Best Start Grant and Best Start Foods: family payments in Scotland

Best Start Grant — a package of three one‑off payments for families with young children — and Best Start Foods (food support) are administered by Social Security Scotland. These payments exist only in Scotland.

The three Best Start Grant payments

Pregnancy and Baby Payment: £796.65 for a first child and £398.35 for each later child. You can apply from the end of week 24 of pregnancy until the baby is 6 months old. For twins with no other children under 16 it is £1,593.35.

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Early Learning Payment: £331.95 for a child aged 2 to 3 years and 6 months. The child does not need to attend nursery.

School Age Payment: £331.95 per child, in the year the child is first old enough to start primary school. For children born between 1 March 2021 and 28 February 2022, you can apply from 1 June 2026 to 28 February 2027.

Best Start Foods — food support

This is money on a prepaid card, paid every four weeks: £22.40 during pregnancy; £44.80 for a child from birth to age 1; and £22.40 for a child aged 1 to 3. You can get Best Start Foods from when you learn you are pregnant until your child turns 3.

How to apply

All five of Scotland's family payments (including Scottish Child Payment) use one application form through Social Security Scotland, and each payment comes with its own decision letter. Eligibility depends on the child's age when you apply and on other conditions, so it is worth checking all the payments your family may be entitled to. These grants are available only to residents of Scotland.

When and how to apply

Deadlines are tied to the child's age and are easy to miss. The pregnancy and baby payment is taken from the end of week 24 of pregnancy until the baby is six months old; the early learning payment while the child is aged 2 to 3 years and 6 months; and the school age payment only in a set "window" in the year the child is due to start school. Miss the window and you lose that particular payment.

Eligibility is usually linked to receiving certain low‑income benefits, but in some cases the payment is given without them — for example to young parents. Apply through Social Security Scotland: one form covers all five Scottish family payments, including Scottish Child Payment (the weekly payment for children under 16). The service helps you complete the application for free, including by phone.