New Pregnancy Grant
A new pregnancy grant will be available for pregnant mothers due on or after 6 April 2009. Pregnant mums are being urged to apply for the one-off £190 payment.
The one-off payment is not means-tested. It is intended to provide pregnant women with financial support to enable them to meet their needs during pregnancy and to make some essential purchases before the baby’s arrival.
The grant can be claimed from the 25th week of pregnancy after receiving health advice from a health professional such as a midwife. The health professional will give the mum to be a claim form which needs to be signed and sent to the relevant address within 30 days of receipt.
Once the claim has been approved, the grant will be paid directly to the nominated bank account. Any applications made during the first 3 months of 2009 will be paid during April.
Note that payment of the grant does not depend on household income and the payment will not affect other benefits or tax credits. The grant is payable per pregnancy not per baby.