Responsible for Children
If you are a parent, guardian, or expect to be soon.
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If you are a parent, guardian, or expecting a baby/child (either through pregnancy, fostering or adoption) then you may be able to receive some or all of the following benefits/allowances.
You may also wish to see our other pages entitled
‘Working Age’,
‘Pension Age,
‘Disability and Illness Related’,
‘Housing’, and
‘Social Fund Grants/Loans’.
Child Benefit
This is paid to parents/guardians for each child that you are responsible for and that lives with you. It is payable from when the child is born, up to the age of 16, or up to the age of 20 so long as that child is receiving non-advanced full time education. If you are getting Child Benefit for a child under age 16 then you will automatically qualify for Home Responsibilities Protection. This helps to protect your State Pension because you are not working or because your wages during a tax year are too low for you to pay enough National Insurance Contributions. You do not have to be getting any other benefits to be entitled to this.
Guardians Allowance
You may be entitled to this if you are bringing up children whose parents have died. In some cases you may get this if only one parent has died. You must be entitled to Child Benefit in order to get this, and it is paid on top of Child Benefit.
Maternity Allowance
This is available to help women during pregnancy and after childbirth by providing a replacement to a woman’s wages. To be entitled to this you must either be pregnant or have recently given birth, have been employed for at least 26 weeks in the 66 weeks before the Expected Week of Childbirth (the ‘Test Period’), earned on average at last £30 per week, and not be entitled to Statutory Maternity Pay. It can only be paid for a maximum and continuous period of 39 weeks. The earliest date at which you can claim this is from the 11th week before your baby is due. The latest date at which you claim this is from the day following your child’s birth.
Statutory Maternity Pay
You are entitled to this if you have been employed with the same employer continuously for at least 26 weeks into the 15th week before the week your baby is due and have earned on average at least £97 per week. For the first six weeks you will be paid 90% of your average gross weekly earnings (there is no upper limit to this). For the remaining 33 weeks you will be paid the lower of either the standard rate of £124.88, or 90% of your average gross weekly earnings.
Statutory Adoption Pay
You are entitled to this if you have been employed with the same employer continuously for at least 26 weeks up to and including the week the adoption agency told you that you have been matched with a child. You must be earning on average at least £97 per week before tax. You will be paid £124.88 per week or 90% of your average weekly earnings if this is less, and paid for 39 weeks. You must notify your employer of when you intend to take leave within 7 days of being told by the adoption agency that you’ve been matched with a child. Your employer will need to see evidence from the adoption agency, such as a ‘matching certificate’.
Statutory Paternity Pay
You are entitled to this if you have been employed with the same employer continuously for at least 26 weeks by the 15th week before the baby is due, or employed up to and including the week your wife, partner or civil partner was matched with a child. You must continue to work for that employer without a break up to the date the child is born or placed for adoption. You must have been earnings on average at least £97 per week before tax. Statutory Paternity Pay is paid for one or two consecutive weeks at £124.88 or 90% of your average weekly earnings if this is less. You must tell your employer when you intend to take leave by the 15th week before your baby is due, or within seven days of your wife, partner or civil partner being told by the adoption agency that they've been matched with a child. If you change your mind you must give 28 days' notice. Your employer might ask you for self-certificate form SC3 becoming a parent that confirms you're entitled to the pay.
Health in Pregnancy Grant
This ceased to exist on 1st January 2011. Previously this was a lump sum payment of £190 paid to most expectant mothers irrespective of their income.
Sure Start Maternity Grant
This is a one-off lump sum payment of £500 that is non-repayable, for each pregnancy (e.g. £1000 if you are expecting twins). From 1st January 2011 you cannot claim this if you have received one in the past. To be eligible you need to be in receipt of one of these benefits:
- Income Support
- Jobseekers Allowance (income based)
- Employment Support Allowance (income related)
- Child Tax Credit (at a higher rate than the family element)
- Working Tax Credits (which includes a disability or severe disability element)
You can claim this if you are pregnant and your due date is within 11 weeks, or if you have given birth within the last 3 months, or if you have adopted a baby under 12 months, or if you are getting benefits for a mother or an expectant mother aged under 20.
Child Tax Credits
You must be aged 16 or over and be responsible for a child or young person who is in full time education, or work based training up to their 20th Birthday; they must be accepted and enrolled by their 19th Birthday.
Disability Living Allowance for Children under age 16
This is paid to people who have a physical or mental disability (or both) which is severe enough for you to need help with your personal care and/or mobility needs. You do not need to be unemployed or unable to work to claim this allowance. You must be between the ages of three months and 65 years when you claim, and have had these needs for at least three months and expect them to continue for a further six months. You may get this allowance even if no-one actually cares for you. There are two components of Disability Living Allowance: the Care Component, and the Mobility Component. You may be entitled to one, or both of these components depending on your needs.
Free School Meals
To get help with free school meals you must have responsibility for a child under the age of 16 who is attending school and you are getting:
- Income Support
- Jobseekers Allowance (income based)
- Employment Support Allowance (income related)
- Pension Credit (Guarantee Credit)
- Child Tax Credit (where no one works more than 16 hours a week, and have a gross family income below £16,040)
Free School Uniform
If you are on a low income or on certain benefits you may qualify for help with the costs of, or free school uniforms. Whether or not you can get help, depends on the area in which you live.
Healthy Start Vouchers (previously Milk Tokens)
You are eligible for this if you are pregnant, or have a child under age four, AND you or your family get:
- Income Support
- Jobseekers Allowance (income based)
- Employment Support Allowance (income related)
- Child Tax Credit with an annual family income of £16040 or less
Pregnant women under the age of 18 are eligible and do not have to be getting any benefits or tax credits. You will receive vouchers to the value of £3.10 per week if pregnant; £6.20 per week for each baby aged under one; or £3.10 per week for each child aged over one and under four years of age.
Would you like to see if you could be entitled to any of these benefits? Our Welfare Benefits Advisor, Millie can give you advice on what benefits you may be able to claim, and help you to claim them if you would like her to. Millie may also be able to calculate how much you could receive with these benefits. You can contact her either via our Customer Services Team on 0300 123 1222 or via info@muir.org.uk
Remember, it is your responsibility to notify the relevant benefit department of any changes in your circumstance to ensure you are still receiving the correct amount of benefit, to prevent any overpayments, or underpayments from occurring.
