Best Start Grants Scotland - School Age Payment

Applies to: Scotland

School Age Payment helps with the costs of a child preparing to start primary school. You can use the payment for anything your child might need, including clothes, school equipment and school trips.

You will be paid the School Age Payment automatically if you get Scottish Child Payment, your child is the right age and you get one of the benefits listed below . You don’t need to apply.

Can I get a School Age Payment? 

You can get a School Age Payment if:

• You live in Scotland; and
• You are receiving any of these benefits

  • Universal Credit; or

  • Child Tax Credit; or

  • Working Tax Credit; or

  • Income Support; or

  • Income-based Jobseeker's Allowance (JSA); or

  • Income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA); or

  • Housing Benefit.

If you are under 20 and still in relevant education, and someone is getting Child Benefit, Child Tax Credit or the Child Element of Universal Credit for you, you might be able to get a School Age Payment even if you aren’t receiving any benefits.

If you are under 18, you can get a School Age Payment even if you aren't getting any benefits.

You also have to be: 

• Responsible (or the partner of someone who is responsible) for a child who is due to start school this year. 
  • You should apply for the School Age Payment in the year your child is supposed to start school even if you decide to defer them starting school or home school them
  • If your child is born between 1 March 2019 and 29 Feb 2020, you should apply between 1 June 2024 and 28 Feb 2025
  • If your child is born between 1 March 2020 and 28 Feb 2021, you should apply between 1 June 2025 and 28 Feb 2025

You can find out more about when you can apply for a School Age payment on the mygov.scot website.

Claims are open between June and February each year.

In most cases, you cannot get a School Age Payment if someone else has already had one for the same child. There are exceptions to this if the child does not usually live with the person who received the payment for him/her. If this is the case for you, you should speak to an adviser.

How much School Age Payment will I get? 

If you are entitled to a School Age Payment, you will get £314.45 for each child you can get the payment for.

You can find out how to claim School Age Payment in 'How do I claim a Best Start Grant?' guide. If you want to challenge a School Age Payment decision, see our guide 'How do I challenge a Best Start Grant decision?' 

The School Age Payment hasn't replaced the School Clothing Grant. You can apply for both.