Nearly 10k families receive Best Start Grant Pregnancy and Baby payment

More than 9,700 families across Scotland got help from the new Best Start Grant Pregnancy and Baby payment. Payments were made to 2,300 families who have had their first child, according to the first published data for the new benefit. Payments were also made to 7,300 families who welcomed a newborn into their household.

A total of £3.5 million has been paid in the first three months of the Scottish Government’s Pregnancy and Baby Payment. Families in every part of Scotland have benefitted.

Cabinet Secretary for Social Security Shirley-Anne Somerville said:

“These statistics show what we can do with our social security powers to support families across the country.

“I am committed to making sure that every child gets the support they need to have the best start in life. The huge take-up of this new benefit in its first three months highlights just what can be achieved when you design a service with the people who will actually use it. In doing so, we have simplified the application process and offered multiple ways to apply. We have found out where we need to promote the payment and who we need to work with – including health and childcare professionals - to make sure that people know that they are entitled.

“We will build on the success of Pregnancy and Baby Payment with the new Early Learning Payment that has launched today. This, along with the final Best Start Grant School Age Payment that opens on 3 June, will contribute towards making Scotland the best place for a child to grow up. We want to increase financial support to families, bringing equality to children across Scotland by giving them help towards a fairer start.”

Social Security Scotland Chief Executive, David Wallace, said:

“Pregnancy and Baby Payment is the first payment that we launched that required people to apply. I am delighted with the take up of this so far and to see people applying from all over the country.

“We are not complacent though and we will continue to promote these benefits through communications, marketing and the local face to face service that we are starting to set up to make sure that everyone who is entitled to this support knows about it and applies.

“The Scottish Government sees social security as people’s human right and it is part of our responsibility to deliver a service that enables people to access and exercise this right.”