How it works
About Best Start Grant
The 3 Best Start Grant payments are:
Pregnancy and Baby Payment
Pregnancy and Baby Payment helps with the costs of having a baby. You can apply for this payment during pregnancy to help prepare for your baby's arrival, or after your baby is born.
You can get Pregnancy and Baby Payment any time after you have reached the end of the 24th week of pregnancy until the day your baby is 6 months old. If your baby is born before 24 weeks, you can apply from this date up to the day your baby is 6 months old. If you've taken over looking after a child, for example, if you've adopted, you can apply up to the day before the child's first birthday.
You can get Pregnancy and Baby Payment for multiple children, as long as each child is the right age when you apply. The amount paid for each child will be different if you have more than one child.
You'll get a Pregnancy and Baby Payment of £707.25 for your first child. Your first child is your oldest child under 16. This includes a stepchild, if you have one. It also includes any child you've taken over looking after, for example, if you've adopted, or kinship care.
This will change to a payment of £353.65 for any child that comes after your first. For example, your second or third child, or any child after these.
If you've already been paid the Sure Start Maternity Grant for a baby, you cannot be paid the Pregnancy and Baby Payment for the same baby.
You can use the payment for anything you need. This could include:
- pregnancy clothes
- a pram
- a cot
- baby clothes
- toys
Applying for a multiple birth
If you apply for twins and have no other children under 16
| Your payment for 1st twin | Your payment for 2nd twin | Extra payment for twins | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| £707.25 | £353.65 | £353.65 | £1,414.55 |
If you apply for twins and have other children under 16
| Your payment for 1st twin | Your payment for 2nd twin | Extra payment for twins | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| £353.65 | £353.65 | £353.65 | £1,060.95 |
If you apply for triplets
If you have triplets, you'll be paid an extra £353.65 on top of what you get for twins. This means you'd get either:
- £1,768.20 if you do not have any other children under 16
- £1,414.60 if you do have other children under 16
You can still get the Pregnancy and Baby Payment part of Best Start Grant for a baby that was stillborn or died after they were born. If you're paid when you're pregnant, and your baby is stillborn or dies later, you will not need to pay any money back. If you apply after a stillbirth or death, you can apply up to 6 months after the baby's birth date.
Early Learning Payment
Early Learning Payment is a payment of £294.70 per child to help with the costs of early learning. You can get the payment when your child is aged between 2 years old and 3 years and 6 months old. To get this payment your child does not need to go to nursery.
You can get Early Learning Payment for multiple children, as long as each child is the right age when you apply.
You can spend this money on anything you need for your child at this age. This could include:
- clothes
- toys
- trips to new places
School Age Payment
School Age Payment is a payment of £294.70 per child. It helps with the costs of preparing for school when your child is first old enough to start primary school.
You can get the payment for multiple children, as long as each child is the right age when you apply.
To get a payment, your child does not have to take up a place at school. You'll still need to apply in the year that your child is first old enough to start school, if:
- you're deferring when your child starts school
- your child is not going to school
When you need to apply for the School Age Payment depends on when your child was born:
| Your child's date of birth | When you can apply |
|---|---|
| Between 1 March 2018 and 28 February 2019 |
Between 1 June 2023 and 29 February 2024 |
| Between 1 March 2019 and 29 February 2020 |
Between 1 June 2024 and 28 February 2025 |
The application dates for children born between 1 March 2017 and 28 February 2018 have now passed. You cannot apply for a child outside of these application dates.
You cannot apply for the School Age Payment for a child born before 1 March 2015.
You can spend this money on anything you need for your child at this age. This could include:
- clothes
- school trips
- stationery for school
The School Age Payment has not replaced the School Clothing Grant. The School Age Payment is a new payment and it does not affect payments of the School Clothing Grant in any way. If you want to apply for both, you can.
There's usually only one Best Start Grant payment for each life event.
An exception can be made if the responsibility for a child changes within the same application window. For example, if a child moves to live with a different kinship carer or adoptive parent. In these cases, one additional payment can be made.
An additional payment can be made for all 3 Best Start Grant payments – Pregnancy and Baby, Early Learning, and School Age.
Certain people cannot receive a change of responsibility payment. This is because they may have been living with the first grant recipient when the original payment was awarded.
About Best Start Foods
Best Start Foods is a prepaid card that can help you buy healthy foods like milk or fruit, if one of the following applies to you. For example:
- you're pregnant
- you have a child under 3
The amount you get on your prepaid card will change depending on the age of your child. The Best Start Foods payments are:
- £19.80 every 4 weeks during pregnancy – the payment amount is per pregnancy. This means the payment amount is the same whether you're pregnant with one baby, or if you're having twins or triplets
- £39.60 every 4 weeks from your child being born up until they're one year old
- £19.80 every 4 weeks when your child is between the ages of one and 3 years old
Best Start Foods payment dates
This table shows Best Start Foods payment dates for the next few months:
| Application approval date | First payment date |
|---|---|
|
15 January 2023 |
30 January 2023 |
|
12 February 2023 |
27 February 2023 |
|
12 March 2023 |
27 March 2023 |
|
9 April 2023 |
24 April 2023 |
|
7 May 2023 |
22 May 2023 |
|
4 June 2023 |
19 June 2023 |
|
2 July 2023 |
17 July 2023 |
|
30 July 2023 |
14 August 2023 |
|
27 August 2023 |
11 September 2023 |
|
24 September 2023 |
9 October 2023 |
|
22 October 2023 |
6 November 2023 |
|
19 November 2023 |
4 December 2023 |
|
17 December 2023 |
1 January 2024 |
Best Start Foods card
Best Start Foods is a prepaid card that you can use to buy healthy foods for children under 3. You can use the card in shops and online.
Social Security Scotland look after Best Start Foods payments, but a business called allpay will look after your Best Start Foods card. This includes things like lost Best Start Foods cards and new cards.
For healthy eating tips for all the family, visit Parent Club Eat Better Feel Better.
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.
If you live in England, Wales or Northern Ireland
If you do not live in Scotland, you will not be able to get Best Start Grant or Best Start Foods.
You might be able to get Sure Start Maternity Grant instead of Best Start Grant if you live in England, Wales or Northern Ireland.
You might be able to get Healthy Start vouchers instead of Best Start Foods. If you live in England or Wales, you can find out more about Healthy Start on GOV.UK. If you live in Northern Ireland, you can find out more about Healthy Start on nidirect.gov.uk.
Due to coronavirus (Covid-19), you might have to submit a form for Best Start Grant or Best Start Foods after the age limit on payments has passed. For example, the age limit for the Early Learning Payment is 3 years and 6 months old. If your form is submitted after the age limit for a payment, let Social Security Scotland know by telling them in the 'If you think there's anything else we need to know' box at the end of the application form. You do not need to explain in detail, just tell them it's late due to coronavirus. If, when applying, you get any warning that your application is late, ignore the warning and select 'Continue with my application'.
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