What benefits can I claim when I'm pregnant or have a baby?

• Free NHS dental care in the UK while you’re pregnant and for a year after the baby is born.
• In England, you qualify for free prescriptions while you’re pregnant and for a year after the baby is born.
• In Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, you qualify for free prescriptions at all times (whether or not you're pregnant).

All women who are pregnant or who gave birth less than a year ago.

Fill out the Maternity Exemption form (FW8) – available from your doctor or midwife.

Regardless of how long you’ve been in your job, you have a right to paid time off from work to go to your antenatal appointments.

This time off is as well as your annual leave.

Antenatal care includes:

• medical and midwife appointments
• doctor-recommended appointments – for example, relaxation or parenting classes.

Your time off should include travel time to and from each appointment.

The baby’s father or your partner (this includes same-sex partners) are entitled to take unpaid time off work to go with you to two of your antenatal appointments. The maximum time is capped at six hours and 30 minutes for each appointment.

Employed pregnant women.

Tell your employer when your antenatal appointments are happening. Try to give them as much notice as you can to help with work planning.

It might be a good idea to go during quiet times at work, or outside working hours if you can.

Find out more about paid time off for antenatal care:

• Pregnant employee's rights In England, Wales and ScotlandOpens in a new window on GOV.UK
• Working when pregnant In Northern IrelandOpens in a new window on nidirect.

When you have a baby, you’re entitled to a year’s maternity leave and pay from your employer for up to 39 weeks while you’re on leave, if you’re eligible.

Employed pregnant women.

To get Statutory Maternity Pay you must have:

• average earnings of at least £123 per week, £533 per month or £6,396 per year, and
• been working for your employer for at least 26 weeks.

You get Statutory Maternity Pay for 39 weeks of your 52-week maternity leave.

The table below shows how much Statutory Maternity Pay is in the 2024/25 tax year:

To get maternity leave, you need to tell your employer when you want to stop working by the 15th week before the baby’s due date.

You need to give your employer at least 28 days’ notice that you want to start Statutory Maternity Pay and give them proof you’re pregnant.

A fortnightly or monthly payment from the government if you can’t claim Statutory Maternity Pay.

Pregnant women and new mums who can’t claim Statutory Maternity Pay because:

• you haven’t worked for your employer for long enough
• you’re self-employed
• your average pay is less than £123 per week, £533 per month or £6,396 per year.

The amount you get is based on how much you earn.

Depending on your earnings, in the 2024/25 tax year you could get either:

• £184.03 a week or 90% of your average weekly earnings – whichever is less – for up to 39 weeks
• £27 a week for up to 14 weeks.

If you live in England, Wales or Scotland, call 0800 055 6688 or fill in the Maternity Allowance (MA1) claim formOpens in a new window on GOV.UK. If you live in Northern Ireland, call 02890 823 318 for a form or download oneOpens in a new window on nidirect.

One or two weeks’ paid time off work so you can help look after your new baby.

You must be:

• the child’s biological father or adopter
• the mother’s partner
• the intended parent – if you’re having a baby through surrogacy.

You must also:

• have worked for your employer for 26 weeks by the 15th week before the baby is due
• be employed by your employer until the baby is born
• earn at least £123 a week, £533 per month or £6,396 per year.

There are different rules if you adopt:

• adoption and surrogacy if you live in England, Ireland or ScotlandOpens in a new window on GOV.UK
• adoption leave and surrogacy if you live in Northern IrelandOpens in a new window on nidirect.

You get Statutory Paternity Pay for one or two weeks of your paternity leave.

In the 2024/25 tax year, you’ll get £184.03 a week or 90% of your average weekly earnings – whichever is lower.

Give your employer form SC3 at least 15 weeks before the week the baby is due:

• If you live in England, Wales or Scotland, get the form SC3Opens in a new window on GOV.UK.
• If you live in Northern Ireland, download the form SC3Opens in a new window from nidirect.

There are different rules if you adopt:

• If you live in England, Ireland or Scotland, find out more about paternity pay and leave for adoptionsOpens in a new window on GOV.UK.
• If you live in Northern Ireland, find out more about adoption leave and surrogacyOpens in a new window on nidirect.

Up to 50 weeks’ parental leave and 37 weeks’ pay shared with your partner, if you’re eligible.

You can get Statutory Shared Parental Pay if you’re employed and you’re eligible for either:

• Statutory Maternity Pay or Statutory Adoption Pay
• Statutory Paternity Pay and your partner is eligible for Statutory Maternity Pay, Maternity Allowance or Statutory Adoption Pay.

Before either parent can get Shared Parental Leave or Pay the mother (or the person getting adoption leave) must either:

• return to work, which ends any maternity or adoption leave, or
• give their employer ‘binding notice’ of the date when they plan to end their leave (you cannot normally change the date you give in binding notice).

