A one-off £500 payment to help with the costs of having a first child if you get certain benefits.
Many people who are entitled to support never claim it. Check who qualifies, how much you could get and how to make your claim through the official channel.
The rules depend on where you live in the UK and on your household’s circumstances.
What Sure Start Maternity Grant offers
- No repayment: It is a grant, not a loan.
- Not taxed: It does not affect other benefits.
- Adoption and surrogacy: Also available for adoptions and surrogacy in some cases.
- Multiple births: Can be paid where you already have children and are expecting twins or triplets.
| Feature | Detail |
|---|---|
| Who can get it | People getting Universal Credit or other qualifying benefits who are expecting their first child, or a multiple birth |
| How much | £500 per child (more for multiple births); you do not have to pay it back |
| When to claim | From 11 weeks before the due date until 6 months after the birth |
| How to claim | Fill in the SF100 claim form |
| Where | England, Wales and Northern Ireland (Best Start Grant in Scotland) |
Key points
No repayment: It is a grant, not a loan.
Not taxed: It does not affect other benefits.
Adoption and surrogacy: Also available for adoptions and surrogacy in some cases.
About Department for Work and Pensions
Sure Start Maternity Grant is run by Department for Work and Pensions. Claims are made free of charge through the official government channel.
We explain the rules independently and then send you to the official page to claim. We are not a government website.
Amounts and rules can change. The decision on your claim is made by Department for Work and Pensions.