A new grant has been made available to people who are having a child, adopting or becoming a surrogate parent for the very first time.
For a couple to be eligible for this particular means of support, one of them must be in receipt of benefit payments from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP). This support for new parents is awarded and handed out differently depending on where people live in the UK, reports the Express.
People who live in England can claim a one-off Sure-Start Maternity Grant. This amounts to £500 for a first child - or £1,000 if having twins.
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Parents who already have a child under the age of 16 and have not had twins before, but are preparing to have twins, will also be eligible for £500. Similarly, if they have never had triplets before but are expecting them, they could be entitled to £1,000 in support.
In order to get the cash, parents must claim the grant within 11 weeks of the baby’s due date or within the six months following the baby’s birth. You do not have to pay the grant back and it will not affect your other benefits or tax credits.
Usually, to get a Sure Start Maternity Grant you must have no other children under 16. You or your partner must also get one of these 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
If you already have children under 16, you may still be able to get a grant if any of the following apply:
- you’re expecting a multiple birth (such as twins)
- the child you’re caring for is someone else’s (but not your partner’s) and the child was over 12 months old when the arrangement started
- you’ve been granted refugee status or humanitarian protection and you have a child or children from before you arrived in the UK
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