Best Start Grant

Cost of living crisis: find out what help is available

The Best Start Grant is made up of three possible payments. It provides parents or carers who get certain benefits or tax credits with financial support during the key early years of a child's life.

Pregnancy and Baby Payment

We have replaced the UK Government’s Sure Start Maternity Grant with the Best Start Grant Pregnancy and Baby Payment in Scotland.

The Pregnancy and Baby Payment replaces and expands on the UK Government's Sure Start Maternity Grant by:

  • providing eligible families with £707.25 on the birth of their first child and £353.65 on the birth of any subsequent children
  • not putting a limit on the number of children that are supported
  • extending the application window from 24 weeks pregnant to 6 months after the birth, giving clients longer to apply

Early Learning Payment

The Best Start Grant Early Learning Payment is a £294.70 payment to help with the costs of early learning when a child is between 2 and 3½ years old.

School Age Payment

The Best Start Grant School Age Payment is a £294.70 payment to help with the costs of preparing for school.

Further details can be found on mygov.scot.

Policy position papers

We have published a series of social security policy papers setting out our position on the development of the devolved benefits in Scotland.

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