Family Hubs pregnancy grant pilot – Interim report and early lessons
Think tank: Nesta
Author(s): Mary-Alice Doyle; Ghazal Moenie; India Lesser
March 13, 2026
This report from UK think tank Nesta presents early insights into the programme’s implementation and the experience of participants so far.
About the pilot
In April 2025, Camden Council began piloting the Family Hubs Pregnancy Grant. This is an offer of £500 to low-income pregnant people. Parents are notified of the grant and given simple instructions to collect it – they do not need to apply.
As part of the pilot, we are trialling pairing the cash offer with proactive outreach to tell recipients about broader support available to them through Family Hubs. This involves a phone call from a family navigator, who explains what Family Hubs are and offers to meet recipients in person to show them around their local hub.
The pilot is made possible through the use of administrative data. Working with Policy in Practice, we have linked together information from the council and the NHS on who receives benefits and who is pregnant. Camden Council is then able to proactively offer this support, without parents needing to know about it and apply.
