The Best Start Grant - School Age Payment

Social Security Scotland: Best Start Grant School Age Payment re-opens 1st June​ 

If your child was born between 1st March 2015 and 29th Feb 2016 and you get benefits or tax credits you could be eligible for School Age Payment.

The School Age Payment is £250 when a child is starting in Primary 1. It is to help with the costs of starting school.

You can apply for this payment if you live in Scotland. You can apply if you are in work or not. You can apply if you are the parent or carer of the child and you get certain benefits or tax credits:

• Universal Credit (UC)
• Income Support
• Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance,
• Income related Employment and
• Support Allowance
• Pension Credit
• Housing Benefit
• Child Tax Credit (CTC)
• Working Tax Credit

You can check if you are entitled to any of these benefits.

Telephone the Money Talk Team on 0800 085 7145. It is free to call. Your call is also confidential.

If you are under 18 you can apply without being on any of the benefits already mentioned.

If you are 18 or 19 and you are still at school, college or in training you might be able to apply:

• If your parent or carer is claiming one of these benefits for you
• Child Benefit
• Pension Credit
• Universal Credit

If you are able to apply you can get a payment for every child in the family.

Apply for the School Age Payment from the 1st June 2020 until February 2021.

You can apply on the freephone helpline 0800 182 2222 or online at mygov.scot/best-start-grant

Even if your child is not going to school in August you should still apply.

Apply between 1 June 2020 to 28 February 2021. If you apply after this it will be too late and you will miss out on your payment.

It will take 14 – 21 days to get your payment.