Parents and carers in Scotland have until midnight on 28 February 2026 to apply for over £300 of support for children when they are old enough to start primary school.
School Age Payment is worth £319.80 for each child to help with the cost of preparing for school.
The payment helps carers and families facing additional costs at a key stage in a child’s development. The money can be spent on anything a child needs for school, including clothes, school trips and stationery.
Part of the Best Start Grant package, which is unique to Scotland, School Age Payment is available for children born between 1 March 2020 and 28 February 2021. Parents and carers can receive the payment for multiple children born during this time and there is no requirement to take up a place at school.
Since the launch of Best Start Grant in 2018, Social Security Scotland has delivered School Age Payment to more than 114,000 parents and carers.
Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice, Shirley-Anne Somerville, said: “Families and carers should not miss out on support they are entitled to – especially at such an important milestone in a child’s life.
School Age Payment helps ease the financial pressures of starting school while playing an important role in our mission to tackle child poverty. I strongly encourage parents and carers to check if they are eligible and apply before the February deadline to make sure their child gets the best start possible.”
To apply for School Age Payment, visit: https://www.mygov.scot/best-start-grant-best-start-foods/how-to-apply
Eligibility:
A person may be able to get Best Start Grant and Best Start Foods if they or their partner meet all these conditions:
- live in Scotland
- are pregnant or have a child who’s the right age for a payment
- are the main person looking after the child
- get certain benefits or payments
The person or their partner must get one of these qualifying benefits to be eligible for Best Start Grant and Foods:
- Universal Credit
- Housing Benefit
- Income Support
- Pension Credit
- income-based Jobseekers Allowance
- income-related Employment and Support Allowance
People under 20 years old who do not get one of these payments, may still be able to get Best Start Grant and Best Start Foods.
Social Security Scotland automatically pays School Age Payment to eligible people who get Scottish Child Payment. If people do not receive Scottish Child Payment or have opted out of automatic payments, they are encouraged to apply before the deadline on 28 February 2026.
Some families who are not eligible for Scottish Child Payment might still be eligible for the School Age Payment. This includes parents and carers who receive housing benefit; are under 18 and do not receive any other benefits; or are 18 or 19 and dependent on someone else who receives benefits for them.
School Age Payment has not replaced School Clothing Grant. School Age Payment does not affect payments of School Clothing Grant in any way. Eligible parents and carers can apply for both payments.
Social Security Scotland usually only makes each of the payments once for the same child. If responsibility for the child changes, they may make extra payments to the person who’s now responsible for the child. For example, if a child moves to live with a different kinship carer or adoptive parent within the same application window.
