Last reviewed: May 2026
Key facts:- The Sure Start Maternity Grant is a one-off 500 pound payment for the cost of a new baby, available in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.
- Eligibility is restricted to households on qualifying means-tested benefits where there are no other children under 16, or where multiple babies are expected.
- Applications are made on form SF100 and must be submitted within a strict time window around the birth or adoption.
UK Benefits and Financial Support › Sure Start Maternity Grant
The Sure Start Maternity Grant is a one-off lump sum of 500 pounds that helps with the costs of a new baby. It is paid through the Social Fund and is not means-tested in the traditional sense, but it is restricted to households on certain qualifying benefits. The grant does not have to be repaid. This guide covers eligibility, the application form, timing, and what happens in Scotland where a different scheme, the Best Start Grant, replaces the Sure Start grant.
What the Grant Covers
The Sure Start Maternity Grant is a 500 pound payment intended to help with the cost of essential items for a new baby. It is not earmarked for specific items but is treated as a general contribution toward the costs of pregnancy and the first weeks of a baby life.
It is a one-off payment per pregnancy, not per baby. Where the pregnancy results in twins, triplets or more, the rules treat the grant slightly differently, and the household may be entitled to one grant even if other children already live in the home.
The grant does not need to be repaid and is disregarded as income for Universal Credit, housing benefit and council tax support. It is also exempt from the benefit cap calculation.
Who Qualifies
The primary eligibility test is that the applicant, or their partner, must be receiving a qualifying benefit. The qualifying benefits include Income Support, income-based Jobseeker Allowance, income-related Employment and Support Allowance, Pension Credit, Universal Credit, Housing Benefit, Working Tax Credit at the disability or severe disability element, or Child Tax Credit at more than the family element.
The second test concerns the children already in the household. The grant is normally only available where there are no other children under 16 in the household. The first child in a family therefore qualifies, but a second or later child usually does not unless the pregnancy is a multiple birth.
There is a multiple-birth exception. If the new baby is one of multiples (twins, triplets, etc.), the grant is payable even where there is an existing child under 16. The amount is still 500 pounds per pregnancy, not per baby.
How to Apply
The application is made on form SF100 (Sure Start Maternity Grant), available to download from gov.uk or to request by phone from Jobcentre Plus. The form requires the applicant National Insurance number, the expected date of birth, and the qualifying benefit details.
Part of the form must be completed by a health professional. A midwife, doctor or registered nurse confirms the pregnancy or the birth and signs the form. Without this professional confirmation, the application will be returned unprocessed.
The completed form is sent to the address printed on the form, with photocopies kept for the applicant own records. DWP processes the claim and pays the grant into the same bank account that benefits are paid into.
Timing - the Application Window
The application window opens 11 weeks before the expected date of birth and closes six months after the birth. Applications outside this window cannot be processed, even where the applicant qualifies in every other respect.
For adopted children, the window is six months from the date the child becomes part of the household. For children taken into care under a residence order or special guardianship order, the rules also use the date the child joined the new household.
Late applications can sometimes be accepted where there is good cause, such as serious illness or hospitalisation that prevented earlier application, but the discretion is limited and a written explanation should accompany any late form.
Scotland - Best Start Grant Replaces Sure Start
Scotland no longer uses the Sure Start Maternity Grant. It has been replaced by the Best Start Grant, administered by Social Security Scotland under the Social Security (Scotland) Act 2018. The Best Start Grant has three payments: Pregnancy and Baby Payment, Early Learning Payment, and School Age Payment.
The Pregnancy and Baby Payment is the closest equivalent to the Sure Start grant. It is worth more than the English grant for a first child and also offers a smaller payment for second and later children, which the English scheme does not. Eligibility is based on a similar list of qualifying benefits.
Applications for the Best Start Grant are made through mygov.scot or by phone to Social Security Scotland. The application is separate from any English or Welsh grant and uses different forms.
Where the Grant Fits in the Wider Maternity Support Framework
Healthy Start vouchers. Pregnant women and families with young children on qualifying benefits can claim Healthy Start vouchers, which provide weekly amounts to spend on fresh fruit, vegetables, milk and certain other foods. The scheme runs alongside but separately from the Sure Start Maternity Grant.
Maternity Allowance. Where the household income is supported by Maternity Allowance from DWP rather than employer Statutory Maternity Pay, MA does not by itself qualify the household for the Sure Start Maternity Grant. The grant qualifying benefits list is separate from MA.
Free NHS dental care during pregnancy. Pregnant women and women who have given birth in the previous 12 months are entitled to free NHS dental treatment with a Maternity Exemption Certificate (MatEx). The certificate is issued through the GP or midwife.
Free prescriptions. The same MatEx certificate provides free NHS prescriptions in England. In Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland prescriptions are already free. The MatEx is therefore most useful for pregnant women in England.
