Tag: Best Start Foods

Best Start Grants: support for families in Scotland

Eligible parents of children aged 4 and 5 are being encouraged to apply for Best Start Grant School Age Payment worth over £250.

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The School Age Payment is open to families who get tax credits or certain benefits and have a child who was born between 1 March 2016 and 28 February 2017.

The one-off payment can be used for anything from a new pair of shoes to books or arts and crafts materials. Parents who have deferred their child’s entry to school from August 2021 to August 2022 should still apply before the closing date on 28 February 2022 – if an application is made after this time it will be too late.

Best Start Grant School Age Payment is one of 5 benefits for families in Scotland. These are:
 
•         Scottish Child Payment
•         Best Start Grant Pregnancy and Baby Payment
•         Best Start Grant Early Learning Payment
•         Best Start Grant School Age Payment
•         Best Start Foods

Best Start Grant and Best Start Foods pay £53.8m since launch

Official statistics have been published for Best Start Grant and Best Start Foods for the period from December 2018 to 28 February 2021.

More than 162,800 Best Start Grant and Best Start Foods applications have been approved, with a total of £53.8 million paid to clients since launch.

Three cash payments make up Best Start Grant. These are Pregnancy and Baby Payment, Early Learning Payment, and School Age Payment.

Best Start Foods is a prepaid card that can be used in shops and online to buy healthy foods for pregnant mothers and children under three-years-old.

Since launch, more than £17.1 million of payments have been awarded for Pregnancy and Baby Payment, £13 million for Early Learning Payment, £10.1 million for School Age Payment and £13.6 million paid through Best Start Foods.

Authorised applications for December 2020, January 2021 and February 2021 for all payments stand at 4,755, 4,545 and 5,480 respectively.

Social Security Scotland began taking applications for Scottish Child Payment in November 2020. As part of the application process, individuals can choose to make a joint application for Scottish Child Payment, Best Start Grant, and Best Start Foods.

Details on how to apply for Best Start Grant and Best Start Foods are available at MyGov.scot.