APPLICATIONS CLOSE 28th FEBRUARY
Parents and carers are being encouraged to apply for over £300 of School Age Payment support before the deadline on Friday 28 February 2026.
Find out more: http://bit.ly/SchoolAgePaymentInfo
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:
The person or their partner must get one of these qualifying benefits to be eligible for Best Start Grant and Foods:
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.
Parents and carers, with a child born between 1 March 2019 and 29 February 2020, risk missing out on hundreds of pounds worth of help if they don’t apply for School Age Payment in time.
The deadline is midnight on 28 February 2025.
School Age Payment is worth £314.45 per child. It is one of Social Security Scotland’s Best Start Grant payments. It is only available in Scotland.
The money can be spent on anything the child needs at this stage including; books, bags, clothes and equipment for school. School Age Payment is paid around the time a child is first old enough to start primary school. There is no requirement to take up a place at school.
This is important as parents and carers could miss out on the payment if they defer when their child starts school and don’t apply until then.
The payment is available for multiple children from the same household, as long as each child is the right age.
Social Security Scotland automatically pays School Age Payment to eligible people who get Scottish Child Payment. But those who do not receive Scottish Child Payment or who have opted out of automatic payments must apply before the deadline.
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.
Social Justice Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville said: “If you have a child in the family aged five, or who turns five this month, then you could be eligible for School Age Payment.
“We are urging everyone who is eligible to make sure that they don’t miss the deadline for applications, especially as all the children in the household who are the right age can get the payment.
“Best Start Grant is made up of a series of payments designed to ensure that children in Scotland get exactly that – the best start possible in life.
“This money is an important contribution to families at a key stage in their child’s development when they may be facing additional costs.”
The deadline to apply for Best Start Grant School Age Payment is midnight on 29 February 2024.
Your child could be eligible if they were born between 1 March 2018 and 28 February 2019 and your family receives Universal Credit, tax credits or other qualifying benefits.
If you get Scottish Child Payment then there’s no need to apply. Your School Age Payment will arrive automatically. But there are some people who don’t get Scottish Child Payment who might still be able to get School Age Payment – for example those who get housing benefit.
If you think you could be eligible, please visit our website and apply before 29 February 2024:
Parents or carers who get Housing Benefit but don’t receive Scottish Child Payment need to apply for the School Age Payment as they will not receive it automatically.
Additionally, some young parents, those under 18 or 18 to 19 year olds who are dependent on someone else but don’t receive qualifying benefits, also need to apply for the School Age Payment as they will not receive it automatically.
Anyone who has opted out from receiving automatic awards, or who has chosen not to apply for Scottish Child Payment, will also have to apply for School Age Payment
The School Age Payment of £294.70 is designed to help with the costs of preparing for school. Parents or carers of children born between March 1 2018 and 28 February 2019 can apply online at the Scottish Government website.
Clients can contact a client advisor by calling 0800 182 2222 or by using our webchat.
People must apply before the closing date of 28 February 2024. Parents or carers who defer their child’s entry to school from August 2023 to August 2024 should still apply before the closing date.
More information is available on the Scottish Government website.
DEADLINE FOR APPLICATIONS IS TODAY
Do you have a child born between 1 March 2017 and 28 February 2018? You may be eligible for the Best Start Grant School Age Payment.
It can be used for books, bags, clothes and equipment.
The payment is made automatically to people who receive Scottish Child Payment.
Your child does not have to take up a place at school to get the payment.
To check if you’re eligible and apply by 28 February, visit bit.ly/School-Age-Payment
Parents and guardians who get qualifying benefits or tax credits and who have a child born between 1 March 2017 and 28 February 2018 are being urged to check whether they should apply for Best Start Grant School Age Payment as this year’s deadline approaches.
Applications for the one-off payment of £267.65 per child, which can be used for books, bags, clothes and equipment for school, have to be submitted by midnight on the 28 February closing date.
The Scottish Government introduced automatic payments for Early Learning Payment and School Age Payment in November 2022. Parents and guardians who get Scottish Child Payment will get School Age Payment automatically when their child reaches eligibility and within the School Age Payment window of 1 June to 28 February.
There are some people who don’t qualify for Scottish Child Payment that could be eligible for School Age Payment, including those who get housing benefit.
There may be others who choose not to apply for Scottish Child Payment who can still apply for School Age Payment. There are also parents and guardians who opted out of automatic payments so they could have more control around when they receive this money. All of these people are being urged to check if they could be due School Age Payment and to apply if they do.
