Best Start Grants Scotland - Can I get an Early Learning Payment?

Applies to: Scotland

You can get an Early Learning Payment if:

• You live in Scotland; and
• You are receiving any of these benefits

  • Universal Credit; or

  • Child Tax Credit; or

  • Working Tax Credit; or

  • Income Support; or

  • Income-based Jobseeker's Allowance (JSA); or

  • Income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA); or

  • Housing Benefit

If you are under 20 and still in relevant education, and someone is getting Child Benefit, Child Tax Credit or the Child Element of Universal Credit for you, you might be able to get an Early Learning Payment even if you aren’t receiving any benefits.

If you are under 18, you can get an Early Learning Payment even if you don't get any benefits.

To claim an Early Learning Payment, you also have to be:

• Responsible (or the partner of someone who is responsible) for a child aged between 2 years old and 3 years and six months old.

In most cases, you cannot get an Early Learning Payment if someone else has already had one for the same child. There are exceptions to this if the child does not usually live with the person who received the payment for him/her. If this is the case for you, you should speak to an adviser.