THE cost of raising a child is expensive enough, but some new parents get £500 in free cash through a little-known scheme.
The money comes via the Sure Start Maternity Grant – and in some cases you might be able to get up to £1,000.
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But you have to meet criteria, including being on certain benefits such as Universal Credit and Income Support.
It’s worth checking if you can get the help though, especially with energy bills and food costs as high as they are.
Here’s everything you need to know.
What is the Sure Start Maternity Grant and who is eligible?
The Sure Start Maternity Grant is a payment that comes from the Government and issued to new or expectant parents.
The money is designed to help you cover the costs of having a child.
You usually qualify if you’re pregnant with your first child or are expecting a multiple birth (such as twins) and have children already.
Either you or your partner must also be receiving any of the below 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
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You may also qualify if you are receiving Support for Mortgage Interest loan.
Your income, or the amount you get of any of these payments or benefits, doesn’t matter but there are also exceptions to these rules.
For example, you can usually only get one of the grants if you have no other children under 16.
But you might be able to get the £500 if you are expecting twins, the child you’re caring for is someone else’s or you’re claiming for a family member who is under 16.
You could also get the cash payment if you’re adopting a child or becoming a surrogate parent.
Meanwhile, if you already have a child under 16 but you’re expecting triplets, you can get a £1,000 grant.
It’s worth noting, you can only get one of the grants if you live in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.
If you live in Scotland, you can get help via the Pregnancy and Baby Payment.
How do I apply?
You can make a claim for the grant by filling in the Sure Start Maternity Grant (SF100) claim form.
If you live in Northern Ireland you can download a claim form from nidirect.
You have to claim the grant within 11 weeks of the baby’s due date or within six months of its birth.
For example, if you are adopting a child, you must claim within six months of the child being placed with you.
You can claim by post or phone.
If you are claiming by post, you will need to print out the Sure Start Maternity Grant (SF100) claim form.
Crucially, on page 10 there is a statement which you need to get filled in by a doctor or midwife.
However, you can send the form without this statement if you’re due to miss the deadline.
If you do this you’ll be contacted by the Department for Work and Pensions about arranging the statement at a later date.
Once you’ve filled in the form you’ll need to send it to “Freepost DWP SSMG”, or you can take it to your local Jobcentre Plus.
If you are posting it, you don’t need to add a postcode or stamp.
You’ll get a letter telling you if your claim was successful or not, and payment will be made to the same account where you usually get your benefit payments.
What other help can I get if I’m a parent?
It’s not just the Sure Start Maternity Grant that’s available to parents to help them with the cost of living.
There’s countless support on offer through other Government schemes.
First, you might be able to get help paying for the cost of childcare if your child is two and you’re on certain benefits. The benefits are:
- Income Support
- Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA)
- Income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)
- Universal Credit, and your household income is £15,400 a year or less after tax, not including benefit payments
- The guaranteed element of Pension Credit
- Child Tax Credit, Working Tax Credit (or both), and your household income is £16,190 a year or less before tax
- The Working Tax Credit four-week run on (the payment you get when you stop qualifying for Working Tax Credit)
Parents of two-year-olds can also get free childcare if they:
- are looked after by a local authority
- have an education, health and care (EHC) plan
- get Disability Living Allowance
- have left care under an adoption order, special guardianship order or a child arrangements order
Meanwhile, you can claim vouchers to feed your children worth up to £442 a year through the Healthy Start Scheme.
To qualify for the scheme you need be receiving certain benefits, including Universal Credit, Income Support or Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance.
Plus, you can get Child Benefit worth up to £1,133 a year if you’re responsible for bringing up a child who is under 16 or under 20 and in approved education or training.
It’s worth £24 a week for your eldest or only child and £15.90 for any additional children.
You have to actively claim the benefit though, and won’t receive it automatically.
Just beware of the High Income Child Benefit charge that you’ll be hit with once you start earning over £50,000.
The charge sees you pay back 1% of your child benefit for every £100 of income over this amount.
Once you reach £60,000 of income you have to repay the full amount.
Do you have a money problem that needs sorting? Get in touch by emailing [email protected]
