Sure Start Maternity Grants
- Who can get Sure Start Maternity Grants?
- How Sure Start Maternity Grants are paid
- Effect on other benefits
- How to claim
- When to claim
- What information do I need to provide?
- Disputes and appeals
A Sure Start Maternity Grant is intended to help you pay for the immediate needs of a new baby if your income is low. It is paid from the Social Fund as a lump sum, and you do not have to pay it back. A Sure Start Maternity Grant is paid when the conditions below are satisfied. It is not limited by a budget and everyone who is entitled will get a payment or grant. [Legislation (1)]
The grant is £500 for each baby.
Who can get Sure Start Maternity Grants?
You are eligible for a Sure Start Maternity Grant if you or your partner are getting Income Support, income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance, Pension Credit, Working Tax Credit where a disability or severe disability element is included in the award or Child Tax Credit at a rate higher than the family element. [Legislation (2)] and one of the following applies:
You or your partner:
- are pregnant and expecting a baby within 11 weeks,
- have had a baby in the past 3 months,
- have a dependent child or dependent young person who is pregnant and expecting a baby within 11 weeks or who has had a baby in the past 3 months,
- have adopted a baby who is under 12 months old,
- have, in certain circumstances, been granted a residence order by the courts in respect of a baby who is under 12 months old, or
- have been granted a parental order by the courts in respect of a surrogate birth.
If you have a partner, either of you may apply for the grant. But if your partner applies, the name of the child’s mother should be included.
We use partner to mean:
- a person you are married to or a person you live with as if you are married to them, or
- a civil partner or a person you live with as if you are civil partners.
If you have any savings
Savings do not affect Sure Start Maternity Grants.
How Sure Start Maternity Grants are paid
Payment will usually be made by Direct Payment into a bank, building society or other account provider account which you have nominated.
Effect on other benefits
There will be no effect on other benefits from having a Sure Start Maternity Grant.
How to claim
Contact Jobcentre Plus and ask for claim form SF100 (Sure Start). For details of your Jobcentre Plus office, look for the display advert in the business numbers section of the local phone book.
The claim form can also be accessed at the Jobcentre Plus website.
When to claim
- if you are expecting a baby or have recently had a baby, you must claim during the period from 11 weeks before the week your baby is due up until your baby is 3 months old,
- if you are adopting a baby, or have been granted a residence order in respect of a baby, you can apply for a grant as long as the baby is not more than 12 months old when you apply. You must apply for a Sure Start Maternity Grant within 3 months of adopting or within 3 months of the date of the residence order,
- if you and your spouse have been granted a parental order for a surrogate birth you must apply within 3 months of the date shown on the parental order.
If you are waiting for a decision on a qualifying benefit or entitlement, you must still claim within the time limits above.
What information do I need to provide?
You will need to tell us the date your baby is due (sometimes called the expected date of confinement). If the baby has already been born, tell us the date of birth, adoption, residence order or parental order.
For a Sure Start Maternity Grant you will also need to show that you have received advice on the health needs and general welfare of the new baby and, if you claim before the baby is born, on maternal health. There is a certificate on the back of the claim form for this.
The certificate must be signed by a health professional, for example:
- a community or hospital midwife
- a health visitor
- a practice nurse.
Disputes and appeals
If you want to know more about the decision or you think it is wrong
Please get in touch with Jobcentre Plus within one month of the date of the decision letter. If you contact us later we may not be able to help you.
You, or someone else who has authority to act on your behalf, can
- ask for an explanation
- ask for a written statement of reasons for our decision
- ask us to look again at the decision to see if it can be changed. There may be some facts you think we have overlooked or you may have more information which affects the decision
- appeal against the decision to an independent tribunal (but this must be in writing)
You can do any of the actions listed above, or you can do all of them.
You can find more information about decision making and appeals in leaflet GL24 If you think our decision is wrong - available from any Jobcentre Plus office or the Catalogue of DWP products on the DWP website.