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GrantScotland

Best Start Grant (Scotland)

Social Security Scotland

Description

Scotland's devolved, more generous replacement for the Sure Start Maternity Grant: three separate one-off payments for low-income families as a child grows, rather than England/Wales/Northern Ireland's single £500 payment. Pregnancy and Baby Payment: £796.65 for a first child, or £398.35 for each subsequent child, claimable from the 25th week of pregnancy until the baby turns 6 months old. Early Learning Payment: £331.95 per child, claimable while the child is aged between 2 and 3 years 6 months. School Age Payment: £331.95 per child, claimable during the year the child first becomes eligible to start primary school. Families can apply for all three using the same form; each is assessed and paid separately. (2026/27 rates, confirmed directly on mygov.scot in this pass.)

Amount

Pregnancy and Baby Payment: £796.65 (first child) or £398.35 (each subsequent child); Early Learning Payment: £331.95; School Age Payment: £331.95 (all 2026/27 rates).

Deadline

Rolling / no fixed deadline

Eligibility summary

  • Available in: Scotland.
  • Open to individuals — not restricted to businesses.
  • Relevant income bands: earning under the Personal Allowance.
Notes
Confirmed directly on mygov.scot in this pass: the first-child Pregnancy and Baby Payment rate is roughly double the subsequent-child rate, and multiple births attract an extra top-up (e.g. twins with no older siblings: £796.65 + £398.35 + a £398.35 twin top-up = £1,593.35 total). Enhanced eligibility also applies for adoptive parents, kinship carers, and people fleeing domestic abuse or with certain immigration statuses (refugees, resettlement scheme participants) — not itemised in full here. Not modelled on the applicant's own Profile.ageBand, since the eligibility windows are keyed to the child's age/stage, not the parent's.
Requirement
Resident in Scotland and receiving a qualifying benefit or tax credit (Universal Credit, Child Tax Credit, Working Tax Credit, Income Support, income-based Jobseeker's Allowance, income-related Employment and Support Allowance, Pension Credit, or Housing Benefit) — or under 18 and pregnant/a parent, regardless of benefits. Each of the three payments (Pregnancy and Baby, Early Learning, School Age) has its own separate age-based claim window; a family can receive all three over time for the same child.

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How to apply

Apply online, by phone, or with a paper form via Social Security Scotland — one application form covers all three payments, with a separate decision letter for each.

View official source

Last verified: 3 October 2026. See the footer disclaimer — this is general information, not financial or tax advice.