Fostering allowances and pay
People don’t become foster carers for the money but it’s natural to think about the financial support you receive as a foster carer.
How much do foster carers get paid?
Foster carers receive a fostering age allowance for each child they care for. The level of this allowance varies with the child’s age and covers costs for food, toiletries, clothes, hobbies etc, the general expenses of having a child or young person living with them.
Carers also get a carer allowance for themselves, beginning at level one with the opportunity to progress to a higher level over time.
Fostering allowance examples
Example 1 - one child
If you are a level 1 foster carer, caring for one child, aged between 5-10 years, you would get:
- £195.81 fostering age allowance + £261.72 carers allowance = a weekly payment of £457.53.
Example 2 - short break carer with one child
If you are a level 1 short break carer supporting one child, aged between 5-10 years, for Friday to Monday, you would get:
- £83.92 (for 3 nights) fostering age allowance + £112.16 carers allowance = a payment of £196.08.
Example 3 - short break carer with two children
If you are a level 1 short break carer for two children, aged 5-10 years, caring for them Friday to Monday, you would get:
- £167.84 (for 3 nights) fostering age allowance + £154.08 carers allowance = a payment of £321.92.
| Age of child | 2024-2025 (£) |
|---|---|
| 0-4 | 168.31 |
| 5-10 | 195.81 |
| 11-15 | 235.91 |
| 16+ | 287.00 |
Fostering Carer Allowance (per week)
| Carer Level | Core Fee (£) | 1 Child (£) | 2 Children (£) | 3 Children (£) | 4 Children (£) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Level 1 | 163.90 | 261.71 | 359.54 | 457.35 | 555.18 |
| Level 2 | 232.59 | 330.41 | 428.23 | 526.04 | 623.86 |
| Level 3 | 379.10 | 476.91 | 574.74 | 672.56 | n/a |
Fostering Carer Allowance (per year)
| Carer Level | Core Fee (£) | 1 Child (£) | 2 Children (£) | 3 Children (£) | 4 Children (£) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Level 1 | 8,523 | 13,609 | 18,696 | 23,782 | 28,869 |
| Level 2 | 12,095 | 17,181 | 22,268 | 27,354 | 32,441 |
| Level 3 | 19,713 | 24,800 | 29,886 | 34,973 | n/a |
| Continuing care | £244.11 |
| Supported Lodgings | £277.04 |
| Enhanced Allowance (paid to carers to prevent a Residential Placement) | £277.04 |
Kinship Carer Allowance (per week)
| Age of child | Legal status s. 83, 25, 86 (£) | Legal status s. 11 (£) |
|---|---|---|
| 0-4 | 168.31 (minus child benefit H/L rate) |
168.31 (minus child related benefit/s) |
| 5-10 | 195.81 (minus child benefit H/L rate) |
195.81 (minus child related benefit/s) |
| 11-15 | 235.91 (minus child benefit H/L rate) |
235.91 (minus child related benefit/s) |
| 16-17 | 287.00 (minus child benefit H/L rate) |
287.00 (minus child related benefit/s) |
Additional Fostering and Kinship Allowances
| Christmas | 1 Week Fostering Age Allowance |
| Birthday | 1 Week Fostering Age Allowance |
| Summer Holiday | 2 Weeks Fostering Age Allowance (age 2 years and over) |
Note: These additional allowances to kinship carers do not have child related benefits deducted.
| School exclusion/part time education (payable per school day after 7 calendar days) | £13.95 |
| Mileage | £0.45 per mile up to 10,000 miles. |
| Emergency Clothing Grant | £84.78 payable per child. |
| Daycare | £3.86 per hour plus £2.80 per meal payment. |
| Training | £21.93 per full day; £10.97 up to 4 hours |
| Start up fee to new carers | £219.48 one off payment |
| Recruitment/approval - friend/family | £537.95 |
| Respite Holiday Allowance | £21.95 daily rate (paid per night, to a maximum of 21 nights per year, per child); £153.64 weekly allowance (as appears on carepay system) |