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How to get £500 towards the cost of your first baby if you are on Universal Credit

Universal Credit Pregnancy and maternity Low income support

Key points

  • If you are on Universal Credit and expecting your first baby, you can get a one-off £500 payment that you never have to pay back
  • You have a generous window to claim — from 11 weeks before your due date all the way up to 6 months after the birth
  • The £500 will not affect your Universal Credit or any other benefit you receive

If you are on Universal Credit and expecting your first baby, you could get a one-off £500 payment to help cover the costs.

It is called the Sure Start Maternity Grant. You never have to pay it back, and it will not reduce what you get from Universal Credit or any other benefit you are receiving.

Who can get it

You can apply if:

  • you or your partner are on Universal Credit, Pension Credit (guarantee credit), income-based Jobseeker's Allowance, income-related Employment and Support Allowance, income support, Child Tax Credit, or Working Tax Credit
  • you are pregnant with your first child — or you are expecting twins or more and you already have children
  • no other children under 16 live in your home (unless you are expecting twins or more)

What you need to claim

You fill in form SF100 to apply. You can pick this up from your local Jobcentre Plus or search for "Sure Start Maternity Grant" on GOV.UK to find the latest version.

You will also need a MATB1 certificate — a short document your midwife or GP will give you to confirm your pregnancy and expected due date.

When to claim

You can claim from 11 weeks before your baby is due. The latest you can apply is 6 months after the birth.

If you have only recently started your Universal Credit claim, allow a little extra time — the DWP may take slightly longer to process your grant application. Put your claim in as early as you can.

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What happens next

You will get a letter within 28 days telling you whether your claim was approved. If it is, the £500 goes straight into the bank account linked to your Universal Credit.

You can spend the money on whatever you need — nappies, a pram, clothing, or just setting some money aside for when the baby arrives.

A note on the two-child limit change

Since 6 April 2026, the two-child limit on Universal Credit has been removed, so you now get a child element for every child you have. But the Sure Start Maternity Grant is a separate payment with its own rules — it is a one-off payment for your first baby only (or for a multiple birth such as twins). It does not apply to every new baby you have.

If you are not sure whether you qualify, Citizens Advice can check your situation free of charge.

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Frequently asked questions

I already have children and am expecting another baby — can I still get the Sure Start Maternity Grant?

You can only get the grant for your first baby — if you already have children, the one exception is if you are expecting twins or more, so contact Citizens Advice to check your eligibility for free.

Is the Sure Start Maternity Grant available across the whole of the UK?

It covers England, Wales, and Northern Ireland only — if you live in Scotland, search for the Best Start Grant on mygov.scot instead.

Official source: https://www.gov.uk/sure-start-maternity-grant