Website of the UK government

Who can get the grant?

You can get the grant if all of the following apply:

• you are at least 25 weeks pregnant
• you have been given health advice from a midwife or doctor to help you and your unborn baby stay healthy during pregnancy
• you are present, 'ordinarily resident' and have a 'right to reside' in the UK ('ordinarily resident' will depend on your circumstances but it usually means your main home is here)

If you're a new arrival to the UK, the residency rules are the same as for a Child Benefit claim.

• New arrivals to the UK and Child Benefit

If you, your partner or parent are posted abroad as a Crown Servant (this means UK civil servants or members of HM Armed Forces) you can still get the grant if certain rules apply. You can find out more by following the link below.

• Crown Servants overseas - Health in Pregnancy Grant information

How much do you get?

You can get a one-off payment of £190 for each pregnancy. Only one grant of £190 is payable even if you're expecting more than one baby, for example, twins.

The payment will be on top of any other benefits or tax credits you may get. Everyone will get the same amount - you will not be asked about your income.

How to claim

You can only get a claim form from your midwife or your doctor, if that is who you see for your ante-natal appointments. They will:

• usually give you the claim form at your next ante-natal appointment after your twenty-fifth week of pregnancy
• need to complete, sign and date their part of the claim form before giving it to you

Once your midwife or doctor has completed their parts of the claim form, you fill in the rest and send it in the envelope provided to:

HM Revenue & Customs Health in Pregnancy Grant
Comben House
Farriers Way
Liverpool
L75 1AX

If your midwife or doctor doesn't have a claim form

If your midwife or doctor doesn't have any claim forms, please call the Health in Pregnancy Grant Helpline on 0845 366 7885 and let them know. The Helpline will arrange to send a form directly to your midwife or doctor, who will then give it to you to make your claim.

If you lose your claim form

If you lose your claim form, get another one from your midwife or doctor as quickly as possible.

Large print forms

You can also get the claim form in large print by calling the Health in Pregnancy Grant Helpline on 0845 366 7885. They will arrange to send the form to your midwife or doctor so that you can make your claim.

Remember to send in your claim form on time

You should get your completed claim form to the Health in Pregnancy Grant Office:

• within 31 days of your midwife or doctor signing it
• while you are still pregnant

If your claim is late you may lose out on your payment. You should still send your form in even if you cannot complete it all, for example, if you don't have a National Insurance number or you have not got a bank account.

Get a free reminder to claim

You can get a free reminder when you're 25 weeks pregnant to help you remember to make your claim. You can register for this confidential service at any time in one of the following ways:

• online (by following the link below)
• texting DUE (followed by your due date in ddmmyy format) to 83377 - for example if you're due to give birth on 6 June 2009 text: DUE 060609

• Register online for your free reminder Opens new window

How the grant is paid

The grant will be paid directly into your bank or building society account. The account will need to be either:

• in your name
• both in your own and your partner's names
• in the name of someone acting on your behalf, for example an 'appointee'
• jointly in your own name and in the name of someone acting on your behalf

If you don't have a bank or building society account, any bank or building society will help you open one. If you have problems opening up a bank account, contact the Health in Pregnancy Grant Helpline to talk about your options for payment.

• More about opening and running a bank account

Need further help?

You can contact the Health in Pregnancy Grant Office in a number of ways.

You can email a general enquiry by following the link below or you can contact the Health in Pregnancy Grant Helpline. The Helpline is open between 8.00 am and 8.00 pm every day except Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year's Day.

The numbers you can ring are 0845 366 7885 or textphone 0845 366 7886 - if you are deaf or have a speech impairment.

If your preferred language is Welsh you can call on 0845 302 1489.

If you're calling from overseas you can also contact the Helpline on + 44 292 050 1178.

• Find out more about emailing the Health in Pregnancy Grant Office on the HMRC website Opens new window

More useful links

• More about other financial help for people expecting or bringing up children

• The cost of contacting 08 and 03 telephone numbers