If so, families are being urged to check whether they are eligible to apply for the Best Start Grant School Age Payment. Applications are open for children old enough to start primary school.

This one-off payment of £267.65 is to help at a key stage in a child’s life and can be used for anything from a new pair of shoes to books or arts and crafts materials.

Best Start Grant School Age Payment is available to families who get Universal Credit, tax credits or certain benefits with children born between 1 March 2017 and 28 February 2018.

Parents who have deferred their child’s entry to school from August 2022 to August 2023, or those who are home schooling, should still apply before 28 February 2023 or they will lose out on their payment. There is no cap on the number of children in a household who can get this payment.

Chair of South Lanarkshire Council’s Education Resources Committee, Councillor Lynsey Hamilton, said: “I would encourage anyone who thinks they may qualify for this payment to check if they are eligible, and if so to apply for the grant as soon as possible.

“It can be used for whatever your child needs, and I am sure it will be very welcome given the rising costs so many families are facing at the moment.”

Best Start Grant School Age Payment is one of the Scottish Government’s five family payments administered by Social Security Scotland. The package includes Scottish Child Payment, three Best Start Grants, and Best Start Foods.

From the end of this year, both the Best Start Grant School Age Payment and the Best Start Grant Early Learning Payment will be paid automatically to families who get Scottish Child Payment when their child is of eligible age.

Visit the Best Start Grant website or call 0800 182 2222 to find out more or apply.