How are kinship care payments assessed?

A kinship care payment assessment is a structured review of the child’s circumstances, the proposed care arrangement and the practical costs of providing care. The local authority uses the information gathered to decide whether financial assistance is available, what form it should take and whether it should be reviewed later.

What is considered during the assessment?

The assessment normally looks at several areas rather than relying on one financial figure:

• The child’s legal status: support may be assessed differently where a child is looked after by the local authority, placed with a kinship foster carer, subject to a special guardianship order or living with a relative under a child arrangements order.
• The child’s needs: this can include health or disability-related needs, education, travel, contact with parents, therapeutic support, equipment, clothing and activities.
• The carer’s household finances: the authority may ask about income, benefits, regular outgoings, savings and other resources. Some types of support are means-tested, while others depend mainly on the child’s legal status or assessed needs.
• Extra costs caused by the caring arrangement: examples may include changes to the home, transport, childcare, specialist equipment or arrangements needed to support family contact.
• The wider household: the authority may consider who lives in the home, existing caring responsibilities, housing circumstances and whether the proposed arrangement is sustainable.
• Other available support: the assessment may take account of benefits, grants, maintenance from parents or payments connected with another legal order. This does not necessarily mean that one source of help will automatically cancel another.

The precise factors and evidence requested depend on the type of arrangement and the local authority’s policy. A kinship care team should explain which rules apply before the assessment is completed.

How the assessment usually works

• Initial discussion: the carer explains the child’s circumstances, the proposed living arrangements and the help needed. It is useful to describe both current costs and likely costs over the foreseeable future.
• Information gathering: the authority may request proof of identity, details of household income and expenditure, benefit statements, housing costs, childcare costs and evidence of the child’s needs. It may also ask for information about the child’s legal status and any existing support.
• Needs and suitability assessment: financial support is considered alongside the practical ability to care for the child. This can involve discussions about accommodation, transport, school arrangements, contact with parents and the support network available to the carer.
• Financial calculation or support plan: the authority applies its relevant policy and records the assistance it considers appropriate. This may be a regular payment, a one-off payment for a specific cost, practical help or a combination of support.
• Decision and explanation: the carer should receive the decision in writing, including the basis for the assessment, the amount or type of help offered, when payments begin and any conditions or review arrangements.

Why legal status matters

Kinship care is an umbrella term covering several different arrangements. A relative caring for a looked-after child may be assessed under fostering rules, whereas support linked to a special guardianship order or child arrangements order may follow a different local policy. An informal family arrangement may not create the same entitlement to payments as an approved placement or court order.

This distinction is important because the assessment may consider not only household finances but also whether the payment is required to support a particular legal arrangement. Ask the social worker or kinship care adviser to confirm which pathway applies before assuming that a payment is automatic.

Are payments based only on income?

No. Income can be relevant where assistance is means-tested, but it is not necessarily the only consideration. A household with limited income may still need to show how the requested support relates to the child’s needs and the care arrangement. Conversely, a household with higher income may still be considered for help with significant costs connected with the child’s care, depending on the applicable rules.

The authority should distinguish between ordinary household spending and costs that arise specifically because the child is living with you. Keeping a simple record of additional expenses can make the assessment more accurate. Include receipts or estimates where available, particularly for travel, childcare, school items, adaptations, furniture, clothing and specialist services.

When can the assessment be reviewed?

Financial assistance may be reviewed when the child’s circumstances change, when a legal order is made, when the placement ends or when the authority’s policy requires a review. Relevant changes might include a change in household income, a move, new health or educational needs, altered contact arrangements or the child becoming more independent.

Check whether the decision includes a review date and whether you must report changes yourself. Do not assume that an existing payment will continue unchanged after a legal status or care arrangement changes.

What if the decision does not reflect the family’s needs?

Ask for the written reasons and the policy used to reach the decision. Check whether the authority has recorded all relevant costs and whether it has considered the child’s legal status correctly. You can then ask the kinship care team to reconsider the information or explain its review and complaints process.

Keep copies of forms, evidence, correspondence and decisions. If the issue concerns a proposed court order, a disputed assessment or a substantial ongoing cost, independent legal or specialist kinship care advice may be appropriate. A local kinship care adviser can also help you identify what evidence to provide and which questions to put to the authority.