Category

• Fully Validated and Adopted Local Practice

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Poverty impact

• Mitigation
• Reduction

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Poverty driver

• Increase income from benefits
• Non-driver - improving quality of life

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Keywords

• Empowerment
• Financial
• Health

Aim

• To maximise the income of vulnerable pregnant women.
• To increase women’s financial knowledge and understanding.
• To increase exposure to financial products, guidance and tools.
• To empower mothers to develop financial capability and confidence.

Summary

The Maternity Matters programme tested whether the established Money Matters service could effectively support women identified by midwives as having Special Needs in Pregnancy (SNIP). The programme aimed to help pregnant women who were identified by staff as having potential or confirmed additional vulnerabilities, to access and act on targeted financial advice. Building on long-standing partnerships with NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, the programme targeted women facing or living with complex needs. Needs identified as complex included: physical and mental health conditions, young age or care experienced, substance misuse, involvement with the criminal justice system, and child protection concerns.

What difference does it make?

• Service users have experienced significant financial gains and improved their debt management because of their engagement with the Project. These outcomes arose from tailored support to help women understand their benefit entitlements and to navigate the application process. In total, women secured over £530,000 in welfare payments, including Child Tax Credits, Home Office payments and Universal Credit. In addition, more than £36,000 of debt was managed, comprising £22,000 of non-housing debt (such as utilities, doorstep credit and personal loans) and £14,000 of housing debt, including council tax and rent arrears. There is also emerging evidence that the project contributed to positive health outcomes, with a lower proportion of low-birth-weight babies born to women who engaged with the service (4.5% compared with the typical 8% among babies born into deprivation in Scotland).
• The project also supported wider outcomes beyond financial matters, including improved stability, wellbeing and confidence. For example, one woman whose children were all in care, and whose unborn child was expected to be taken into care at birth, was able to make changes with the support of Maternity Matters and subsequently keep her baby. The project also produced a film involving seven women, which demonstrated its impact to senior staff within NHS Greater Glasgow & Clyde and contributed to a decision to continue the project.
• The project has quantitatively demonstrated impact through measurable financial gains and improvements in the financial capability of mothers. The evaluation also suggests that engagement with the service may contribute to longer-term societal and economic benefits, including the prevention of homelessness and the avoidance of future care costs.

Key take-aways

• Practical, hands-on support - especially assistance with completing forms - is consistently identified by women as invaluable. Participants also highlight the timeliness of the intervention, as many are facing acute pre-birth crises, such as risk of homelessness or inability to afford essential items for their newborn.
• The close partnership between NHS Greater Glasgow & Clyde and Money Matters was central to the project’s success. Given the highly vulnerable nature of the client group, Money Matters chose not to involve additional external partners. Strong engagement from key NHS GGC personnel at all levels has supported effective delivery and contributed significantly to positive outcomes.
• The project offers valuable insights for practitioners involved in designing, delivering, or evaluating financial capability interventions, particularly those aimed at supporting vulnerable groups.

 

Organisations

Money Matters. NHS Greater Glasgow & Clyde (NHSGGC).

Location

The service was delivered in the NHS Greater Glasgow & Clyde area at the SNIP antenatal clinics at Queen Elizabeth University Hospital, and Princess Royal Hospital. Women were also visited by staff in their own homes.

Contact