£330 Best Start Grant School Age Payment Now Available for Eligible Families in Scotland

Families in Scotland are encouraged to apply for a one-off Best Start Grant school age payment of £331.95 per child to help alleviate the financial burden of starting primary school. Applications opened on Monday, June 1, and are available to families with children aged four to five years who are about to begin their school journey.

The grant can be spent on a range of essential items, including clothing, stationery, and school trips, providing crucial assistance during this significant milestone. Social Justice Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville emphasized the importance of the payment, stating, “Starting school is a landmark moment in a child’s life, but sadly it can also put real financial pressure on families.”

She added, “That’s why we introduced the Best Start Grant school age payment – to help ensure that every child in Scotland can begin their school journey with what they need, regardless of their family’s circumstances. This support is a vital part of our wider commitment to eradicating child poverty, making sure help reaches families at key moments in a child’s life.”

To qualify, applicants typically need to be receiving one of six Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) benefits: universal credit, housing benefit, income support, pension credit, income-based jobseeker’s allowance (JSA), or income-related employment and support allowance (ESA).

Sara Spencer, project manager of the Cost Of The School Day initiative, highlighted the impact of starting school on family finances, saying, “We know from our work with children and families that starting school adds real pressure to already stretched family finances. That’s why it’s really important that families apply for the financial support, like the school age payment, that they are entitled to.”

Applications remain open until February 28, 2027. The payment is also available to kinship carers and adoptive parents who meet the eligibility requirements.