- Support of over £2,600 available through pregnancy and early
parenthood
The birth of a new baby can put financial pressure on household
budgets, but there's a wide range of financial support available
from the Scottish Government to ensure children have the best
start in life.
Families receiving Universal Credit or certain benefits could be
eligible to more than £2,600 in financial support during
pregnancy and their child's first year of life, helping with the
costs of welcoming a new baby.
Expectant families can apply for the Best Start Foods pre-paid
card as soon as they find out they are pregnant, helping ease the
costs of buying healthy food. Families can also apply for
Pregnancy and Baby Payment from the 24th week of pregnancy. The
one-off payment can be used to purchase anything families might
need for having a baby, such as a pram, toys or baby clothes.
Scottish Child Payment is also available once the child is born
to help with anything needed to help raise their new baby.
Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice, , said:
Welcoming a new baby is a special and exciting time, and families
should have the support they need as they prepare for the arrival
of their child.
This package of support, worth thousands of pounds for eligible
households, provides extra help from pregnancy through to a
baby's first birthday and beyond. Backing families in those vital
early months is central to our mission to eradicate child
poverty, helping parents provide the opportunities every child
deserves and giving them the best possible start in life.
Danielle turned to her local Citizens Advice Bureau after
struggling to meet essential costs while caring for her 7 month
old baby alone. Financial pressures had become so severe that she
was considering selling her home. But with support from Scottish
Child Payment and Best Start Foods helping to ease food shopping
bills, Danielle said she and her baby had enough to eat and did
not need to use a food bank.
Assistant Director for Policy and Research at Citizens
Advice Scotland, Emma Jackson, commented:
Evidence from across the Citizens Advice network shows the
important role that pregnancy and early years payments can play
in helping families through periods of financial insecurity and
change. Support such as Best Start Grant, Best Start Foods and
Scottish Child Payment can help ease financial pressures,
enabling families to afford the essentials and support children
to get the best possible start in life. Local Citizens Advice
Bureaux are there to provide free, confidential and expert advice
that's available online, over the phone or in-person to help
people apply for the support they're entitled to and make sure
they don't miss out on payments that can make a real difference
to their family.
Background
The estimated value of £2,643.15 is based on a family expecting
their second child who applies for support from four weeks into
pregnancy and receives all eligible payments until their child's
first birthday. Below outlines the estimated values:
The estimated £2,643.15 of support includes:
- £196.00 through Best Start Foods during pregnancy (based on
35 weeks of payments at £5.60 per week).
- £582.40 through Best Start Foods in a child's first year
(based on 52 weeks of payments at £11.20 per week).
- £398.35 through the Pregnancy and Baby Payment for a second
or subsequent child.
- £1,466.40 through Scottish Child Payment in a child's first
year (based on 52 weeks of payments at £28.20 per week).
The total amount of support available will vary depending on
individual circumstances, family circumstances, eligibility
criteria and when applications are submitted. Some families may
be eligible to receive more support, while others may receive
less.
To find out more about eligibility and applications for Best
Start Foods and Best Start Grant Pregnancy and Baby Payment,
visit: Best Start Grant and Best Start
Foods - mygov.scot
To find out more about eligibility and applications for Scottish
Child Payment, visit: Scottish Child Payment -
mygov.scot
