The income limit that applied to Best Start Foods eligibility was removed as of February 2024, according to the Scottish Government's take-up rates of Scottish benefits 2024, published in November 20241.
Best Start Foods is one of the Five Family Payments delivered by Social Security Scotland, alongside Scottish Child Payment and the three Best Start Grant payments1. The estimated take-up rate for Best Start Foods for 2023-24 was 84%, down from 92% in 2022-231. The publication states that although the number of people eligible is estimated to have been fairly stable between the two years, the total number of payments made to clients fell by around 8%, and the decline in the estimated take-up rate appears to be driven by a fall in application numbers1.
The effect of removing the income limit was excluded from the 2023-24 analysis because it applied for around one month only1. For the next estimate, covering 2024-25, the income threshold removal will apply for the entire financial year and will increase the number of people eligible to receive Best Start Foods1.
Take-up rates for the Five Family Payments are generally higher than for other Scottish benefits, which the publication attributes in part to eligible families being able to make a combined application for all five payments, and to more opportunities to reach families through public services they already use1.
"As of February 2024, the income limit which applied to Best Start Foods eligibility has been removed"
Estimated take-up rates for the Five Family Payments in the most recent year available for each are set out below1.
| Payment | Estimated take-up rate | Year |
|---|---|---|
| Scottish Child Payment (all children under 16) | 89% | 2023-24 |
| Best Start Grant: Pregnancy and Baby Payment | 87% | 2022-23 |
| Best Start Grant: Early Learning Payment | 87% | 2021-22 |
| Best Start Grant: School Age Payment | 97% | 2023-24 |
| Best Start Foods | 84% | 2023-24 |
The publication notes that take-up rates are estimates only and contain a degree of uncertainty, because while the number of people receiving a benefit is known, the number eligible has to be estimated1. It also states that comparisons over time should be made with the latest figures in this year's publication rather than last year's, due to revisions to previous estimates1.
Why it matters for households
Best Start Foods is aimed at families on certain benefits or tax credits, and the removal of the income limit means that from February 2024 the test no longer applies to eligibility1. The Scottish Government says the change will increase the number of people eligible to receive Best Start Foods, and that this will be reflected in the 2024-25 take-up estimate, which will cover a full financial year of the new rules1.
The 2023-24 figures show that 84% of those estimated to be eligible received Best Start Foods, a fall from 92% the year before, driven by fewer applications rather than a change in the eligible population1. For families, the practical effect is that some households previously excluded by the income limit are now within scope, while the fall in applications suggests some eligible families were not receiving the payment in 2023-241.
What happens next
The next annual publication will include a Best Start Foods take-up estimate for 2024-25, the first to cover a full financial year since the income limit was removed1. The same publication is also expected to cover Best Start Grant Pregnancy and Baby Payment for 2023-24 and Early Learning Payment for 2022-23, the latest full years for which estimates can be produced given the application windows for those payments1.
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