Extra help from Best Start Grant

Low income parents across Scotland may be able to receive the Best Start Grant which could help ease the financial pressure of Christmas.

The three Best Start Grant payments give financial support to families on lower incomes during the early years of a child’s life and includes the Pregnancy and Baby, Early Learning and School Age Payment.

The payments are made during key transitions in a child’s life. At this time of year that money could be used to help cover the costs of days out, toys, books or clothes.

Social Security Secretary, Shirley-Anne Somerville, said:

“We want to ensure that every child has the best start in life, and the Best Start grants help do just that, providing vital financial support to thousands of families across Scotland.

“We know Christmas can cause financial stress for many families, with low income families in particular often feeling the burden as they struggle to cover the normal bills with the extra costs of the festive period.

“I would urge anybody who thinks they may be eligible for any of the Best Start Grant payments to find out more and apply today.”

Since it started making Best Start Grant payments last December, Social Security Scotland has made more than 61,000 payments to families in Scotland, totalling £17.7 million.

Rebecca Haggart, 20, lives in Forfar with her two year-old son Cohen, and twins Isla and Romi. She got a payment this time last year and said:

“This time of the year is always a financial strain and last year when I already had one child under five with twin girls on the way.

“I saw an advert for the Best Start Grant on Facebook last December and applied. I received the Pregnancy and Baby Payment for the twins. This meant that I got £900 to go towards a new twin pram and some new clothes in time for the girls arriving on the 27th December. It also gave me the opportunity to get the presents that Cohen had put on his list to Santa.”

For more information on Best Start Grant, access our stakeholder resources.