What is the Sure Start Maternity Grant? Am I eligible? How may I claim it? You might be able to receive this benefit to help towards the costs of having a child, as well as their health. This Your Benefits article will tell you all you need to know about Sure Start Maternity Grant.

How long does Sure Start Maternity Grant take?

You should receive a letter letting you know whether you will be able to receive the Sure Start Maternity Grant or not within 10 working days. If you currently receive Universal Credit, you will get your decision after your next payment.

You may ask for a mandatory reconsideration if you disagree with a decision. For this, you must contact the office that gave you your decision, by phone, letter or filling out and posting a form.

Who is eligible for Sure Start Maternity Grant?

You are likely to qualify for Sure Start Maternity Grant if the following apply:

• You are expecting your first child, or you are expecting multiple birth (like twins) but already have children under 16 years old;
• Either you or your partner already receive certain qualifying benefits. More details below.

You need to be receive one of the following to be eligible for Sure Start Maternity Grant:

• Income Support;
• Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance;
• Income-related Employment and Support Allowance;
• Pension Credit;
• Child Tax Credit;
• Universal credit;
• Working Tax Credit (with a disability or severe disability element.

Note that you will likely not be eligible if you already have children under 16 years old and are not expecting multiple births (like twins, triplets…), but there are exceptions. Then, to be eligible for Sure Start Maternity Grant one of the following must apply to your situation to be eligible:

• A multiple birth is expected (like twins);
• The child you are caring for is someone else’s;
• You have a refugee status or humanitarian protection, as well as a child or children from before when you first arrived in the UK.

How much is Sure Start Maternity Grant?

You will get a tax-free one-time payment of £500 and there is no need to pay it back. However, you may receive more depending on the situation.

However, you may not receive the same amount with more children. In fact, if you already had twins, you would instead receive £500 for triplets. In short, the amount of children you have had before, even if you are still eligible, will affect whether you get more or no money. You will never get more for twins, but may for triplets, quadruplets, ect….

As said above, you are eligible if you are giving birth to your first child. In such a case, you would receive the normal of £500, one time. However, you may receive more. Let’s say that you have triplets. If they are your first children, you may receive £1,000. Same thing if you already had a child not from multiple births.

Not that your Sure Start Maternity Grant will not count towards your benefit cap, or the maximum amount of benefits that one can receive.

What is a Sure Start Maternity Grant?

Sure Start Maternity Grant is a tax-free benefit that awards a one-time payment of £500. This is to help new mothers with the costs of having a child. If you live in Scotland, you are not eligible for this benefit, but may instead receive a Pregnancy and Baby Payment. 

Can I apply to Sure Start Maternity Grant for someone else?

You are also able to claim the Sure Start Maternity Grant for a family member who lives with you and is having their first child. One of the following must apply to your family member:

• They are under 16 years old;
• They are 16 to 19 and taking part in an ‘approved’ education or training.

What counts as an ‘approved’ education or training?

For approved education, it must be full-time (more than 12 hours a week on average of a supervised study or work experience related to the course). It may include:

• Pre-U, International Baccalaureate or a similar level;
• T levels;
• NVQs, or similar vocational qualifications (up to level 3);
• If home education started before they were 16 years old, or after 16 years old if they have special needs;
• Traineeships in England.

Your family member may not be eligible with a course if it is paid or ‘advanced’ by an employer, like a university degree of BTEC Higher National Certificate. For approved training, it should be unpaid and may be one of the following:

• 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.

If your course is part of a job contract, it will not make your family member eligible.

Am I eligible if I am adopting a child or becoming a surrogate?

To get Sure Start Maternity Grant, you must apply when the baby is less than 1 years old. You must receive one of the qualifying benefits listed above, and one of the following must be true for your situation, you:

• Are not the mother of the child you are responsible for;
• Have a baby who was placed with you for adoption;
• Obtained permission to adopt a baby from abroad;
• Obtained a parental order to go through with a surrogate birth;
• Were appointed as guardian;
• Have an adoption or residence order.

When can you apply for Sure Start Maternity Grant?

You need to claim Sure Start Maternity Grant either:

• Within 11 weeks of the mother’s due date;
• Within 6 months after the birth of the baby.

If you are becoming responsible for a child, you must apply within 6 months of the date of this happening.

There is no need to pay back the grant. It will not have any effect on your other benefits or tax credits. You may claim the payment by post. You will need to take the following steps:

1. Print out the Sure Start Maternity Grant (SF100) claim form and fill it out;
2. Get a medical professional to fill in the statement on page 10 of the form. This can be done by a doctor or midwife (if you are unable to do so in time, you may send your form without this statement. If you do so, you’ll be contacted about it at a later date);
3. Send the completed application form to ‘Freepost DWP SSMG’. You do not need a stamp, nor to write a postcode.

What if I live in Northern Ireland?

If you live in Northern Ireland, there is a different form you must fill out, and a different address to send it to. You may also get a claim form from your local Jobs and Benefits office:

1. Print out the Sure Start Maternity Grant form SF100 and fill it out (note that this form is not the same as the SF100 form needed for people outside Northern Ireland);
2. Get a medical professional to fill in the statement on page 17 of the form and sign. This can be done by a doctor or midwife;
3. Send the completed form to the following address. You will need to use a stamp.

Sure Start Maternity Grants
Mail Opening Unit
PO Box 42
Limavady
BT49 4AN