The short version
- Anyone responsible for a child can claim Child Benefit, and families on certain benefits can get a one-off grant: the £500 Sure Start Maternity Grant, or the Pregnancy and Baby Payment in Scotland.
- Healthy Start tops up a card every 4 weeks for milk, fruit, veg and infant formula, plus free vitamins, if you qualify.
- In England, a maternity exemption certificate gets you free prescriptions and NHS dental care. Prescriptions are free for everyone elsewhere in the UK.
- Every baby born in Scotland gets a free Baby Box, and Bookstart gives free book packs in England and Wales.
Most free baby stuff lists are written for the U.S., and registry welcome boxes like Amazon's and Babylist's only ship to U.S. addresses. In the UK, the free stuff comes mostly from government schemes and the NHS. Here's what you can claim and where you need to live for each.
Free baby stuff UK: what each nation offers
| Scheme | What you get | Where |
|---|---|---|
| Child Benefit | £27.05 a week for your eldest child | UK |
| Sure Start Maternity Grant | £500, usually for a first child | England, Wales, Northern Ireland |
| Pregnancy and Baby Payment | Up to £796.65 | Scotland |
| Healthy Start | Money every 4 weeks for food and formula | England, Wales, Northern Ireland |
| Free prescriptions and dental care | Maternity exemption certificate | England (prescriptions already free elsewhere) |
| Baby Box | A free box of essentials and a first bed | Scotland |
| Bookstart | Free book packs | England and Wales |
| Tax-Free Childcare | £2 for every £8 you pay | UK |
1. Child Benefit
Child Benefit pays £27.05 a week for your eldest or only child and £17.90 for each other child. Register the birth, then claim online or with the HMRC app. Claim soon after the birth, because backdating is limited. High earners may pay some back through tax, but claiming still protects your National Insurance record.
2. One-off grants for a new baby
The Sure Start Maternity Grant is a one-off £500 payment that you don't pay back. It's usually for your first child, and you or your partner must get a qualifying benefit such as Universal Credit. Claim from 11 weeks before your due date until 6 months after the birth.
In Scotland, the Pregnancy and Baby Payment is £796.65 for a first child and £398.35 for each child after that. You usually need to get certain benefits. Apply from 24 weeks of pregnancy until your baby is 6 months old. You can't get both grants for the same baby.
3. Healthy Start: food, formula and vitamins
If you're more than 10 weeks pregnant or have a child under 4, Healthy Start gives you a card with money added every 4 weeks for milk, fruit, vegetables, pulses and infant formula, plus free vitamins. You usually need to get certain benefits, but everyone under 18 and pregnant qualifies. Scotland has Best Start Foods instead.
4. Free prescriptions and dental care
In England, your midwife, doctor or health visitor applies for a maternity exemption certificate for you. It gets you free NHS prescriptions, and you can use it as proof that you get free NHS dental treatment. It lasts until 12 months after your due date or your baby's birth.
5. Scotland's Baby Box
Every baby born in Scotland gets a free Baby Box with clothes, a sleeping bag, a digital thermometer and more. It comes with a fitted mattress and bedding, so it can be a safe first bed. Register with a midwife, and they'll fill in the Baby Box registration card with you at your 18–20 or 28 week appointment.
6. Free books
In England and Wales, BookTrust's Bookstart Baby pack is handed out by health visitors, libraries and early years settings. Dolly Parton's Imagination Library also mails a free book every month in parts of the UK, wherever a local partner funds it.
7. Help with childcare costs
When you go back to work, Tax-Free Childcare adds £2 for every £8 you pay into a childcare account, up to £2,000 a year per child aged 11 or under. You usually need to be working, and your provider must be signed up.
See every perk for UK families, or our guide to free books for babies.
Frequently asked questions
What free stuff can you get when pregnant in the UK?
In England, a maternity exemption certificate gets you free NHS prescriptions and dental care, and prescriptions are free for everyone in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. Families on certain benefits may also get Healthy Start once they're more than 10 weeks pregnant, and a one-off grant: the £500 Sure Start Maternity Grant, or the Pregnancy and Baby Payment in Scotland.
Who gets the £500 Sure Start Maternity Grant?
Families in England, Wales and Northern Ireland where you or your partner get a qualifying benefit such as Universal Credit, Pension Credit or income-related Employment and Support Allowance. It's usually for your first child. Claim from 11 weeks before your due date until 6 months after the birth.
Who gets Scotland's free Baby Box?
Every baby born and living in Scotland, as long as you're registered with a midwife. Your midwife fills in the registration card with you at your 18–20 or 28 week appointment.
How much is Child Benefit?
£27.05 a week for your eldest or only child and £17.90 a week for each other child. Claim soon after the birth, because backdating is limited.
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