Born in 1946 and brought up in Cupar, Fife, I was educated at the local school - 
The new £250 social security benefit will be available for low income families.
Families with children aged between two to three and a half can use the three-figure sum for anything from children’s clothes and shoes to toys, books or days out.
This payment is part of the Scottish Government’s new Best Start Grant package. This financial support includes the Pregnancy and Baby Payment, which has been open for applications since December and the Best Start Grant School Age payment which will open in June.
When the School Age Payments begin in June, the Best Start Grant package, along with Carer’s Allowance Supplement, will bring the total number of Scottish Government benefits being administered by Social Security Scotland to four.
Best Start Grant is for families in receipt of eligible benefits – including Universal Credit, Income Support, Housing Benefit – and tax credits to help at key stages in a child’s life.
Commenting, Stewart Stevenson MSP, said:
“The Best Start Grant package will be available to families across the North-East and could help between 30,000 to 40,000 families across Scotland this year.
“The investment, totalling £12million, is £10million more than previously provided by UK Government support.
“The new £250 payment will help low income families around the time a child normally starts nursery demonstrating this Government’s ambition to put more money into the pockets of families who need it most.”
“The investment, totalling £12million, is £10million more than previously provided by UK Government support.
“The new £250 payment will help low income families around the time a child normally starts nursery demonstrating this Government’s ambition to put more money into the pockets of families who need it most.”
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said:
“Since December, low income families have been eligible for a payment of £600 on the birth of a first child, and £300 on the birth of any siblings.
“In just the first two months of the Best Start Grant, the Scottish Government got more money into people’s pockets than the DWP had managed under the old system in an entire year.
“Now, we will go further.
“I can announce that low income families will get a further £250 when their child starts nursery. Applications open tomorrow. And from June they will get the same again when their child starts school.”
“In just the first two months of the Best Start Grant, the Scottish Government got more money into people’s pockets than the DWP had managed under the old system in an entire year.
“Now, we will go further.
“I can announce that low income families will get a further £250 when their child starts nursery. Applications open tomorrow. And from June they will get the same again when their child starts school.”
