Explanatory note

These Regulations make provision about early years assistance, a type of assistance that is given by the Scottish Ministers under Part 2 of the Social Security (Scotland) Act 2018.

The Early Years Assistance (Best Start Grants) (Scotland) Regulations 2018 (“the principal Regulations”) created the pregnancy and baby grant, which is a grant payable to people who have, or expect to have, a new baby in the family. These Regulations amend that earlier instrument to create two further grants:

• the early learning grant, which is payable in respect of a child aged between 2 and 3½ years, and

• the school age grant, which is payable in respect of a child who has reached, or will reach within the year, the age at which children in Scotland normally start primary school (which is age 4 or 5, depending on when the child’s birthday falls).

A Business and Regulatory Impact Assessment was prepared in respect of the principal Regulations. This considered the potential effects of the early learning grant and the school age grant. Accordingly, no separate assessment is required in respect of these Regulations.