What documents are needed for kinship care financial support?

The documents needed for kinship care financial support depend on the child’s legal status, the type of arrangement and the local authority’s assessment process. In addition to basic personal information, you may be asked for evidence showing the placement, your relationship with the child, your household circumstances and the costs or financial pressures connected with their care.

Documents about the child and placement

• The child’s full name, date of birth and current address.
• Confirmation of where the child is living and when the placement began.
• Details of the child’s social worker, allocated kinship team or other professional involved in the arrangement.
• A placement agreement, care plan or written confirmation from children’s services, where one has been issued.
• Information about the child’s education, health or additional care needs if these affect the support being requested.

Legal and family documents

The assessing authority may need to establish your legal relationship with the child and the basis on which you are caring for them. Depending on the circumstances, this could include a birth certificate, evidence of your relationship to the child, a child arrangements order, special guardianship order, care order or another court document. If an order is still being considered, provide correspondence or paperwork confirming its current stage rather than assuming the application can be assessed without it.

You may also be asked for information about parental responsibility, contact arrangements and any contributions made by a parent or another authority. These details can affect how support is assessed, particularly where more than one organisation is involved.

Household and financial evidence

Where support is means-tested or linked to the costs of caring for the child, the local authority may request evidence of your financial position. Possible documents include:

• Recent payslips or other proof of earnings for adults in the household.
• Benefit award notices, pension statements or evidence of other regular income.
• Bank statements covering the period requested by the assessing team.
• Evidence of rent, mortgage payments, council tax, utility costs or other regular outgoings.
• Details of childcare, travel, medical or specialist costs incurred because of the placement.
• Information about savings, debts or financial commitments where these form part of the assessment.

Not every applicant will need to provide every item. The authority should explain which evidence is relevant to the particular payment or assessment. If you are self-employed, additional records such as accounts, tax returns or an accountant’s statement may be requested.

Banking and payment information

If financial support is agreed, you will normally need to provide the account details for the person who is to receive the payment. Check the account name and number carefully, and ask whether the authority requires a bank statement or another form of confirmation. Payment details may need to be supplied again if the recipient or account changes.

Information about other support

Tell the assessing team about benefits, grants, allowances or payments already received for the child or the placement. This can include support from children’s services, education, health services or another local authority. Providing complete information helps the authority identify whether the proposed payment sits alongside, replaces or is affected by another form of support.

How to prepare the documents

• Ask for the written application form or checklist used for the relevant kinship payment.
• Separate documents into child and placement information, legal paperwork, household evidence and payment details.
• Check that names, dates and addresses match across the documents, and explain any differences in writing.
• Keep copies of everything submitted, together with the date and method of submission.
• Use the secure upload, email or postal process specified by the local authority, particularly for bank statements and court documents.

If a document is unavailable, do not alter or substitute it without explanation. Tell the kinship team what is missing, why it cannot currently be provided and whether another professional can confirm the information. They may accept an alternative document, obtain information directly or allow the application to proceed while the evidence is being gathered.

Financial support can also be reviewed if the child’s living arrangements, legal order, household income or care needs change. Keep relevant records and report significant changes to the team responsible for the payment. The social worker or local authority kinship service can confirm the precise documents required for your circumstances before you submit the application.