How do I claim Sure Start Maternity Grant in the UK (SF100)?

Who can claim Sure Start Maternity Grant?

GOV.UK — Sure Start Maternity Grant describes a one-off payment of £500 towards the costs of having a child. You usually qualify if you are expecting your first child — or a multiple birth when you already have children — and you or your partner already get certain benefits. You do not have to pay the grant back and it will not affect your other benefits.

The eligibility page says you must usually have no other children under 16, and you or your partner must get one of: income-related Employment and Support Allowance, Pension Credit, or Universal Credit. You may also qualify if you are getting a Support for Mortgage Interest loan.

If you live in Scotland you cannot get a Sure Start Maternity Grant. GOV.UK directs you to Pregnancy and Baby Payment instead. Northern Ireland has its own SF100 posting address — see the nation section below.

How much is the grant, and when does the window open?

How to claim sets the window: from 11 weeks before the week the baby is due, and no later than 6 months after the baby is born. If you are becoming responsible for a child (for example adoption), claim within 6 months of that happening.

How do I fill in SF100 and post it?

1. 1
   Download SF100 on a computer The GOV.UK claim form page (last updated 26 March 2026) applies to England and Wales. DWP says you cannot complete the form on a mobile phone or tablet. Use a desktop or laptop, or print it and write in pen. Open it in a recent PDF reader — not the browser, and not Preview on a Mac.
2. 2
   Add pregnancy or birth evidence A midwife or doctor can fill in form MAT B1, or write a statement confirming the pregnancy or birth. GOV.UK allows you to post SF100 without that evidence if you are about to miss the deadline; DWP then contacts you to arrange it.
3. 3
   Post to Freepost DWP SSMG No postcode and no stamp. That Freepost address is the England and Wales route on GOV.UK.
4. 4
   Wait for DWP’s letter GOV.UK says DWP writes about the decision within 28 days of receiving the form and evidence. A new Universal Credit claim can make that take longer.
5. 5
   If you disagree Ask for a mandatory reconsideration. The how-to-claim page links that process.

Need a paper form or another format (braille, large print, audio CD)? Call the Sure Start Maternity Grant helpline: 0800 169 0140, Monday to Friday, 10am to 3pm (Welsh language 0800 169 0240). Relay UK: 18001 then 0800 169 0140.

We already have a child under 16. Is there still a claim?

Sometimes. GOV.UK lists exceptions if you or your partner get a qualifying benefit and one of these applies: you are expecting a multiple birth; the child you already care for is someone else’s (not your partner’s) and was over 12 months old when the arrangement started; you have refugee status, humanitarian protection, or you came to the UK from Afghanistan or Ukraine under the situations GOV.UK names; or you are claiming for a family member under 16 (or 16 to 19 in approved education or training) who lives with you and is having their first child.

Adoption, parental orders and guardianship have their own tests on the same eligibility page. The baby must be less than 1 year old on the date you claim, and you must still get a qualifying benefit.

What if I live in Scotland or Northern Ireland?

Scotland: do not post SF100 to Freepost DWP SSMG. GOV.UK says to apply for Pregnancy and Baby Payment.

Northern Ireland: nidirect still uses an SF100, but you send it to the Department for Communities at DfC Sure Start Maternity Grants, Mail Handling Site A, Wolverhampton, WV98 2JX. nidirect says you can ask for the form online or by phoning the Social Fund Budgeting loans service. The usual amount on that page is also £500, with a multiple-birth table of its own. There is a different form and postal address if you live in England or Wales.

In shortEngland and Wales: SF100 + MAT B1 or a statement, Freepost DWP SSMG, 11 weeks before the due week through to 6 months after birth. £500 is the usual one-off figure on GOV.UK. Scotland uses Pregnancy and Baby Payment. Northern Ireland uses a different posting route.