LOW income parents in the communities of the Cowdenbeath-Lochgelly may be able to receive the Best Start Grant which could help ease the financial pressure of Christmas.

The three Best Start Grant payments give financial support to families on lower incomes during the early years of a child’s life and includes the Pregnancy and Baby, Early Learning and School Age Payment.

The payments are made during key transitions in a child’s life. At this time of year that money could be used to help cover the costs of days out, toys, books or clothes.

Social Security Secretary, Shirley-Anne Somerville, said this week local families should find out if they are eligible because BSG could be a great help to them.

She said: “We want to ensure that every child has the best start in life, and the Best Start grants help do just that, providing vital financial support to thousands of families across Scotland.

“We know Christmas can cause financial stress for many, with low income families in particular often feeling the burden as they struggle to cover the normal bills with the extra costs of the festive period.

“I would urge anybody who thinks they may be eligible for any of the Best Start Grant payments to find out more and apply.”

Since it started making Best Start Grant payments last December, Social Security Scotland has made more than 61,000 payments to families in Scotland, totalling £17.7 million.

An example of someone who has found BSG a huge help is Rebecca Haggart, 20, who has a two year-old son Cohen, and twins Isla and Romi. She got a payment this time last year and said: “This time of the year is always a financial strain and last year I already had one child under five with twin girls on the way.

“I saw an advert for the Best Start Grant on Facebook last December and applied. I received the Pregnancy and Baby Payment for the twins.

"This meant that I got £900 to go towards a new twin pram and some new clothes in time for the girls arriving on the 27th December. It also gave me the opportunity to get the presents that Cohen had put on his list to Santa.”

The Pregnancy and Baby Payment is £600 for a first child and £300 for subsequent children. Two brand new payments were also introduced, the Early Learning Payment, launched in April, which paid out £6 million and the School Age Payment, launched in June has paid out a further £4 million. Early Learning Payment is a £250 payment for eligible families who have a child between the ages of two and three years and six months, while School Age Payment is £250 to help with the costs of preparing for school.

For children who are old enough to start school in August 2019, parents should apply for the School Age Payment up until February 29 2020.

Payments are made to families in receipt of eligible benefits - including Universal Credit, Income Support, Housing Benefit and Tax credits

Once Social Security Scotland has receive a Best Start Grant application, it can take between 14 to 21 days to receive a payment. If they need any more information or supportive evidence to check eligibility it could take longer

More information can be found at mygov.scot/best-start-grant or by calling 0800 182 2222.