Little-known DWP benefit for new mums worth £500 – how to claim it

NEW Mums tin container themselves £500 successful escaped currency done a little-known benefit.

It comes via the Sure Start Maternity Grant, which you don't person to wage back.

New oregon expectant mothers tin assertion the free cash, but you person to beryllium connected certain benefits including Universal Credit.

You mightiness besides beryllium successful enactment for a outgo greater than £500, depending connected your circumstances.

Here's everything you request to know.

What is the Sure Start Maternity Grant and who is eligible?

The Sure Start Maternity Grant is simply a outgo issued by the Government to caller oregon expectant mothers.

The wealth is designed to assistance you screen the costs of having a child.

But you indispensable beryllium connected definite benefits. The afloat database is:

• Income Support
• income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance
• income-related Employment and Support Allowance
• Pension Credit
• Child Tax Credit
• Working Tax Credit that includes a disablement oregon terrible disablement element
• Universal Credit

You don't person to wage the assistance backmost and it doesn't impact your different benefits or tax credits.

If you person Support for Mortgage Interest indebtedness you whitethorn besides suffice for a grant.

Usually, you won't get 1 of the grants if you already person immoderate children aged nether 16.

But, you whitethorn inactive beryllium capable to if you're expecting twins oregon triplets, the kid you're caring for is idiosyncratic else's, you are classed arsenic a exile oregon you're claiming the assistance for a household subordinate who's nether 16, oregon 16 to 19 and successful definite types of acquisition oregon training.

For example, if you person 1 oregon much children nether 16 and nary of them were from aggregate births, you tin get a £1,000 assistance if you're having triplets.

However, you would lone get £500 if you're having triplets and person already had twins.

The eligibility criteria tin beryllium a spot complex, truthful it's worthy applying conscionable successful lawsuit you suffice for help.

You tin cheque retired the afloat criteria connected the Government's website too.

You can't person a Sure Start Maternity Grant if you unrecorded in Scotland, but you tin use for a Pregnancy and Baby Payment instead.

How to apply

You tin marque a assertion for the assistance by filling successful the Sure Start Maternity Grant (SF100) assertion form.

If you unrecorded in Northern Ireland you tin download a assertion signifier from nidirect.

You person to assertion the assistance wrong 11 weeks of the baby's owed day oregon wrong six months of its birth.

For example, if you are adopting a child, you indispensable assertion wrong six months of the kid being placed with you.

You tin assertion by station or phone.

If you are claiming by post, you volition request to people retired the Sure Start Maternity Grant (SF100) assertion form.

Crucially, connected leafage 10 determination is simply a connection which you request to get filled successful by a doctor or midwife.

However, you tin nonstop the signifier without this connection if you're owed to miss the deadline.

If you bash this you'll beryllium contacted by the Department for Work and Pensions about arranging the connection astatine a aboriginal date.

Once you've filled successful the signifier you'll request to nonstop it to “Freepost DWP SSMG”, oregon you tin instrumentality it to your section Jobcentre Plus.

If you are posting it, you don't request to adhd a postcode oregon stamp.

You'll get a missive telling you if your assertion was palmy oregon not, and outgo volition beryllium made to the aforesaid relationship wherever you usually get your payment payments.

What different assistance tin I get?

If you don't suffice for a Sure Start Maternity Grant, there's a big of different enactment connected connection for parents.

You mightiness beryllium capable to get up to £442 a twelvemonth to enactment towards nutrient and beverage done the Healthy Start Scheme.

If you're eligible you'll beryllium sent a Healthy Start paper which you tin usage successful a fig of UK shops. The paper is topped up for you each 4 weeks.

If you unrecorded successful Scotland the strategy is called Best Start Foods.

You should claim Child Benefit if you haven't already too. You person to actively assertion it and won't person it automatically.

It's worthy up to £1,133 a twelvemonth if you're liable for bringing up a kid nether 16 oregon nether 20 and successful approved acquisition oregon training.

It's worthy £24 a week for your eldest oregon lone kid and £15.90 for immoderate further children.

You tin use for Child Benefit the time aft you've registered the commencement of your child, oregon erstwhile a kid comes to unrecorded with you.

It tin beryllium backdated for up to 3 months and you tin use connected the Government's website.

Just beware of the High Income Child Benefit charge that you'll beryllium deed with erstwhile you commencement earning implicit £50,000.

The complaint sees you wage backmost 1% of your kid payment for each £100 of income implicit this amount.

Once you scope £60,000 of income you person to repay the afloat amount.

Again, it is your work to wage the complaint to HMRC. If you don't, you can beryllium deed with a monolithic bill.