All offers
Free service
Maternity Exemption Certificate
From NHS Business Services Authority
Free prescriptions and dental care
Free NHS prescriptions and dental care during pregnancy and for 12 months after the birth
Go to NHS Business Services AuthorityWho can get it?
- Only for families in England
How to claim
Ask your midwife
- 1Ask your midwife, GP or health visitor. They fill in the application for you.
- 2If they use the digital service, the certificate is emailed straight away. Otherwise a paper one arrives within 10 working days.
- 3Paid for a prescription while you waited? Claim a refund with form FP57.
Prescriptions are already free in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
Checked on the provider's website on 3 October 2026. Offers change, so check before you rely on it.
When to apply
Opens
At 8 weeks
Closes
At the 1st birthday
See your exact dates
Add your due date to see when this opens and closes for you, whether you qualify, and track it with everything else you can claim.
Check what I can claim