In the 2024/25 tax year, you’ll get £184.03 per week or 90% of your average weekly earnings – whichever is lower.

You must give notice to your employer in writing if you want Statutory Shared Parental Leave and Pay.

If you live in England, Wales or Scotland, there are downloadable forms you can use to give noticeOpens in a new window on GOV.UK.

At nidirect, find out about Shared Parental Leave and Pay if you live in Northern IrelandOpens in a new window

Find out more about Statutory Shared Parental Leave and PayOpens in a new window on GOV.UK.

When you adopt or have a child through surrogacy, you’re entitled to a year off work and up to 39 weeks’ Statutory Adoption Pay.

Only one person in a couple can take adoption leave and pay. The other person could be eligible for paternity leave and pay. 

You must be an employee and have been:

• working for your employer for 26 weeks by the time you’re matched with a child, or by the 15th week before the baby is due
• earning an average of at least £123 a week, £533 per month or £6,396 per year.

You get Statutory Adoption Pay for up to 39 weeks of your Statutory Adoption Leave.

The table below shows how much Statutory Adoption Pay is in the 2024/25 tax year:

Tell your employer you want to take adoption leave and when you want it to start.

You should tell them within seven days of being told by the adoption agency you’ve been matched with a child.

If you use a surrogate to have a baby, tell your employer the due date and when you want to start your leave at least 15 weeks before the baby is due.

Working Tax Credit is a payment from the government to help top up your earnings if you work and are on a low income. It’s being replaced by Universal Credit.

If you're making a new claim you now have to apply for Universal Credit instead of Working Tax Credit.

If you’re already claiming Working Tax Credit and are having a baby, this might qualify as a change in circumstances. You’ll have to tell HMRC about this change – and you might be asked to make a new claim for Universal Credit.

Income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) is being replaced by Universal Credit. This means you have to claim Universal Credit instead.

But if you’ve made enough National Insurance contributions, you might qualify for New Style Employment and Support Allowance. If you need extra support with other costs – for example, your rent or bringing up children, you might be able to claim Universal Credit alongside New Style ESA.

You now have to make a new claim for Universal Credit instead of Income Support.

If you don't qualify for Maternity Allowance or Statutory Maternity Pay, are unemployed and can’t look for work, or on a low income, you might be able to claim Universal Credit while you’re pregnant.

A one-off £500 payment from the Social Fund to help with the cost of your baby.

If you live in Scotland, this has been replaced with the Best Start Grant.

You’ll get the grant if your new baby is the only child under 16 in your family and you or your partner get one of the following benefits:

• Pension Credit
• Income Support
• Universal Credit
• Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance
• Income-related Employment and Support Allowance
• Child Tax Credit at a higher rate than the family element
• Working Tax Credit which includes a disability or severe disability element.

There are more rules if you’re adopting or becoming a surrogate parent. Find out more about the Sure Start Maternity GrantOpens in a new window on GOV.UK.

If you live in England or Wales, fill in the Sure Start Maternity Grant (SF100) claim formOpens in a new window on GOV.UK.

If you live in Northern Ireland, you can download a claim packOpens in a new window from nidirect.

Find out more about the Sure Start Maternity GrantOpens in a new window on GOV.UK.

Best Start Grant and Best Start Foods are payments that help cover the costs of being pregnant or taking care of a child.

If you’re under 18, you can apply for Best Start Grant or Best Start Foods – even if you’re not receiving any payments or benefits.

If you’re over 18, you can apply if you’re getting any of the following benefits:

• Universal Credit
• Income Support
• income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance
• income-related Employment and Support Allowance
• Pension Credit
• Housing Benefit
• Child Tax Credit, or
• Working Tax Credits.

If you’re 18 or 19 and don’t get any of these benefits, you can still apply if your parent or carer gets:

• the child element of Universal Credit or Pension Credit

• Child Benefit, or

• Child Tax Credit.

You can apply for Best Start Grant and Best Start FoodsOpens in a new window on mygov.scot.

Remember, you must report your baby’s birth within four months to keep receiving Best Start Foods.

For the 2024/25 tax year, the Pregnancy and Baby Payment element is:

• £754.65 for your first baby 
• £377.35 for any subsequent children.

The Early Learning Payment and School Age Payment are both £314.45 per child.

Best Start Foods is a prepaid card that can help you buy healthy foods while you’re pregnant and when your child is under three. It can be used online or in shops. For the 2024/25 tax year, you will get:

• £21.20 every four weeks during pregnancy
• £42.40 every four weeks from when your child is born until they’re one year's old
• £21.20 every four weeks between the ages of one and three.

