As the summer holidays come to an end, I want to encourage local parents and carers to check their eligibility for financial support as they prepare for their children going back to school.

As parents and guardians know, the costs of new shoes, stationery, lunch boxes and school bags 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 Scotland support and 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.

This SNP Scottish Government has said that their most important priority is eradicating child poverty – and this commitment shows that the government is doing what it can to ease the pressure on families by providing financial assistance at key stages in their child’s life. 

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

You can find out more about each of these benefits and your eligibility at socialsecurity.gov.scot.