Where to Get Free Independent Help
Citizens Advice provides free face-to-face, phone and online help with sure start maternity grant. The Citizens Advice website at citizensadvice.org.uk has detailed guides written specifically for UK users. Local Citizens Advice offices can also help with completing forms, gathering evidence and challenging decisions where needed.
MoneyHelper is the consumer-facing service operated by the Money and Pensions Service, the government-backed body that brings together the old Money Advice Service, Pension Wise and the Pensions Advisory Service. The MoneyHelper website has explainer guides for sure start maternity grant and a confidential phone line for one-to-one help.
Turn2us is a national charity that helps people in financial hardship access benefits, grants and other support. Its grant search tool identifies charitable trusts that may be able to provide help in specific circumstances. It is particularly useful where mainstream benefits do not cover the need.
For local council-administered schemes such as council tax support, discretionary housing payments and the Household Support Fund, the council own benefits team is the entry point. The Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman handles complaints about council services where they cannot be resolved through the council own complaints procedure.
Welfare rights advisers at law centres, advice agencies and some trade unions can also help with sure start maternity grant. The Law Centres Network maintains a directory of local centres that may take on benefits casework. Some larger trade unions provide welfare rights services to members as part of the membership package.
For formal challenges to decisions, the mandatory reconsideration route through DWP is the first step, followed by appeal to the First-tier Tribunal (Social Security and Child Support). The tribunal is free, accessible to litigants in person and decides by reference to the same evidence as DWP. Most successful appeals result in the original decision being changed.
Putting It All Together
The rules above set out the legal framework, the practical steps and the support routes available. Where the situation is straightforward, the gov.uk pages and the official tools should be enough to act on. Where the situation is more complex, the free advice services listed in the previous section can usually clarify the position and identify the right next step. Many issues that look intractable at first turn out to be resolvable once the right service is engaged.
Keeping written records of communications and decisions throughout is good practice. Where a decision needs to be challenged later - through an internal complaint, an ombudsman, a tribunal or a court - the quality of the contemporaneous record often decides the outcome. Dates, names, reference numbers and copies of correspondence are the building blocks of any later dispute. The gov.uk advice pages and the relevant ombudsman or tribunal websites all set out the evidence they consider when reviewing decisions, and gathering that evidence from the start is one of the most effective protections available.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I have to spend the grant on baby items?
No. The grant is a contribution toward the costs of a new baby but there is no requirement to spend it on specific items. It is paid as a single lump sum into the applicant bank account and can be used for any household expense related to the new baby.
What counts as a qualifying benefit?
Universal Credit, Income Support, income-based JSA, income-related ESA, Pension Credit, Housing Benefit, Working Tax Credit at the disability or severe disability element, or Child Tax Credit above the family element. Standard Working Tax Credit alone does not qualify.
Can I get the grant for a stillborn baby?
Yes. The grant is payable where a baby is stillborn after 24 weeks of pregnancy. The application is made using the same form SF100 with a stillbirth certificate as evidence.
Can grandparents or kinship carers apply?
Yes. Where a child is placed with a grandparent or other kinship carer under a residence order, special guardianship order or kinship care arrangement, the carer can apply for the grant within six months of the child joining the household.
How long does it take to be paid?
Most claims are processed within four to six weeks of the form being received. Payment is made into the bank account used for the qualifying benefit. Delays can occur if the form is incomplete or if the health professional confirmation is missing.
Can I appeal a refusal?
Yes. Refusals can be challenged through mandatory reconsideration first, then through the First-tier Tribunal if the reconsideration upholds the original decision. The time limit for mandatory reconsideration is one month from the decision date.
Is the grant counted against benefits?
No. The grant is disregarded as income and capital for Universal Credit, housing benefit, council tax support and other means-tested benefits. It is also exempt from the benefit cap calculation.
Can I get the grant if I am an EEA national?
EEA nationals with settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme, or with pre-settled status combined with appropriate residence, generally qualify. Non-EEA nationals on a visa subject to no recourse to public funds (NRPF) do not qualify.
What records should I keep?
Keep a copy of the SF100 form, the health professional confirmation, the proof of identity and benefits, and any decision letter. Records may be useful if DWP later queries eligibility or if a future change of circumstances needs to be reported.
How quickly is the SSMG paid?
Most successful claims are paid within 4 to 6 weeks. The payment is made into the bank account that benefits are paid into.
How We Verified This
Information is taken from the gov.uk Sure Start Maternity Grant pages, the Social Fund Maternity Grant Regulations 2005 on legislation.gov.uk, the Social Security (Scotland) Act 2018 governing the Best Start Grant, and Social Security Scotland Pregnancy and Baby Payment guidance on mygov.scot. Application form SF100 is published on gov.uk.