Money (or lack of it) can be really stressful to deal with, but there is help out there if you need it. There’s a wide range of benefits and services available. To make life that wee bit easier for you, we’ve pulled together a list of what you could be entitled to as a parent.
There are also other benefits you can apply for as well, such as Universal Credit. Our section on using a benefit calculator below explains how you can find out what you’re entitled to.
Getting to grips with benefits can feel overwhelming, so if all this seems too much, you can contact the Money Talk Team. They offer advice on money matters, from benefit take up and council tax reduction to free school meals and reducing household energy costs. They can also support you to ensure you’re claiming all the grants and benefits you might be entitled to and make sure you don’t pay more than you need to for basic services like utilities. This service is delivered by the Citizens Advice Network in Scotland. You can get advice on the Money Talk Team website, call 0800 028 1456 or get in touch with your local bureau if you’d prefer to see someone face to face. You can find details of your local Citizens Advice Bureau here.
On this page you'll find information on:

Cost of living support
You can find more advice on coping with increasing energy bills, managing rent, support for families, health and wellbeing and benefits and one-off payments and more at gov.scot/costoflivingsupport
Support and benefits for expectant parents and parents with a newborn baby
Maternity and paternity leave
Maternity and paternity leave
The Pregnancy and Baby Payment
The Pregnancy and Baby Payment
Scotland’s Baby Box
Scotland’s Baby Box
Best Start Foods payments
Best Start Foods payments
Young Patients Family Fund
Young Patients Family Fund
General support and benefits for parents
Best Start Grants and Best Start Foods
Best Start Grants and Best Start Foods
Scottish Child Payment
Scottish Child Payment
Scottish Child Payment Bridging Payments
Scottish Child Payment Bridging Payments
Child Benefit
Child Benefit
Child Tax Credit and Universal Credit
Child Tax Credit and Universal Credit
School clothing grant
School clothing grant
Free school meals
Free school meals
Financial help if you have a disabled child
Financial help if you have a disabled child
Financial help if your child is in hospital
Financial help if your child is in hospital
Help with childcare costs
Help with childcare costs
Guardian’s Allowance
Guardian’s Allowance
Charitable grants
Charitable grants
Support if you're separating from your partner
Support if you're separating from your partner
Support for single parents
Support for single parents
Benefits, grants and loans if you're disabled
If you’re disabled, there are a range of benefits you may be able to apply for.
- Some of these are provided by the UK Government – you can find out more about UK benefits here.
- Some are provided by the Scottish Government – you can find out more about Scottish Government payments here.
You can work out what you’re entitled to using a benefits calculator (see below) and it’s also a good idea to talk to an adviser from the Money Talk Team or Disability Information Scotland. Disability Information Scotland also offer helpful guides to benefits, grants and support.
What if I don't have a bank account?
Most benefits are paid into your bank account, so if you don’t have one this can be tricky. If you’re in this situation, it may be worth opening a fee-free basic bank account. It might also be a good thing to think about if you can’t use or open a standard current account. You can use a fee-free basic bank account to receive money and pay bills, but it doesn’t allow you to use an overdraft.
- You can find out more about fee-free basic bank accounts on the Money Helper website.
- You can find information on different types of bank accounts on the Citizens Advice Scotland website.
Using a benefits calculator
If you’re stressing out about money, you may not feel you have the head space to work your way through a benefits calculator. However, if you can, it’s worth taking the time to see what you might be entitled to. And remember, if you find it confusing you can always call the Money Talk Team for free, confidential advice.
The entitledto benefits calculator will help you find out if you’re eligible for benefits from both the UK and Scottish Governments. If you create an account, you can save your information and come back to it later, which is great if you don’t have time to do it all at once, or don’t have all the information you need to hand.
Before you start it’s a good idea to read entitledto’s tips for using the benefits calculator first, and to gather as much information together as you can.
Talking to an adviser
Remember, benefits calculators will only give you an idea of what you can apply for and an estimate of how much you’ll get, so it’s a good idea to talk to an adviser at the Money Talk Team or the relevant benefits office to check exactly what you can get.
- You can contact Social Security Scotland here.
- You can contact the Disability Living Service here.
- You can find contact details for all UK benefits here.
Family Support Directory
Find more support for your finances from trusted organisations in our Family Support Directory.