sure start Maternity Grant - can anyone help?!

C.C.L.

Moonlight1971, you do not have to justify yourself for asking advice on a forum designed for just that.
A young pregnant woman I know had a similar problem, she sent her form off on 8th April and they said they didn't receive it, so she sent off another one around mid May. In the meantime she mentioned it at her midwife appointment and the midwife rang them, but got no joy at all. Mum to be ended up getting the money 3 weeks ago even though they said they had not got the 2nd form!
I would advise you to send another form to them, and then ring to check they have it on the computer. The young woman I refer to was 37 weeks pregnant when the money went in her bank.

nottslass_2

Just wanted to add,have you double checked the criteria for eligibility ? If this is your 1st child,you'll probably not be eligible until after baby is born and are in receipt of (higher rate) Child Tax credits.

Moonlight1971

Hi Nottslass, yes we are eligible.

We already have a four year old son (we didn't have the grant for him as we were both working and on a higher income then). As I lost my job and my husband is on a lower income now we are receivinga the higher rate of Child Tax Credits - those who receive Child Tax Credits at a rate "higher than the family element" (ie more than £545 per year) are eligible for the Surestart grant. I checked with the jobcentre and they confirmed this.

I know that the budget decided that the grant will be payable only for first children but that won't come into effect until April 2011 so I should still be entitled to it even though its not my first baby.

I sadly didn't keep my son's baby things as we weren't expecting to have anymore children due to fertility problems, so this baby was a wonderful surprise! All I really have are a few little blue babygros and such (not much help as this baby is a girl!) so have had to start from scratch with all the main things.

I'm just feeling very frustrated at the attitude of the office I spoke to today and worrying that if I send another form off they will just lose that one.