Explainers

Best Start Foods

Best Start Foods (BSF) provides payments towards the cost of being pregnant or looking after young children. Money is pre-loaded on to a payment card every four weeks and can be used to purchase food from a range of retailers. It was launched in 2019 and has replaced the UK Government’s Healthy Start Vouchers.

Spending is forecast to rise from 2024-25 because the Scottish Government is widening eligibility from February 2024 by removing the current income thresholds.