When should kinship carers apply for financial assistance?

The right time to seek kinship care financial assistance depends on how the child is coming into your care, your legal status and the rules of the relevant local authority. Financial arrangements can differ between kinship foster care, a Special Guardianship Order, a Child Arrangements Order and informal family care, so establish your position before agreeing to take on costs or signing legal paperwork.

Start with an early financial discussion. Ask the child’s social worker or the local authority’s kinship care team to explain which types of help may be considered. This may include an allowance, help with essential items, support connected with a legal order, travel costs or other assistance identified through an assessment. Do not assume that support will be offered automatically or that one payment covers every expense.

Before the child moves in, ask for the authority’s policy in writing and clarify:

• which legal and practical arrangements qualify for assistance;
• whether an assessment is required and who will complete it;
• how household income, benefits, savings or additional costs are considered;
• what evidence you need to provide;
• when payments would begin;
• whether support can be backdated; and
• how to challenge a decision or request a review.

These questions are particularly important where a placement is being arranged quickly. A family member may agree to care for a child because there is an immediate safeguarding concern, but urgent circumstances do not necessarily remove the need to discuss money. Keep a written record of who you spoke to, what was explained and any applications submitted.

If the child is already in your care, apply based on the current arrangement. Tell the local authority that the child is living with you, explain when the arrangement began and ask what financial assessment or application is required. If you did not receive information before the placement, say so and ask whether assistance can be considered from an earlier date. Backdating is not automatic, so request a clear written decision.

Apply again when circumstances change. A change in legal status, household income, the child’s needs or the level of care required may affect available support. Relevant changes can include:

• a move from an informal arrangement to a formal order;
• an application for, or making of, a Special Guardianship Order or Child Arrangements Order;
• the child developing needs that require additional equipment, travel or supervision;
• a change in your employment, benefits or household composition; or
• the child moving to a different placement or education setting.

Ask the authority to review the financial plan before a legal order is made. Some support may be assessed as part of the wider assessment for the order, while other help may need a separate application. Taking advice at this stage can help you understand whether accepting an order could alter existing payments or services.

Prepare evidence before submitting an application. The authority may ask for documents showing your identity, address, household income and expenditure, the child’s legal status, the date care began and costs connected with the placement. Keep receipts and a simple record of regular expenses such as clothing, transport, school items, childcare and activities. This will not guarantee assistance, but it can make it easier to explain the financial impact of caring for the child.

Do not delay an application because you have not yet gathered every document. Ask which evidence is essential and whether missing information can be supplied later. If the child’s needs are urgent, explain this clearly and ask what interim help or practical support may be available while the assessment is completed.

Seek advice before refusing or accepting a proposed arrangement. A social worker, kinship care adviser, Citizens Advice service, solicitor or specialist family support organisation may help you understand the consequences of different legal routes and identify questions for the local authority. Advice is especially useful where relatives are being asked to make decisions quickly, where more than one authority is involved, or where the child has additional needs.

If financial assistance is refused, reduced or stopped, request the decision and reasons in writing. Check the review or complaints process and the deadline for challenging it. Ask for the assessment to take account of the child’s actual needs and your current circumstances, rather than relying only on an informal conversation. Keep copies of forms, correspondence and supporting documents throughout the process.

In practice, the safest approach is to raise financial assistance at the first formal discussion about the child’s care, revisit it whenever the arrangement or the child’s needs change, and apply promptly under the route that matches your legal circumstances. Financial support is assessed under different rules across kinship arrangements, so obtaining a written explanation from the relevant local authority is an important part of planning responsibly.