Maternity grants
What is it?
A Sure Start Maternity Grant is a one-off payment to help with the cost of having a new baby.
Do I qualify?
You must be receiving one of the following benefits:
You must claim any time between 11 weeks before the week your baby is due, until 3 months after the baby is born.
If you are adopting, your baby must be under 12 months at the date of your claim. You should claim within 3 months of adopting.
If a surrogate mother has a baby for you, you and your partner must have a parental order. This is a court order showing that the law considers you to be the child's parents. You should claim within 3 months of the order being made.
To find out whether you could qualify, you can contact the Benefits Maximisation Service for a full benefits check.
How much is it?
The Sure Start Maternity Grant is £500 for each child.
How do I apply?
You need to complete form SF100 which can be obtained from your local Jobcentre Plus office.
You can also download a Sure Start Maternity Grant form.
The back of your claim form must be signed by a health professional such as a midwife, health visitor or doctor, to confirm that you have received health and welfare advice for your baby and yourself.
The Benefits Maximisation Service can provide personal advice on what you may be entitled to and help you make a claim. For more information go to Benefits Maximisation Service.
What if I am not satisfied with the decision?
If you are refused a payment you can write asking for a revision within one month from the date on the decision. This means that a different Decision Maker will look at your claim again.
It is very important that you reply within one month, as you may not be able to challenge the decision otherwise.
If you are still unsatisfied once the revision has taken place you can ask to have your case heard by an independent appeal tribunal. This usually has to be on a form called a GL24, which is available from any DWP office. You can also ask the DWP to post one to you. Again, you must make your appeal within one month of the date of the revision.
Our Benefit Maximisation Service can help you with revisions and appeals.
What if my circumstances change?
Your entitlement to a Funeral Payment can only be considered based on your circumstances at the time of your claim. If your circumstances have changed, so that you now qualify for a payment, you will need to make a new claim.
For an easy way to find out which benefits might apply to you and your circumstances go to What can I claim?
The Benefits Maximisation Service can provide personal advice on what you may be entitled to and help you make a claim. For more information go to Benefits Maximisation Service.
Disclaimer
Although every effort is made to ensure the information on these pages is accurate and up to date, it should not be treated as a complete and authoritative statement of the law.