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Who can get a pregnancy and baby payment
To get a best start grant - pregnancy and baby payment, you must:
- normally live in Scotland - read more about the ‘residence requirements’
- be pregnant or looking after a young baby
- be getting a ‘qualifying benefit’ or be aged under 18
- claim at the right time
Pregnant or looking after a young baby
You can claim if you or your partner is more than 24 weeks pregnant or has had a baby in the last 6 months. You cannot qualify for the pregnancy and baby payment if you have received a Sure Start Maternity Grant for the same child.
You may also be able to claim if you have started caring for a baby under one as a kinship carer or if you have adopted a baby aged under one.
Read more about claiming if you have adopted a baby or become a kinship carer.
Usually only one pregnancy and baby payment can be made for a child but this may not apply if you start caring for a baby under one as a kinship carer or you are adopting a baby aged under one.
Getting a ‘qualifying benefit’
If you are aged under 18 you can get a pregnancy and baby payment even if you are not on a benefit and no matter what income you have.
If you are aged 18 or 19 and someone else still gets benefits for looking after you, you can get a pregnancy and baby payment if the person who cares for you gets:
- child benefit
- child tax credit
- universal credit
- pension credit
You must still be included in their claim, for example as you are under 19 and still at school.
If you are 18 or over and claiming benefits yourself, you'll get a pregnancy and baby payment if you or your partner get any of the following benefits:
- universal credit
- income support
- income-based jobseeker’s allowance
- income-related employment and support allowance
- pension credit
- housing benefit
- child tax credit
- working tax credit
You can be entitled if you were getting universal credit within the last month but it has now stopped.
Read more about the qualifying benefit rules and what happens if your benefit has been cut.
Claim at the right time
You can claim any time from when you or your partner are 25 weeks pregnant up until your baby is 6 months old. If you start caring for a baby aged under one as a kinship carer or adopt a baby under one you can claim up to the baby’s first birthday.
Read more about claiming if you have adopted a baby or become a kinship carer.
How much is pregnancy and baby payment
The pregnancy and baby grant is £600 if you have no other children living with you, or £300 if you have other older children aged under 16 who you are responsible for. If you have a multiple birth, you get one extra payment of £300, called the multiple birth supplement.
Applying for a pregnancy and baby payment
To apply you can:
- phone Social Security Scotland on 0800 182 2222
If you disagree with the decision made by Social Security Scotland on your best start grant application you can challenge this decision.