Parental benefits refers to the group of allowances and grants payable to people having a baby or adopting a child through a registered adoption agency.
You will need to meet certain requirements to be able to receive these benefits. Please note that the total period for which these benefits can be claimed is 26 weeks. More information is provided in each of the sections below.
Maternity Grant
- The maternity grant is a one-off payment made to pregnant women or new mums to help with the cost of having a baby.
- To receive the grant you must be registered with Social Security and ordinarily resident in the Bailiwick of Guernsey. You do not need to satisfy any contribution conditions to claim the maternity grant.
Adoption Grant
- The adoption grant is a one-off payment made to parents who are adopting a child. The grant can be paid once the adoption placement has been confirmed.
- To receive the grant you must be registered with Social Security and ordinarily resident in the Bailiwick of Guernsey. You do not need to satisfy any contribution conditions to claim the adoption grant.
Maternal Health Allowance
- Maternal health allowance can only be claimed by the birth mother while she is off work in the pre-birth or initial post-birth period. The start date of the maternal health allowance can be flexible. The earliest start date is the 11th week before the week your baby is due and the latest start date is the day the baby is born.
- Before maternal health allowance can be paid, expectant mothers must satisfy certain contribution conditions
- The two weeks immediately after the birth must be paid as maternal health allowance. But after this period maternal health allowance becomes newborn care allowance, which can be paid to either parent
Newborn Care Allowance
- Two weeks after the birth, maternal health allowance switches automatically to newborn care allowance. This allowance can be claimed by whichever parent is taking time off work to care for their baby.
- Newborn care allowance can be transferred between parents if caring responsibilities change
- Before newborn care allowance can be paid, the parent who is claiming the allowance must satisfy certain contribution conditions
Parental Allowance
- Parental allowance is payable for up to 26 weeks to a parent who takes time off work to care for a child they have adopted.
- Before parental allowance can be paid, the parent who is claiming the allowance must satisfy certain contribution conditions
- Parental allowance can be transferred between adoptive parents if caring responsibilities change
How do I claim?
- If you are pregnant a claim form will be sent to you by Social Security, once verification of your pregnancy has been received from Maternity Services. This will be shortly after you have reached your 24th week of pregnancy.
- If you are adopting a child a claim form will automatically be sent to you by Social Security once verification of your adoption has been received from the Family Placement Service.
- If you are not seeing a midwife during your pregnancy or you have not received a claim form when you would have expected one, please call the Parental Benefits helpline on 221000 or fill in the relevant form from the downloads section on this page.
How much will I get?
- The allowances are based on the contribution record of the person claiming. The rates payable for each allowance and grant is set out in Benefit Payment & Contribution Rates - Leaflet 50 available in the downloads section of this page.
- For further information please refer to the Parental Benefits Leaflet in the downloads section, or call the Parental Benefits helpline on 221000.
