Best Start Grant and Foods

Best Start Grant consists of three separate payments made at different stages:

Pregnancy and Baby Payment: £754.65 for a first child or £377.35 for subsequent children. Claim from 24 weeks pregnant up to 6 months after the birth. You must receive a qualifying benefit such as Universal Credit, Tax Credits, Income Support, or Housing Benefit.

First Birthday Payment: £251.20, paid around the child's first birthday. This payment is for all children where the household receives a qualifying benefit — not just the first child.

School Age Payment: £251.20, paid when a child is between 2 years 6 months and 3 years 6 months of age (the year before they start school). Again, this applies to all qualifying children, not just the first.

All three payments are tax-free, do not affect other benefits, and do not need to be repaid.

Best Start Foods is a prepaid Mastercard scheme in Scotland providing money to spend on healthy food during pregnancy and early childhood. The amounts and eligible purchases are similar to the UK-wide Healthy Start scheme, but Best Start Foods is administered separately by Social Security Scotland.

Eligible purchases include cow's milk, fruit, vegetables, pulses, and infant formula. The card is loaded with money every four weeks and can be used at major supermarkets and retailers accepting Mastercard.

If you live in Scotland and receive Healthy Start, you should switch to Best Start Foods instead — you cannot receive both at the same time. Best Start Foods typically provides more money than Healthy Start.

Apply for Best Start Grant and Best Start Foods through Social Security Scotland:

• Online: mygov.scot/best-start-grant-best-start-foods/
• By phone: 0800 182 2222 (free, Monday to Friday 8am–6pm)
• By post: Download a paper form from the Social Security Scotland website

You will need your name, address, NI number, details of the qualifying benefit you receive, and bank account details. For the Pregnancy and Baby Payment, you will also need your midwife's name.

Each payment must be claimed separately — you will not automatically receive the First Birthday or School Age payments unless you claim them. Set reminders for the relevant dates to avoid missing out.

Best Start Grant and Best Start Foods are administered under the Social Security (Scotland) Act 2018, which gives Social Security Scotland a distinct statutory framework from the UK-wide DWP. Understanding this framework helps claimants challenge incorrect decisions and access the full package of Scottish early years support.

Qualifying benefits — the full list: To qualify for Best Start Grant and Best Start Foods, you must be receiving one of the following: Universal Credit; Tax Credits (Working Tax Credit or Child Tax Credit); Income Support; income-based Jobseeker's Allowance; income-related Employment and Support Allowance; Housing Benefit; or Support under Part VI of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999. You must be receiving a qualifying benefit at the date of your application. If your qualifying benefit has ended, you may still be able to claim if you were receiving it during the relevant qualifying period for that particular payment.

Challenging a refused application: Under the Social Security (Scotland) Act 2018, applicants who disagree with a Best Start Grant or Best Start Foods decision have the right to request a re-determination from Social Security Scotland within 31 days of the decision (or up to a year if there was good reason for the delay). Social Security Scotland must complete the re-determination within 16 working days. If the re-determination is still unfavourable, you can appeal to the First-tier Tribunal for Scotland (Social Security Chamber). The appeal must normally be lodged within 31 days of the re-determination. The tribunal is independent of Social Security Scotland and has the power to substitute its own decision.

The broader Scottish early years support package: Best Start Grant and Best Start Foods sit within a wider package of Scottish Government early years support that families on low incomes should be aware of:

• Scottish Child Payment: £27.15 per week for each qualifying child under 16, available to families on Universal Credit or other qualifying benefits. Apply through Social Security Scotland — this is paid automatically once awarded and does not affect other benefits.
• Free early learning and childcare: In Scotland, all 3 and 4 year olds and eligible 2 year olds are entitled to 1,140 hours of funded early learning and childcare per year — more than the 15 or 30 hours in England. This reduces childcare costs significantly for families on low incomes.
• Healthy Start (if not in Scotland): Families in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland who are pregnant or have a child under four and receive certain benefits can access Healthy Start vouchers — the UK-wide equivalent of Best Start Foods. See our Healthy Start Vouchers guide.