Financial Support For Families - Social Security Support As Children Prepare For Back To School

8th August 2024

Parents and carers are being encouraged to check their eligibility for financial support as the summer holidays end and they prepare for their children going back to school.

Extra costs, including new shoes, stationery and lunch boxes, can soon add up.

The five family payments administered by Social Security Scotland can help pay for extra back to school expenses alongside everyday family costs like food, clothing and days out.

This includes the Scottish Child Payment, a weekly payment of £26.70 for eligible families with children up to 16. The payment is unique to Scotland and is supporting over 329,000 children and young people.

The three Best Start Grant payments and Best Start Foods, also part of social security support, are designed to help families at key stages in their children's early years, including during pregnancy.

There is no cap on the number of children in one family who can receive these payments.

Up to the end of March 2024, over £829 million has been provided to families across Scotland through the five family payments.

Speaking at Home-Start Dundee, a charity that helps families with young children, Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice, Shirley-Anne Somerville, said:

"The most important priority for our government is eradicating child poverty, and we are committed to easing the pressure on families by getting vital money into their pockets at key stages in their child's life.

"Whether it is helping families to buy healthy foods during pregnancy and for their kids as they grow, pushchairs to help on the move, or new shoes and clothing for school, our payments are there when they need it most.

"We're already supporting thousands of families across Scotland through our five family payments, and wider Scottish Government support is also helping to protect them as much as we can from the impacts of the cost of living crisis.

"Even if you are working you could still get these payments and I want to encourage everyone to check if they are eligible and access the money they are entitled to."

Estelle Coulthard, Family Support Coordinator at Home-Start Dundee, said "We are a local charity providing support for families with young children across Dundee that face daily challenges in life. We're there to provide support as they learn to cope, help improve their confidence and build better lives for their children.

"We are responsive to the individual needs of families, and this includes helping to make parents aware of the financial support they are entitled to and work with them to complete application forms for financial assistance. We know parents who have struggled to purchase everyday items such as formula and healthy foods for their children but the support they have received through the five family payments meant they no longer have to worry about feeding their child.

"The first five years between birth and school are vital for a child's development and the five family payments make a huge difference to the beginning of a little one's life, supporting parents to have the funds to purchase the necessities they need. Without these payments, families would not survive the constant rise in the cost of living in Scotland."

Families and carers can find out more and apply at mygov.scot/scottishchildpayment and at mygov.scot/best-start-grant-best-start-foods or by calling Social Security Scotland free on 0800 182 2222

Best Start Grant and Best Start Foods
To get Best Start Grant and Foods, normally you or your partner need to get one of these:
Universal Credit
Child Tax Credit
Working Tax Credit
Housing Benefit
Income Support
Pension Credit
income-based Jobseekers Allowance (JSA)
income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)
If you’re under 20 years old and do not get one of these payments, you may still be able to get Best Start Grant and Best Start Foods.