Children and pregnancy benefits
Child Benefit, disability payments for children, maternity support and related help.
Nation rules still apply inside a category. A disability payment in Scotland is not always the same payment as in England. Open the individual guide for where you live, or browse by circumstance.
Check which of these may apply to you
It usually takes about 5 minutes. You do not need to create an account. This is guidance, not a government decision.
Scotland
Best Start Foods
A Scottish prepaid card to help with the cost of milk, infant formula, fruit and vegetables during pregnancy and for children under 3, if you get certain benefits.
Scotland
Best Start Grant
Three Scottish one-off payments around pregnancy and a child’s early years if you get a qualifying benefit: Pregnancy and Baby Payment, Early Learning Payment, and School Age Payment. Separate from Best Start Foods.
UK-wide
Child Benefit
A regular payment to help with the cost of bringing up a child. It is usually paid if you are responsible for a child under 16, or under 20 if they stay in approved education or training.
UK-wideClosed to new claims
Child Tax Credit
Child Tax Credit has ended for new claims. It was an HMRC payment for people responsible for children. Universal Credit and Child Benefit are the usual current routes.
UK-wide
Free school meals
A school-age meal at no cost if you get certain benefits, with extra automatic provision for some infant year groups. Each UK nation sets its own rules and how you apply.
UK-wide
Funded childcare hours
Government-funded hours with an approved childcare provider. In England this includes age-based offers sometimes described as 15 or 30 hours. Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland run their own funded-hours schemes.
England, Wales and Northern Ireland
Healthy Start
Help to buy milk, fruit, vegetables and vitamins if you are pregnant or have a child under 4 and you get certain benefits. Scotland has Best Start Foods instead.
UK-wide
Maternity Allowance
A payment for 39 weeks if you are employed or self-employed but cannot get Statutory Maternity Pay from an employer.
Scotland
Scottish Child Payment
A weekly payment from Social Security Scotland for families looking after a child under 16, if they already get certain qualifying benefits.
UK-wide
Statutory Maternity Pay
A legal payment from your employer for up to 39 weeks if you are an employee and you meet continuity of employment and average-earnings tests. It is not claimed from DWP.
UK-wide
Tax-Free Childcare
An HMRC scheme where you pay into an online account for registered childcare and the government adds a contribution, up to a yearly cap. It is not a DWP benefit and usually cannot be combined with Universal Credit childcare costs for the same costs.