Are foster care payments made weekly or monthly?

The payment schedule is set by the fostering service and confirmed in its fostering agreement and financial guidance. The important point is not only whether payments are weekly or monthly, but also which period each payment covers, when the first payment is due and how changes to a placement affect the amount and date.

Weekly payments are normally organised around a regular weekly payment day. The service should explain whether a payment relates to the previous week or the week ahead, as this affects the timing of the first and final payments for a placement.

Monthly payments may be made on a specified date or as part of a monthly payment cycle. A monthly cycle does not necessarily run from the first to the last day of the calendar month, so ask how the service defines the payment period and whether the first payment is adjusted when a placement begins part-way through that period.

Before you approve your application, ask the fostering service for its written payment information. It should clarify:

• Whether payments are made weekly or monthly
• Whether payments are made in advance or in arrears
• When the first payment is expected after a child is placed
• How the final payment is handled when a placement ends
• How a placement starting or ending part-way through a payment period is calculated
• Whether the payment statement separates the child’s allowance from any fostering fee or other agreed element
• What happens if the usual payment date falls on a bank holiday

The payment frequency does not usually change the purpose of the money. Foster care allowances are intended to contribute towards the costs of caring for a child, while some fostering arrangements may also include a separate fee or other payment element. The fostering agreement should explain what each part represents, when it is paid and whether the arrangement depends on the type or needs of the placement.

It is also useful to understand the difference between the payment schedule and the amount received. A weekly payment is not necessarily a different annual entitlement from a monthly payment; the service may simply divide the agreed amount across a different number of payment dates. However, the precise calculation and any adjustments are determined by the individual fostering service, so do not assume that two services use the same system.

Keep the payment schedule, agreement and statements together, and check the first statement against the information you were given. If the date, payment period or individual components are unclear, ask your supervising social worker or the service’s finance team to explain them. Become A Foster Family can also provide information about the financial arrangements involved in fostering and help prospective carers understand what to ask before they apply.