Financial support and benefits for families

The Best Start Grant is a series of cash payments to help cover the costs of some of the things you might need as you bring up a wee one. There are three payments that you can apply for depending on how old your child is:

• the Pregnancy and Baby payment
• the Early Learning payment, and
• the School Age payment. 

Best Start Foods is a pre-paid card you can use to buy healthy food for you and your child. You can use it while you’re pregnant and for children under 3.

Find out more

To find out more about Best Start Grants and Best Start Foods visit mygov.scot.

The Scottish Child Payment is a new benefit that pays £25 a week to families who live in Scotland and get certain benefits. It’s available for families with children under the age of 16 and there's no limit on the number of children that families can claim for.

The Scottish Child Payment was extended to include children and young people under 16 from 14 November 2022. The payment also increased from £20 to £25 per week on this date.

Children currently in receipt of Scottish Child Payment will have it automatically increased to £25 per week, so you don't have to do anything. And children under 16 who are now eligible will receive it at the new £25 rate, with all payments backdated to the date their application is received. 

Find out more

To find out more about the Scottish Child Payment and apply, visit the mygov.scot website.

You can get Child Benefit for any of your children who are under 16 and live in the UK. If they stay in most types of school, college or training after that age you can get Child Benefit until they're 20. Only one person can claim Child Benefit for a child.

You should claim Child Benefit as soon as your child is born or, if they're adopted, as soon as they come to live with you. Child Benefit can only be backdated for up to 3 months so if you claim it any time after this you'll miss some payments.

Find out more

You can find out more about Child Benefit and apply on the gov.uk website.

Guidance on eligibility, how to claim and how to challenge a decision is available on the Citizens Advice Scotland website.

Child Tax Credit is another payment made by the Government to help with the cost of bringing up a child. It's different from Child Benefit, which every child in the UK is eligible for, as not every household is eligible for Child Tax Credit. It depends on your circumstances, including your income, how many children are living with you and whether your child has a disability.

The Government is currently introducing Universal Credit, a new type of benefit which will eventually replace tax credits, including Child Tax Credit.

Find out more

Visit www.gov.uk for more information on Child Tax Credit, and to find out whether Universal Credit has replaced it in your area yet. If you're thinking of claiming Universal Credit for the first time, you can get help and guidance through the process from Citizens Advice Scotland.

You can find out more about tax free childcare on the gov.uk website.

You may be entitled to apply for a school clothing grant, which provides financial help towards the cost of buying a school uniform. School clothing grants are normally a cash grant paid directly into your bank account from your local council. Eligibility criteria for school clothing grants (i.e. who can apply) is set by local councils.

Find out more

Further information, and a direct link to local council websites, is available on the mygov.scot website.

All children get free school meals during term-time if they go to a local authority school and are in primary 1, 2, 3, 4 or 5.

Children in P6 and above can also get free lunches if you receive certain benefits. Older pupils aged above 16 can also receive free school meals if they receive the same qualifying benefits in their own right.

Find out more

Visit the mygov.scot website to find out if your child is eligible to receive free school meals. Your child's school may also be able to help.

More information on help with school costs can be found here. 

It’s upsetting enough if your child needs to go into hospital without worrying about how you’ll pay the travel and extra food costs of visiting them every day. So if you are the parent or primary carer of a child (under 18) who is an inpatient in hospital, you can claim for financial help towards food, travel and, where appropriate, accommodation when you go to see them. Claims can be made through the Young Patients Family Fund. You can also claim for financial help towards food, travel and accommodation for any of your child’s brothers or sisters under 18 years old who are coming to the hospital to see their sibling.

You must claim from the Young Patients Family Fund within 3 months of the young inpatient being discharged from hospital.

Find out more

You can find out more about the Young Patients Family Fund and make a claim on the mygov.scot website.

If your child is 3 or 4 years old, you can access up to 1140 hours of funded early learning and childcare a year (around 30 hours a week in term time). About a quarter of 2 year olds are also eligible.

In addition to the 1140 hours, you may be able to get help with childcare costs through tax credits for childcare, tax-free childcare or Universal Credit for childcare.

Find out more

You can find out more about help with childcare costs here and on the Childcare Choices website.

If you’re looking after a child whose parent or parents have died, you may be able to apply for Guardian’s Allowance.

Find out more

You can find out more about Guardian’s Allowance and apply at the gov.uk website.

Depending on your situation, you may be able to apply for a grant from a charity, which you won’t need to pay back. For example, some charities give grants to people who have a particular disability or illness, some give grants to people because of their job or a job they’ve had in the past, and others give grants depending on your age or gender.

Find out more

You can use the grant finder on the Turn2Us website to see if there’s anything you can apply for in your area.

Separating from your partner is never going to be easy. But you don’t have to cope with the situation alone. There are lots of organisations that can help with advice and support on financial issues, housing and wellbeing.

Find out more

Our page on separation has more information.

Raising a child or children on your own can be tough, but there’s lots of help and support out there for lone parents. 

Find out more

• One Parent Families Scotland offer help and advice on managing money for single parent families. 
• Shared Parenting Scotland offer an online course to help you deal with money and debt issues.
• If you have any money worries, or if you’re in debt and you want some advice, you can call the Money Talk Team for free and they’ll be able to chat through your options and help you find the best way forward.

If you spend over 35 hours a week caring for someone with an illness or disability, you may be entitled to Carer’s Allowance. This person you care for could be a child, a parent or another relative, or someone you’re not related to at all.

Find out more

You can find out more about Carer’s Allowance and apply on the gov.uk website.

The Carers UK website also have helpful information on Carer’s Allowance, as well as lots of other useful advice about financial and practical support. They also have a helpline you can call.