What is a Sure Start Maternity Grant?
A Sure Start Maternity Grant is a one-off payment of £500 to help with the costs of having a new-born or adopted baby. It only applies to people living in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.
You will only get a maternity grant if the new baby is the only child under 16 in the household. There are special rules for multiple births.
You can choose how to spend the grant money. You do not have to pay the grant back and it won’t affect your other benefits or tax credits.
To receive the maternity grant you or your partner must already be getting certain qualifying benefits on the day you claim the grant. You must also show that you have received advice from a health care professional.
You must claim the grant within 11 weeks of the baby’s due date or within six months after the baby’s birth or if you have adopted a baby or had a child by a surrogate mother within the last six months.
In the case of adoption, guardianship and residence orders, the child must be under the age of 12 months at the date of claim.
A Sure Start Maternity Grant does not count as income when calculating your entitlement to other means-tested benefits.
In Scotland, the Best Start Grant has replaced the Sure Start Maternity Grant. Read the Best Start Grants guide for more information.
Applies to: England, Wales, and Northern Ireland
Age rules: There are no specific age rules
Type of benefit: Means-tested
Taxable: No
Administered by: JobCentre Plus
Updated January 2019