baby Payment will be on standby until you receive your decision.