Best Start Grant School Age Payment open for applications

Best Start Grant School Age Payment is now open for applications until 28 February 2026.

The payment is worth £319.80 per child, for children born between 1 March 2020 and 28 February 2021. It is one of Social Security Scotland’s Best Start Grant payments and only available in Scotland. Parents and carers have until midnight on 28 February 2026 to apply.

The money is available to parents and carers, on certain benefits, to help with the costs of their child starting school. It can be spent on anything the child needs including books, bags, clothes and equipment for school.

School Age Payment is paid automatically to people who get Scottish Child Payment, but some people still need to apply including those who do not qualify for Scottish Child Payment but get housing benefits, have opted out of automatic payments, or are under 19 and dependent on someone else who gets benefits for you.

A Social Security Spokesperson said:

“Families with a child aged four or five should check if they are eligible for School Age Payment – one of our Best Start Grant payments designed to give children in Scotland the best start possible in life.

This money can help with the increasing cost of sending a child to school, and many people will automatically get this vital payment.”

Background

A person may be able to get Best Start Grant and Best Start Foods if they or their partner meet all these conditions:

• live in Scotland
• are pregnant or have a child who’s the right age for a payment
• are the main person looking after the child
• get certain benefits or payments

The person or their partner must get one of these qualifying benefits to be eligible for Best Start Grant and Foods:

• Universal Credit
• Housing Benefit
• Income Support
• Pension Credit
• income-based Jobseekers Allowance
• income-related Employment and Support Allowance

People under 20 years old who do not get one of these payments, may still be able to get Best Start Grant and Best Start Foods.

The payment is available for all eligible children from the same household.