Baby week 2023 is here to celebrate, promote services and raise awareness about the importance of early childhood. Our Project Lead for Benefits at Advice Direct Scotland, Julie Murphy has collated some Baby & Child Benefits that you should be aware of.

Maternity Pay

Statutory Maternity Pay (SMP) is paid for up to 39 weeks. You get:

• 90% of your average weekly earnings (before tax) for the first 6 weeks
• £172.48 or 90% of your average weekly earnings (whichever is lower) for the next 33 weeks

To qualify for SMP you must:

• Earn on average at least £123 a week
• Give the correct notice and proof you’re pregnant (letter from your doctor/midwife or your MATB1 certificate)
• Have worked for your employer continuously for at least 26 weeks continuing into the ‘qualifying week’ – the 15th week before the expected week of childbirth

Your employer must confirm within 28 days how much SMP you’ll get and when it will start and stop. If they decide you’re not eligible, they must give you form SMP1 within 7 days of making their decision and explain why. If you are not eligible, you may be able to claim for Maternity Allowance instead.

Child Benefit

You get Child Benefit if you’re responsible for bringing up a child who is:

• Under 16
• Under 20 if they stay in approved education or training

Points to note:

• Only one person can get Child Benefit for a child
• There’s no limit to how many children you can claim for

There are 2 Child Benefit rates:

• Eldest or only child £24.00 (weekly rate)
• Additional children £15.90 per child (weekly rate)

Child Benefit is usually paid every 4 weeks on a Monday or Tuesday.
If either your or your partner’s ‘adjusted net income’ is over £50,000 a year, you may have to pay the High Income Child Benefit Charge.

Scottish Child Payment

What is it?

It’s a weekly payment of £25 that you can get for every child you look after who’s under 16 years of age and you’ll get the payment every 4 weeks if your application is successful. Only one person can get Scottish Child Payment for a child.

You may be able to get Scottish Child Payment if all of the following apply:

• You live in Scotland
• You or your partner are getting certain benefits or payments
• You or your partner are the main person looking after a child who’s under 16 years old

You can apply whether you’re in work or not and if you or your partner are getting one or more of the following benefits:

• Universal Credit
• Child Tax Credit
• Working Tax Credit
• Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA)

Social Security Scotland also accept claims if you alone are named on one of these benefits:

• Pension Credit
• Income Support
• Income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)

If your partner is named on any of the above 3 benefits and you are not, your partner should apply.
**You can receive Child Benefit and Scottish Child Payment at the same time.**

Best Start Foods

Best Start Foods is a prepaid card that can help you buy healthy foods like milk or fruit, if one of the following applies to you. For example:

• You are pregnant
• You have a child under 3

The amount you get on your prepaid card will change depending on the age of your child. The Best Start Foods payments are:

• £19.80 every 4 weeks during pregnancy – the payment amount is per pregnancy. This means the payment amount is the same whether you’re pregnant with one baby, or if you’re having twins or triplets
• £39.60 every 4 weeks from your child being born up until they’re one year old
• £19.80 every 4 weeks when your child is between the ages of one and 3 years old

You may be able to get Best Start Grant and Best Start Foods if all of the following apply:

• You live in Scotland
• You or your partner are getting certain benefits or tax credits
• You or your partner are pregnant, or are the main person looking after a baby or child who’s the right age for a payment

If you’re UNDER 18, you do not need to be on any payments or benefits to apply for Best Start Grant or Best Start Foods.
If you’re a parent OVER 18, you can apply whether you’re in work or not, as long as you’re getting one of these:

• Universal Credit
• Child Tax Credit
• Working Tax Credit – this is Working Tax Credit with Child Tax Credit for Best Start Foods
• Housing Benefit
• Income Support
• Pension Credit
• Income-based Jobseekers Allowance (JSA)
• Income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)

Best Start Pregnancy & Baby Payment

Pregnancy and Baby Payment helps with the costs of having a baby. You can apply for this payment during pregnancy to help prepare for your baby’s arrival, or after your baby is born.

You can get Pregnancy and Baby Payment any time after you have reached the end of the 24th week of pregnancy until the day your baby is 6 months old. If your baby is born before 24 weeks, you can apply from this date up to the day your baby is 6 months old. If you’ve taken on responsibility for looking after a child, for example, if you’ve adopted, you can apply up to the day before the child’s first birthday.

You’ll get a Pregnancy and Baby Payment of £707.25 for your first child. Your first child is your oldest child under 16. This includes a stepchild if you have one. It also includes any child you’ve taken overlooking after, for example, if you’ve adopted, or kinship care.

This will change to a payment of £353.65 for any child that comes after your first.

If you’re UNDER 18, you do not need to be on any payments or benefits to apply for Best Start Grant or Best Start Foods.
If you’re a parent OVER 18, you can apply whether you’re in work or not, as long as you’re getting one of these:

• Universal Credit
• Child Tax Credit
• Working Tax Credit – this is Working Tax Credit with Child Tax Credit for Best Start Foods
• Housing Benefit
• Income Support
• Pension Credit
• Income-based Jobseekers Allowance (JSA)
• Income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)

Best Start Early Learning Payment

Early Learning Payment is a payment of £294.70 per child to help with the costs of early learning. You can get the payment when your child is aged between 2 years old and 3 years and 6 months old. To get this payment your child does not need to go to nursery.

You can get Early Learning Payment for multiple children, as long as each child is the right age when you
apply and you can spend this money on anything you need for your child at this age. This could include:

• Clothes
• Toys
• Trips to new places

If you’re UNDER 18, you do not need to be on any payments or benefits to apply for Best Start Grant or Best
Start Foods.
If you’re a parent OVER 18, you can apply whether you’re in work or not, as long as you’re getting one of
these:

• Universal Credit
• Child Tax Credit
• Working Tax Credit – this is Working Tax Credit with Child Tax Credit for Best Start Foods
• Housing Benefit
• Income Support
• Pension Credit
• Income-based Jobseekers Allowance (JSA)
• Income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)

Best Start School Age Payment

School Age Payment is a payment of £294.70 per child. It helps with the costs of preparing for school when your child is first old enough to start primary school and you can get the payment for multiple children, as long as each child is the right age when you apply.

To get a payment, your child does not have to take up a place at school. You’ll still need to apply in the year
that your child is first old enough to start school, if:

• you’re deferring when your child starts school
• your child is not going to school

If you’re UNDER 18, you do not need to be on any payments or benefits to apply for Best Start Grant or Best
Start Foods.
If you’re a parent OVER 18, you can apply whether you’re in work or not, as long as you’re getting one of
these:

• Universal Credit
• Child Tax Credit
• Working Tax Credit – this is Working Tax Credit with Child Tax Credit for Best Start Foods
• Housing Benefit
• Income Support
• Pension Credit
• Income-based Jobseekers Allowance (JSA)
• Income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)

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You can access free, impartial advice on any topic from Advice Direct Scotland by contacting 0808 800 9060 (Mon-Fri 9am-5pm), or by visiting www.advice.scot. Advice is available to everyone in Scotland, at no cost, regardless of personal circumstance.