More than £2,600 available to help families

We want to help more families find out about the financial support available from pregnancy until a child turns one.

Through our Best Start in Life campaign, we're highlighting more than £2,600 in support that could be available through Best Start Foods, Best Start Grant Pregnancy and Baby Payment, and Scottish Child Payment.

Having a baby is an exciting time for families, but it can also bring extra costs. These payments can help with everyday spending, from buying healthy food to purchasing essential baby items and covering some of the costs of raising a child.

We know many families are still unaware of the support they may be entitled to. That's why we're working with organisations across Scotland to help share information and reach more parents and carers.

For Danielle, support through her local Citizens Advice Bureau meant she could access Scottish Child Payment and Best Start Foods to ease food shopping costs when money was tight after the birth of her baby. Her story shows the difference this support can make for families during a challenging time.

Help spread the word

If you work with families, please help us share information about the support available. By sharing our campaign resources through your networks, you can help more families get the support they're entitled to and give their children the best possible start in life.

Find out what support is available, and access a range of resources to share among your network on our Five Family Payments resource page.

Visit mygov.scot to check eligibility and apply for financial support.

Background

The estimated value of £2,643.15 is based on a family expecting their second child who applies for support from four weeks into pregnancy and receives all eligible payments until their child's first birthday. Below outlines the estimated values:

The estimated £2,643.15 of support includes:

• £196.00 through Best Start Foods during pregnancy (based on 35 weeks of payments at £5.60 per week).
• £582.40 through Best Start Foods in a child's first year (based on 52 weeks of payments at £11.20 per week).
• £398.35 through the Pregnancy and Baby Payment for a second or subsequent child.
• £1,466.40 through Scottish Child Payment in a child's first year (based on 52 weeks of payments at £28.20 per week).

The total amount of support available will vary depending on individual circumstances, family circumstances, eligibility criteria and when applications are submitted. Some families may be eligible to receive more support, while others may receive less.