Who decides whether additional foster care allowances are paid?

The decision is normally made by the fostering service responsible for your approval and payments, although the child’s placing local authority may also need to agree the allowance. The exact decision-maker depends on the type of payment, the terms of the placement and whether the allowance is funded by the fostering agency, the local authority or both.

For routine additional allowances, the fostering service will usually assess the request against its payment policy. A supervising social worker can advise on the process and put the request to the appropriate manager or payments team. Approval may require confirmation from a senior practitioner, fostering manager or finance department rather than being authorised by the supervising social worker alone.

Where the payment relates specifically to the child’s care plan or an unusual placement cost, the child’s social worker and the placing local authority may have an important role. This can apply where the expense is linked to contact arrangements, education, health needs, specialist equipment, activities or a planned change in the child’s circumstances. The fostering service and local authority may need to agree who will meet the cost before payment is authorised.

Decision-makers commonly consider:

• the child’s age, needs and individual care plan;
• whether the expense is additional to the ordinary fostering allowance;
• whether the cost is reasonable, necessary and connected with caring for the child;
• the terms of the foster placement and any existing agreements;
• whether the payment is a standard allowance, a discretionary award or reimbursement of an agreed expense; and
• any supporting information, quotations or receipts required by the relevant policy.

A foster carer should not assume that an extra payment has been approved because an expense appears necessary. Ask for a decision before committing to a significant cost wherever possible, and keep any documents requested by the fostering service. Approval may be for a particular child, event or period, so it may not automatically apply to another placement or be repeated in the future.

If a request is declined, ask for the reason and which part of the payment policy was applied. You can also ask whether further information would allow the request to be reconsidered and whether there is an internal review or complaints process. Your supervising social worker can help you understand the decision and raise the matter with the relevant manager, but cannot promise that an allowance will be authorised.

Before accepting a placement, discuss how additional costs will be handled with the fostering service. The placement agreement, payment policy and written confirmation of any agreed allowance should make clear who approved it, what it covers, whether receipts are needed and when it will be paid. This helps distinguish an authorised additional allowance from the regular fostering payment and reduces the risk of misunderstanding.