Take a Break applications are now open!
All applicants will hear from us by email with a grant award decision by Friday 10 July 2026. Please remember to check your junk mail regularly.
The application process
You can apply for a Take a Break grant if you are the parent of carer of a disabled or seriously ill child or young person aged 0 to 17, and you meet our eligibility criteria.
Applications openned at midday on Tuesday 5 May until 5:00pm on Monday 22 June 2026.
Please include as much detail in your application as you can to help our teams process your application and make an eligibility decision quickly.
- Please check you are eligible before you apply.
- Gather as many supporting documents as you can before starting your application. Suitable documents include:
- Adult carer support – a copy of your Adult Carer Support Plan or statement or a letter from your local authority
- Adult Disability Payment – the most recent benefit letter
- Carer Support Payment or Carer Support Payment underlying entitlement – your most recent award letter
- Child Disability Payment – the most recent benefit letter
- Short break provision, letter from your local authority, local charity or hospice.
- Co-ordinated Support Plan (CSP), Additional Support Plan (ASP) Child’s Plan
- A recent diagnostic or review report
- A supporting letter from a practitioner (for example a doctor, healthcare worker, therapist) who knows your child and can confirm their additional support needs and type of support they need.
You do not need to have all these documents, but you might be asked to provide additional documents during the application process if we need more information to make a decision.
3. Please complete your application online. You must provide an email address and you will be asked to upload any supporting documents that are required. It will take approximately 30 minutes to complete the application form.
4. You should receive a confirmation email within 30 minutes of submitting your application. Please remember to check your junk mail.
When you can expect to hear from us
All applicants will hear from us by email with a grant award decision by Friday 10 July 2026. Please remember to check your junk mail regularly.
You may hear from us before this date, as we aim to make grant awards as soon as possible to support you quickly. Please do not contact us before 10 July 2026 for an update on your application, as our teams will be working hard to process grants.
What to do if you can’t apply online
Applying online through our portal is the quickest and easiest way to make an application. Online applications take less time to process, so you may receive your grant decision more quickly.
If you are not able to apply online, you can download an application pack and additional bank details form and post the completed form and supporting documents back to us. If you are unable to print an application pack, you can request for an application pack to be posted to you and should receive this within 10 working days.
Please be aware that it takes time for paper application forms to be entered onto our system, and for the grant assessment process to begin.
If you choose to apply using a paper application form, please make sure you post it back to us in good time. Any applications received after 22 June 2026 cannot be considered for a grant.
Application terms and conditions
See our Take a Break Scotland terms and conditions and data protection statement.