Statistics last week revealed that more than £105.8 million has been paid by Social Security Scotland in the Best Start group of payments – which also includes Pregnancy and Baby Payment and Early Learning Payment.
Social Security Minister Ben Macpherson said: “If you have a child in the family aged five, or who turns five this month, then you could be eligible for School Age Payment.
“We are making it easier than ever to apply but we still ask people to check and make sure they know what they are entitled to.
“The Best Start Grant payments, which include School Age Payment, were the first three of our five family payments to be introduced.
“To date we’ve provided more than £100 million across these three payments.
“Making these payments automatic, where we have the information to do so, will enable us to get this money to families at key stages in their child’s development and when they may face additional costs.”
SOCIAL Security Scotland is urging families to apply for Best Start Grant School Age Payment before the deadline and to apply for help with early learning costs.
Eligible families with children born between 1 March 2016 – 28 February 2017, are being encouraged to apply for the School Age Payment before applications close on 28 February 2022.
Parents or carers enrolling children in nursery this year have also been urged to check whether they are eligible for a one-off payment to help with early learning costs.
For Early Years Payment, eligible families who are in receipt of certain benefits or tax credits with a child who is aged between 2-3 and a half years old. Parents or carers who are eligible for the Early Learning Payment receive a one-off grant of £252.50
The money can be used to help pay for clothes, equipment, bags, books or anything else which is helpful for people caring for children in that age range.
Eligible families for School Age Payment may be parents or carers who are in receipt of certain benefits or tax credits with a child who is old enough to start school.
School Age Payment is a payment of £252.50 per child and is designed to support children at a key stage in their life.
It is not directly linked to taking up a school place. As such, even if the child’s school start has been deferred until next year, or if the child is not going to start school at all, parents or carers should still apply for the payment by 28 February 2022. If they do not apply by this time, they will not be able to receive the payment.
Social Security Scotland wants to ensure that everyone who is entitled to money for Early Learning or School Age Payment receive it and we would welcome support from our stakeholders to make sure people don’t miss out on these payments.
Please encourage any clients in your networks to apply for School Age Payment before the 28 February deadline and for Early Years Payment when enrolling their child into nursery.
Well done to all the children who took the big step of starting P1 this week!
Social Security Minister Ben Macpherson is encouraging families with children born between 1 Mar 2016 and 28 Feb 2017 to apply for Best Start Grant School Age Payment if they get tax credits or certain benefits.
The one-off payment of £252.50, administered by Social Security Scotland, is made to families when a child is old enough to start primary school. The payment can be used to buy everyday supplies like a new pair of shoes, books and school bags.
More than £10 million has been paid in Best Start Grant School Age Payments to families across Scotland since the benefit launched in June 2019.
Applications are currently open for children born between 1 March 2016 and 28 February 2017. Parents or carers have until 28 February 2022 to apply.
Best Start Grant School Age Payment is part of the package of five family payments administered by Social Security Scotland. The package includes Scottish Child Payment, Best Start Grant and Best Start Foods and is available to families receiving tax credits or certain benefits.
Minister for Social Security Ben Macpherson said: “As children enter education for the first time, it is vital that the youngest people in our society get what they need to thrive. Whether it be a new pair of shoes or books or paints for an art project, the Scottish Government is committed to providing extra help to give every child the best start in life.
“We know that covering the costs of starting school can be difficult. So, I am urging families who may be eligible to get in touch with Social Security Scotland to find out more.
“Even if you are deferring your child’s start date until next year or home schooling, please remember to apply before the closing date. We are keen to ensure parents and carers receive all the financial support they can apply for, such as a school clothing grant and free school meals.
“The Scottish Government is committed to ensuring that people are supported and encouraged to access all of the benefits they are entitled to, and will invest in new partnerships between schools and advice services to help expand these vital links for families.
“I am proud that we are already delivering a social security system that is there for people when and where they need it, that is fair and straightforward to access, and that encourages and supports people to get the financial support they are entitled to.”
Glasgow-mum-of-three Becky Taylor successfully applied online for the payment ahead of her daughter Bella (aged 4) starting P1 at St Roch’s Primary School in Royston this week.
Becky said: “It can be hard at this time of year but the Best Start Grant School Age Payment covered everything we would need for Bella. I was able to buy her uniform, school bag and shoes as well as things like tights and socks.
“I was able to do the whole process online and it was easy. People should look into seeing if it is something they are entitled to and apply.”
Find out more by calling Social Security Scotland on 0800 182 2222 or visit mygov.scot/beststart.
