Overview

Best Start Grant and Best Start Foods are payments that help towards the costs of being pregnant or looking after a child. They’re part of the 5 family payments you may be able to get from Social Security Scotland, along with Scottish Child Payment.

Best Start Grant is made up of 3 one-off payments:

• Pregnancy and Baby Payment
• Early Learning Payment
• School Age Payment

Best Start Foods is a prepaid card that can be used in shops or online to buy healthy foods like milk or fruit.

The payments you can get now will depend on:

• how far along in your pregnancy you are
• how old your child is

Best Start Grant and Best Start Foods are 2 separate payments. You apply for both Best Start Grant and Best Start Foods using the same form. This is to make sure you can get all the payments you can without having to fill in more than one form. You'll get separate letters to let you know whether you'll get each payment.

If you can get one payment now and another in the future, you'll need to fill in a new form each time you apply.

If you live in England, Wales or Northern Ireland

Other help is available if you live in England, Wales or Northern Ireland. Go to GOV.UK to find out what help you might be able to get.

If you have no access to public funds

You may be able to get Best Start Foods for your child even if you cannot get certain benefits because of your immigration status. Find out more about getting Best Start Foods if you have no access to public funds.