Best Start Grant Scotland Guide 2026/27 -- Pregnancy, Baby, Early Learning and School Age Payments

The three Best Start Grant payments

Best Start Grant is made up of three separate payments, each tied to a different stage of a child's early years and each with its own claim window:

• Pregnancy and Baby Payment -- claimable from the 24th week of pregnancy up to 6 months after the birth (or within 6 months of an adoption or kinship care order). Typically a higher amount for a first child and a lower amount for later children.
• Early Learning Payment -- claimable when a child is aged between 2 and 3 years and 6 months, paid at the same rate regardless of birth order.
• School Age Payment -- tied to a child starting primary school, often paid automatically to eligible families without needing a separate claim.

A family can receive all three payments for the same child over time, and separately for each child in the family, provided the qualifying conditions are met at the time each payment is claimed.

Who qualifies

Eligibility is generally based on receiving a qualifying low-income benefit at the time of the claim, such as Universal Credit, Child Tax Credit, Working Tax Credit, Income Support, Pension Credit, income-based Jobseeker's Allowance or income-related Employment and Support Allowance. Some younger parents -- for example those under 18, or 18 to 19 and still in school -- may qualify without needing to be on a qualifying benefit themselves. Because the qualifying conditions and thresholds are periodically reviewed, check the current rules on mygov.scot before applying.

How Best Start Grant differs from the Sure Start Maternity Grant

The Sure Start Maternity Grant, still used in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, is a one-off DWP payment generally limited to a first child in a family (with an exception for multiple births), on the basis that families should already have baby equipment for later children. Scotland took a different policy approach with Best Start Grant: the Pregnancy and Baby Payment is available for every child that meets the conditions, recognising that costs still arise with each additional child, even if the amount paid is typically lower for second and subsequent children than for a first.

Effect on other benefits

Best Start Grant is a one-off, non-repayable payment and is not treated as income for Universal Credit, tax credits, Housing Benefit or Council Tax Reduction purposes. Receiving it will not reduce any other benefit you are getting, and you do not need to declare it as income on a tax return.

How to apply

You can apply for the Pregnancy and Baby Payment and the Early Learning Payment through Social Security Scotland online, by phone, by post or in person, within the relevant claim window for your child's age. The School Age Payment is often triggered automatically for families already receiving a qualifying benefit, but it is worth checking directly with Social Security Scotland if you are eligible and have not received a payment or notification around the expected time.