Financial support

Child payment and grant entitlement

Scottish Child Payment  

Scottish Child Payment – A payment of £100 every four weeks for each eligible child under the age of six. For more information or apply to visit the Scottish Child Payment webpage

Best Start pregnancy, baby, early learning and school age grants and payments 

Parents on tax credits or certain benefits could be entitled to five family payments.

  • Best Start Grant Pregnancy and Baby Payment- A £606 payment for a first child and £303 for other children. Plus an extra £303 if you have a multiple birth. You can apply from 24 weeks of pregnancy until your baby is six months old
  • Best Start Grant Early Learning Payment- A £252.50 payment when a child is between the ages of two and three and a half years. You can still apply if your child is not taking up a place at the nursery
  • Best Start Grant School Age Payment - A £252.50 payment to help eligible families with the costs of starting school. For application dates and guidance on when to apply even if you are deferring visit the Best Start Grant and Best Start Foods webpage
  • Best Start Foods- Money every four weeks on a pre-paid card from pregnancy until your child is three years old

Check if you are eligible and apply now on the Best Start Grant and Best Start Foods webpage or contact 

08001 822 222

Social Security Scotland local support

Social Security Scotland’s Local Delivery Client Support Advisers can support people in applying for Social Security payments they are entitled. Advisers will answer any queries about Social Security Scotland benefits, help complete paper or online application forms, and offer other support including help with submitting a change of circumstances information. Support will be by appointment only in local community venues or in people’s homes, hospitals and prisons via video call or telephone appointment.

For more information visit the Social Security Scotland Local Support webpage.

To book an appointment with a Client Support Adviser contact Social Security Scotland on

08001 822 222

Education Maintenance Allowance

An Education Maintenance Allowance (EMA) is a weekly payment of £30 paid to a young person aged 16 to 19 years old who stays at school. It is paid during term time, but not during breaks. To qualify, households with one dependent child must be earning £24,421 per year or less, and households with more than one dependent child must be earning £26,884 or less, before tax.

For more information visit the Education Maintenance Allowance webpage or email

ema@edinburgh.gov.uk

Young carer grant 

Young carers may be eligible for Young Carer Grant if they meet certain criteria such as they live in Scotland, are aged 16 to 18years, and have been providing care for an average of 16 hours a week, for the last three months. The support they provide may be physical, mental or emotional. The young person can apply if they are at school, in further education, employed or unemployed and they can decide how they wish to spend the the yearly payment of £359.65. For more information or to complete an application over the phone or request a paper application visit the Young Carer Grant website or contact the freephone 

08001 822 222

Child disability payment

This benefit is for children aged between three months and 16 years who live with a disability. This benefit has two components, a care component which can be awarded as low, middle or high and a mobility component low and high. Qualifying for this payment can then entitle your family to other forms of grant, payment or benefit. Many families miss out on benefits because the application processes are complex and time-consuming. For this reason, it may be beneficial to start with the support of a voluntary organisation such as Kindred for support.

For more information visit the Child Disability Payment webpage Kindred-Scotland website or contract Kindred 

08000 315 793
 

Supporting parents and carers

We hope you can find the information you need, if you require help finding supports email us at