Sure Start Maternity Grant

Skip contents

Eligibility

Usually, to get a Sure Start Maternity Grant you must have no other children under 16. You or your partner must also get one of these benefits:

  • Income Support
  • income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance
  • income-related Employment and Support Allowance
  • Pension Credit
  • Child Tax Credit
  • Working Tax Credit that includes a disability or severe disability element
  • Universal Credit

You may also qualify if you’re getting a Support for Mortgage Interest loan.

If you live in Scotland you cannot get a Sure Start Maternity Grant. You can apply for a Pregnancy and Baby Payment instead.

If you already have children under 16

You may be able to get a grant if you or your partner get one of the benefits above and any of the following apply:

  • you’re expecting a multiple birth (such as twins)
  • the child you’re caring for is someone else’s (but not your partner’s) and the child was over 12 months old when the arrangement started
  • you have refugee status, humanitarian protection or you’ve come to the UK from Afghanistan or Ukraine
  • you’re claiming for a family member who’s under 16, or 16 to 19 and in certain types of education or training

You must claim by the deadline.

If you have refugee status or humanitarian protection or you’ve left Ukraine or Afghanistan

You can get a grant for your first child born in the UK if one of the following is true:

  • you have refugee status or humanitarian protection
  • you left Afghanistan because of the collapse of the Afghan government which happened on 15 August 2021
  • you were resident in Ukraine immediately before 1 January 2022 and you left because of the Russian invasion which happened on 24 February 2022

If you’re claiming for a family member who lives with you

You can get a grant if you’re claiming for a family member who is having their first child and lives with you. That family member must be either:

  • under 16 years old
  • 16 to 19 years old and in ‘approved’ education or training

Approved education must be full-time (more than an average of 12 hours a week supervised study or course-related work experience) and can include:

  • A levels or similar, for example Pre-U or International Baccalaureate
  • T levels
  • NVQs and other vocational qualifications up to level 3
  • home education - if it started before they turned 16 or after 16 if they have special needs
  • traineeships in England

Courses are not approved if paid for by an employer or ‘advanced’, for example a university degree or BTEC Higher National Certificate.

Approved training should be unpaid and can include:

  • 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

Courses that are part of a job contract are not approved.

If you’re not giving birth

You may also be able to get a grant if you’re adopting or becoming a surrogate parent.

The baby must be less than 1 year old on the date you claim. You must be receiving one of the benefits above and one of the following must also apply:

  • you’ve become responsible for the baby and you’re not the mother
  • the baby has been placed with you for adoption
  • you’ve got permission to adopt a baby from abroad
  • you’ve got a parental order for a surrogate birth
  • you’ve been appointed as guardian
  • you’ve an adoption or a residence order
View a printable version of the whole guide

Related content