Sure Start Maternity Grant adopting a baby under 12 months

Can I claim if I am adopting, not giving birth?

Yes — GOV.UK pregnancy copy is easy to miss, but the eligibility page has a separate “If you’re not giving birth” block. You or your partner must get a listed qualifying benefit, and one of the following must also apply:

• you have become responsible for the baby and you are not the mother
• the baby has been placed with you for adoption
• you have permission to adopt a baby from abroad
• you have a parental order for a surrogate birth
• you have been appointed as guardian
• you have an adoption or a residence order

GOV.UK also says the baby must be less than 1 year old on the date you claim. That is a claim-date test, not a placement-date test.

How old can the baby be, and when does the 6-month clock start?

Two clocks run at once on GOV.UK:

If placement is in month 10 of the baby’s life, the under-1 test still requires the SF100 to arrive before the first birthday. Waiting until “there is more paperwork” can miss both clocks.

What evidence do I send instead of a MATB1?

For a pregnancy or birth, GOV.UK asks for a MATB1 or a health-professional statement. That is not the adoption route. nidirect is explicit: if you are claiming because you have become responsible for a child under 12 months, send the adoption order, residence order, parental order, or similar document (see pages 5 and 6 of the NI form notes).

England and Wales use the same idea on the GOV.UK how-to-claim page: you still post SF100, but the evidence matches the legal arrangement, not a midwife’s MATB1. If the order is not yet in your hand, GOV.UK still requires you to claim inside the 6-month window — see also sending SF100 without a MATB1 to meet a birth deadline for how DWP treats missing evidence on a birth claim.

How do I claim in England, Wales or Northern Ireland?

1. 1
   Check the live qualifying-benefit list On 10 September 2026 GOV.UK listed income-related Employment and Support Allowance, Pension Credit, Universal Credit, or a Support for Mortgage Interest loan. Use the eligibility page, not an older blog list that still names tax credits.
2. 2
   Download SF100 England and Wales: GOV.UK claim form (last updated 26 March 2026). Print and post to Freepost DWP SSMG — no postcode or stamp. Northern Ireland: different form and nidirect postal address (DfC Sure Start Maternity Grants, Mail Handling Site A, Wolverhampton, WV98 2JX).
3. 3
   Attach the order, not a MATB1 Send the adoption, residence, parental-order or guardianship document the official notes ask for. Helpline for England and Wales: 0800 169 0140, Monday to Friday, 10am to 3pm.
4. 4
   Wait for the decision letter GOV.UK says a letter about whether the claim is successful is sent within 28 days of DWP receiving the form and evidence. A new Universal Credit claim can take longer. nidirect says there is no SSMG decision until a pending Universal Credit application has been processed.

What if I live in Scotland?

GOV.UK and nidirect both say you cannot get a Sure Start Maternity Grant in Scotland. Apply for Best Start Grant Pregnancy and Baby Payment instead.

For a birth, mygov.scot’s usual window is the end of the 24th week of pregnancy until the day the baby is 6 months old. If you have taken over looking after a child, for example if you have adopted, mygov.scot says you can apply up to the day before the child’s first birthday. That is the Scottish adopter clock — longer than the English 6-months-from-placement rule, and still capped by the day before age 1.

mygov.scot also says you cannot get Pregnancy and Baby Payment if you have already had a Sure Start Maternity Grant for the same baby. A move after an English award does not unlock a second newborn grant for that child.

Do I still need a qualifying benefit if other children already live with me?

Yes. The adoption route sits on top of the benefit test; it does not replace it. The usual “no other children under 16” rule is relaxed in listed situations (multiple birth, caring for someone else’s child who was over 12 months when the arrangement started, some refugee and Ukraine/Afghanistan routes, or claiming for a family member). Adoption of a baby under 1 is the separate “not giving birth” list — read both blocks on the live GOV.UK page rather than assuming a first-child-only refusal is the end of the matter.

In shortAdopters search two facts GOV.UK pregnancy pages hide: the baby must be under 12 months on the claim date, and the claim must arrive within 6 months of placement. Send the order, not a MATB1. In Scotland use Pregnancy and Baby Payment up to the day before the first birthday.