Light - Pre & Post Natal Support

Pre & Post Natal Support
Support for people who pregnant or have recently given birth

Light has the following aims:

To provide support to families who are affected by perinatal mental health illness
To raise awareness of perinatal mental illness in Sheffield and beyond
To promote partnership and an information network accessible to all

Staff can provide text, telephone and email support to parents. We can offer information and signposting to other resources, or just a listening ear. Please contact us if you feel like you need to talk to someone.

They can be contacted in the following ways:

Telephone: 0114 438 8962

E:mail: contactus@lightpeersupport.org.uk

For a comprehensive list of support available, including:

Support groups and one to one session
Face to face support
Peer support group
Counselling Service

And More...

https://lightpeersupport.org.uk/support/

They are based at:

Knowle House

4 Norfolk Park Road

Sheffield, S2 3QE

WEBSITE

NHS HEALTHY
START

APPLY & F.A.Q.

How can I apply?

If you’re receiving a qualifying benefit and are pregnant or have parental responsibility for at least one child under the age of 4, you can apply online now for the NHS Healthy Start card.

How much will I get for my children?

£4.25 each week of your pregnancy (from the 10th week of your pregnancy)
£8.50 each week for children from birth to 1 year old
£4.25 each week for children between 1 and 4 years old

Your money will stop after your child’s 4th birthday, or if you no longer receive benefits.

You can also get free Healthy Start vitamins.

If you need more information, then call on: 0300 330 7010

Baby Basics

Baby Basics is a volunteer-led project aiming to support new mothers and families who are struggling to meet the financial and practical burden of looking after a new baby. Baby Basics started in Sheffield in the spring of 2009, this centre continues to support families across Sheffield working with a wide range of frontline health and social care professionals. There is an ever increasing network of Baby Basics centres across the country each staffed by a committed team of volunteers

Baby Basics provides much needed essentials and equipment to mothers and families who are unable to provide these items for themselves; including but not limited to teenage mums, people seeking asylum and women fleeing domestic abuse and trafficking.
They support children up to the age of 5

You will need a referral from caring organisations such as Health visitor, G.P., Midwife etc. Your care parcel will be collected by the referrer and arrangements will be made for you to collect it.

https://baby-basics.org.uk/about-us/

https://baby-basics.org.uk

Sheffield Centre Enquiries: sheffield@baby-basics.org.uk

Baby Basics UK
267 Glossop Road
Sheffield
S10 2HB

Phone: 0114 2787262

WEBSITE

Child Benefit

Child Benefit is paid if you are responsible for bringing up a child who is under 16, or if they are under 20 and they are in approved education or training.

If you or your partner have income of over £60,000 you will be subject to the High income Child Benefit tax charge. The Child Benefit you receive will be reduced by 1% of the Child Benefit you receive for each £200 of income you have over £60,000 a year. This means that an income of £70,000 would incur a charge of 50% of your Child Benefit. If you earn over £60,000 you will have to register for self-assessment to repay the charge.

If you or your partner earn over £80,000 the charge will be equal to the full amount of Child Benefit and you will have to repay the full amount of the Child Benefit you receive. However, you may still wish to continue to make claims for your children as for each week that you are entitled to Child Benefit (even if you don't receive a payment) you could qualify for National Insurance credits which can help to protect your future entitlement to State Pension.

Try the child benefit tax calculator to find out about your situation.

The benefit is usually paid every four weeks and you will receive national insurance credits if your child is under 12 which count towards your state pension.

£25.60 per week eldest or only child.
£16.95 for additional children per week.

The benefits system is complicated and legislation is often changing. Information is correct at the time of update (April 2024) so if you're unsure about anything, we recommend seeking expert advice in relation to your personal situation.

Sure Start Maternity Grant

You could get a grant of £500 if...

Usually, to get a Sure Start Maternity Grant you must have no other children under 16. You or your partner must also get one of these benefits:

Income Support
income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance
income-related Employment and Support Allowance
Pension Credit
Child Tax Credit
Working Tax Credit that includes a disability or severe disability element
Universal Credit

You may also qualify if you’re getting a Support for Mortgage Interest loan.

If you already have children under 16

You may be able to get a grant if you or your partner get one of the benefits above and any of the following apply:

you’re expecting a multiple birth (such as twins)
the child you’re caring for is someone else’s (but not your partner’s) and the child was over 12 months old when the arrangement started
you have refugee status, humanitarian protection or you’ve come to the UK from Afghanistan or Ukraine
you’re claiming for a family member who’s under 16, or 16 to 19 and in certain types of education or training

You can claim from 11 weeks before the week your baby is due. The latest you can claim is 6 months after your baby is born.

If you’re becoming responsible for a child, you must claim within 6 months of this happening. For example, if you’re adopting a child, you must claim within 6 months of the child being placed with you.

To claim by post

Print out and fill in the Sure Start Maternity Grant (SF100) claim form.

You also need to provide evidence of the pregnancy or childbirth from a health professional (such as a doctor or midwife). They can either:

fill in a form MAT B1 (they should have a copy of the form already)
write a statement confirming the pregnancy or childbirth

Post your SF100 form with the evidence of the pregnancy or childbirth to ‘Freepost DWP SSMG’. You do not need a postcode or a stamp.

You can send your form without the evidence of the pregnancy or childbirth if necessary to meet the deadline. If you do this, you’ll be contacted about arranging this evidence at a later date.

To get help with your claim:

Sure Start Maternity Grant helpline
Telephone: 0800 169 0140
Textphone: 0800 169 0286 Relay UK (if you cannot hear or speak on the phone): 18001 then 0800 169 0140
British Sign Language (BSL) video relay service if you’re on a computer - find out how to use the service on mobile or tablet
Welsh language: 0800 169 0240
Monday to Friday, 8am to 5pm