How do I apply for a kinship carer allowance?

A kinship carer allowance is usually requested from the local authority responsible for the child, but the application route depends on the legal arrangement under which you care for them. There is no single national application form or automatic payment for every kinship carer. The council will assess your circumstances, the child’s needs and the type of kinship care involved before deciding whether financial support is available.

1. Identify your kinship care arrangement

Before applying, establish whether you are, or intend to become:

• an approved kinship foster carer, caring for a child looked after by the local authority;
• a special guardian with a Special Guardianship Order;
• a carer with a Child Arrangements Order; or
• a relative or connected person caring for a child under an informal family arrangement.

These arrangements have different funding rules. An approved kinship foster carer will normally ask the fostering service about its fostering allowance scheme. A special guardian or holder of a Child Arrangements Order may need to apply for support under the local authority’s kinship or permanence policy. Someone caring informally should ask children’s services what help is available, as an allowance is not automatically payable simply because the carer is related to the child.

2. Contact the right local authority team

Contact the local authority’s children’s services department and ask for the team dealing with kinship care, fostering, special guardianship or family and friends care. If the child is already looked after, speak to the child’s social worker or supervising social worker as well. They can confirm which council is responsible for assessing and funding the arrangement.

Explain that you want to apply for any kinship carer allowance or financial support that may be available. Ask the council to tell you:

• which application form or assessment process applies;
• whether the support is means-tested;
• what policy or payment scheme they are applying;
• when an allowance could begin;
• which costs are covered separately, if any; and
• how to challenge a decision if support is refused or reduced.

It is sensible to make this enquiry as soon as you are being considered as a kinship carer. Do not assume that an allowance will be agreed retrospectively, because backdated payments depend on the arrangement, the local authority’s policy and the circumstances of the case.

3. Complete the relevant assessment

The financial application is usually connected to a wider assessment of the child’s care arrangements. The local authority may need to consider your suitability, the child’s needs, your household and the practical impact of caring for the child. For an approved kinship foster placement, this may form part of the fostering assessment and approval process. For a special guardianship or Child Arrangements Order application, financial support may be considered alongside the relevant legal assessment.

A financial assessment may look at your household income, benefits, regular outgoings, savings or other relevant circumstances, depending on the scheme. This does not necessarily mean that every type of kinship allowance is means-tested, so ask the council to explain how its rules apply to your arrangement.

4. Prepare supporting information

The exact evidence varies, but you may be asked for:

• your identification and proof of address;
• details of your relationship with the child;
• information about the child’s current legal and care status;
• evidence of household income and regular expenditure;
• details of benefits or other financial support you receive;
• information about the child’s health, education, disability or additional needs; and
• receipts, estimates or other evidence for significant child-related costs.

Give complete and accurate information. If the child has additional needs, explain how these affect supervision, transport, equipment, education, childcare or other expenses. The council may consider these needs separately from the standard allowance, but additional support is not automatic.

5. Wait for a written decision

Ask for the outcome in writing. The decision should identify the type of support approved, the amount or method used to calculate it, the date it starts, any conditions attached and when it will be reviewed. It should also explain why support has been refused or limited, if that is the outcome.

Check whether the payment is an allowance for the child’s day-to-day care, a payment linked to a legal order, reimbursement of specific expenses or another form of assistance. These categories can have different rules for eligibility, taxation, benefits and review.

If your application is refused or the amount appears wrong

Ask the local authority to explain the decision and provide its written policy. Check that it has considered the correct legal arrangement and all relevant information about the child’s needs. Most councils have a review, complaint or appeal procedure. Follow the stated procedure and provide any missing evidence by the deadline.

If the child is looked after or a court application is involved, discuss the decision with the child’s social worker, solicitor or independent adviser. Specialist advice can help you understand whether the council has applied the correct framework, particularly where the child’s placement is changing from foster care to a special guardianship or Child Arrangements Order.

Other financial support to check

A kinship carer allowance is separate from many benefits and child-related payments. Depending on the child’s circumstances and your legal arrangement, you may need to check entitlement to benefits, tax credits or other assistance independently. Ask the relevant benefits service how a kinship placement should be reported, because an allowance may be treated differently according to its purpose and the arrangement under which it is paid.

Keep copies of your application, evidence, decision letters and payment records. Tell the local authority about significant changes, such as a change in the child’s legal status, household circumstances or care needs, because these may affect the allowance or trigger a review.