You can apply for Best Start Foods as soon as you know you're pregnant or up until your child turns three years old. You can do it online, by phone or by filling out the form.

Find out more about applying for Best Start Grant and FoodsOpens in a new window on mygov.scot.

Remember, you must report the birth of your baby within four months to keep receiving Best Start Foods.

The NHS Healthy Start scheme pays eligible families with young children (or expecting a child) up to £8.50 a week to help pay for ‘healthy’ foods such as fruit, vegetables and milk. You also get free vitamin supplements.

The weekly payment on your prepaid card can be used towards:

• milk – plain cow’s milk, whole, semi-skimmed or skimmed pasteurised, sterilised, long-life or ultra-heat treated (UHT)
• plain fresh and frozen fruit and vegetables
• infant formula
• vitamins – pregnant women, women with a child under 12 months and children aged up to four years who are receiving Healthy Start payments are entitled to free Healthy Start vitamins – one bottle every eight weeks.

You can only use the cards in shops (not online) that sell milk, infant formula, fruit, and vegetables and you can’t withdraw cash from the card.

You’ll get the payments if you’re at least ten weeks pregnant or have a child under four and you and your family get one of the following benefits:

• Income Support
• Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance
• Income-related Employment Support Allowance (if you're pregnant)
• Child Tax Credit – if your family’s income is £16,190 or less and you’re not getting Working Tax Credit
• Working Tax Credit – if you’re receiving Working Tax Credit run-on. A run-on might be paid to you in the four weeks after you’ve stopped working enough hours to qualify for Working Tax Credit
• Universal Credit – if your household is earning £408 or less a month
• Working Tax Credit run-on. This is the payment you receive for four weeks after you’ve stopped working for 16 hours or more each week (single adults)
• Pension Credit (which includes the Child addition).

You also qualify for Healthy Start Food payments if you’re not getting one of these benefits yourself but you live with your partner and they get the benefit.

If you’re under 18 and pregnant, you can also get Healthy Start payments – even if you don’t get any of the benefits listed above.

If you’re not a British citizen but your child is, you might still be able to get Healthy Start payments. Find out more about how to get help and apply for food and milkOpens in a new window by scrolling to the bottom of the NHS Healthy Start page.

• pregnant women (from the 10th week) and children aged one to four get £4.25 a week
• children under one get £8.50 a week.

You will need to apply for your Healthy Start card online at NHS Healthy StartOpens in a new window You must register for a card even if you previously claimed paper vouchers.

If you need more information you can also speak to your midwife, health visitor or doctor, or call Healthy Start on 0300 330 7010 or apply online at NHS Healthy StartOpens in a new window

Remember, you must report the birth of your baby within four months to keep receiving Healthy Start payments.

You might be able to get help with the costs of your child’s school transport. This depends on how far you live from the school, the age of the child and any disabilities.

You might be able to get extra support if you’re on a low income or claiming benefits.

If you live in England and Wales, check your eligibilityOpens in a new window for help with home to school transport. Find your local councilOpens in a new window on GOV.UK.

If you live in Northern Ireland, find what help is availableOpens in a new window on Education Authority.

If you live in Scotland, on mygov.scot you can apply to get free school transport from your local council

If you live in Scotland, you or your partner are claiming certain benefits, and you or your partner are the main person looking after a child aged under 16 then you might be eligible to claim a £26.70 weekly payment for every child under 16. 

If you are successful, you will be paid every four weeks. 

Child Benefit is a regular payment of money from the government to help with the cost of raising a child.

Only one person can claim Child Benefit – and you can claim for every child you’re responsible for.

Anyone responsible for a child under 16 (or under 20 if they’re in education or training).

The rates for the 2024/25 tax year are:

• £25.60 a week for the eldest or only child
• £16.95 a week for each additional child.

Download a claim form (CH2)Opens in a new window from GOV.UK.

If either you or your partner has an income of more than £60,000 a year, you’ll have to pay back some or all your Child Benefit in the form of extra Income Tax. But it could still be worth applying to help protect your state pension.

Child Tax Credit has been replaced by Universal Credit for all new claims. You may be able to claim the child element of UC for up to two children until they reach the age of 19 (or 20 in some cases) and are in full-time approved education or training – not at university.

If you’re already getting Child Tax Credit, you’ll need to tell HMRC when the baby’s born and you might be asked to claim Universal Credit instead.

If you have three or more children, you can claim for all of them if they were born before 6 April 2017.

You usually won’t be able to claim Universal Credit for third or subsequent babies, except in limited circumstances, including a multiple birth, adopting or becoming a kinship carer.

Find out more on Working Families

Have you had a baby and are at college or university? Then you could qualify for financial help. This could cover everything from living expenses and learning costs to travel and childcare grants.