Best Start Grant Scotland 2026/27: Pregnancy, Baby and School Age Payments
How Scotland's three-part Best Start Grant works — the Pregnancy and Baby Payment, Early Learning Payment and School Age Payment — who qualifies, and how to claim.
The three payments
| Payment | Timing |
|---|---|
| Pregnancy and Baby Payment | During pregnancy or shortly after birth |
| Early Learning Payment | Around age 2–3½, when funded early learning entitlement begins |
| School Age Payment | Around the time a child starts primary school |
Child Benefit Calculator (with HICBC)
Calculate UK Child Benefit for 2025/26 and the High Income Child Benefit Charge (HICBC) if any household earner is over £60,000.
Open Child Benefit calculatorWho qualifies
Most applicants need to be receiving a qualifying benefit — Universal Credit, Child Tax Credit, Working Tax Credit, Pension Credit, Income Support, or income-based Jobseeker's Allowance/Employment and Support Allowance. The Pregnancy and Baby Payment has an alternative route for applicants under 18, who can qualify without needing to be on a qualifying benefit.
Why application windows matter
Unlike an ongoing benefit that continues until circumstances change, each Best Start Grant payment has a defined window tied to the child's age or the pregnancy stage. Missing the window for the Pregnancy and Baby Payment, for example, means that specific payment is lost — it can't be claimed retroactively once the window has closed, even though the family remains eligible for the later Early Learning and School Age payments if the qualifying conditions are still met at those later stages.
Budget Planner
Plan your monthly budget by entering income and expenses across all categories to see your surplus or shortfall.
Open Budget Planner calculatorHow it interacts with other support
The Best Start Grant is designed to sit alongside, not instead of, other family support — it doesn't reduce Universal Credit, Child Benefit, or the Scottish Child Payment, and isn't itself taxable. Families in Scotland claiming multiple forms of support should check each scheme's eligibility separately, since qualifying for one doesn't automatically mean a claim has been made for the others.
Sources
- mygov.scot: Best Start Grant
- Social Security Scotland: benefit eligibility and applications
Frequently asked questions
What is the Best Start Grant?
The Best Start Grant is a set of three one-off payments from Social Security Scotland, available to families on low incomes or receiving certain qualifying benefits, timed around specific stages of a child's early life: pregnancy/birth, starting nursery age, and starting school age.
What are the three parts of the Best Start Grant?
The three payments are the Pregnancy and Baby Payment (for pregnancy or a new baby), the Early Learning Payment (around the time a child becomes eligible for funded early learning, roughly age two to three and a half), and the School Age Payment (around the time a child starts primary school).
Who is eligible for the Best Start Grant?
Eligibility generally requires living in Scotland and either receiving a qualifying benefit (such as Universal Credit, Child Tax Credit, Pension Credit, or income-based JSA/ESA) or, for the Pregnancy and Baby Payment specifically, being under 18 (in which case the benefit requirement doesn't apply). Each of the three payments has its own specific application window.
Can I get the Best Start Grant for more than one child?
Yes — each of the three payments can potentially be claimed for each eligible child, though the Pregnancy and Baby Payment amount is generally lower for second and subsequent children than for a first child, reflecting that some initial setup costs (equipment, etc.) are typically one-off rather than repeated per child.
Is the Best Start Grant available in England, Wales or Northern Ireland?
No — the Best Start Grant is a Scotland-specific benefit administered by Social Security Scotland. Families in England, Wales and Northern Ireland don't have access to this specific payment, though other forms of support (such as the Sure Start Maternity Grant in England, Wales and Northern Ireland) exist as broadly comparable, though not identical, schemes.
Is the Best Start Grant taxable?
No — like most Scottish social security benefits, the Best Start Grant is not subject to UK Income Tax, so the full amount awarded is kept without any deduction.
Does receiving the Best Start Grant affect other benefits?
No — the Best Start Grant is disregarded as income for the purposes of calculating other means-tested benefits such as Universal Credit, so receiving it doesn't reduce entitlement to other support a family may be receiving.
Is there a time limit for applying for each payment?
Yes — each of the three payments has its own specific application window tied to the child's age or the pregnancy stage (for example, the Pregnancy and Baby Payment can be claimed from early pregnancy up to a certain point after the birth). Missing the window for one payment doesn't affect eligibility for the other two, but it does mean losing that specific payment, so checking the current windows on mygov.scot when planning to apply is important.
How is the Best Start Grant paid?
Each payment is a one-off lump sum paid directly into a bank account once the application is approved, rather than a recurring weekly or monthly payment like the Scottish Child Payment or Child Benefit.
How do I apply for the Best Start Grant?
Applications are made through Social Security Scotland — online, by phone, or with support from a local welfare rights or Citizens Advice service — using separate application processes for each of the three payments, since they're claimed at different stages of a child's early years.
Try the calculators
Related reading
Scottish Child Payment 2026/27: Who Qualifies and How to Claim
How the Scottish Child Payment works, who's eligible, how it interacts with Universal Credit and other benefits, and how to claim it in 2026/27.
The Two-Child Limit Explained 2026/27: How It Works and Who's Exempt
How the two-child limit on Universal Credit and Child Tax Credit works, which exceptions apply, and why families should always check the current rules given ongoing policy reviews.
Bereavement Support Payment 2026/27: Lump Sum and Monthly Amounts Explained
Bereavement Support Payment 2026/27: the higher rate pays a £3,500 lump sum plus 18 monthly payments of £350 (£9,800 total); the standard rate pays £2,500 plus 18 payments of £100 (£4,300 total).