What should kinship carers do if agreed payments are not received?

When an agreed kinship payment is missing, the carer should establish whether the payment has been delayed, suspended, reduced or wrongly refused, then use the relevant review and complaints routes to challenge the decision. The correct response depends on the type of arrangement, because support for a kinship foster placement is administered differently from a special guardianship allowance, child arrangements support or discretionary local authority assistance.

First, identify what the payment relates to. Check whether it is a regular allowance, an initial or one-off payment, an allowance linked to a child’s looked-after status, or support attached to a special guardianship order. The written terms should indicate the payment frequency, the date it becomes due, any conditions, and circumstances in which it may be changed. A missed payment may result from a change in placement status, a review of the allowance, an administrative error, a disputed start date or a request for further information. These possibilities should be distinguished from a decision to withdraw entitlement.

Ask for the decision and its basis. If the authority says that payment has been paused, reduced or stopped, request the formal decision, the date it took effect and the policy or assessment relied upon. Ask whether the decision can be reviewed and what information is needed for that review. A verbal explanation may help clarify the issue, but a written decision is important if the matter later needs to be challenged.

Use the review route for the particular allowance. Some local authorities have a financial assessment, allowance review or kinship support review process. Follow the stated timescale and provide relevant evidence, such as the agreement, payment statements, placement dates and correspondence. If the payment was agreed as part of a court order or formal plan, explain this clearly and ask how the authority intends to comply with that document. The authority should distinguish between an administrative correction and a decision that requires a formal review.

Protect the child’s immediate needs. A missing allowance does not remove the carer’s responsibility to provide safe care, but it may create an immediate practical problem with food, clothing, travel, equipment or essential bills. Tell the child’s social worker or the relevant children’s services team if the shortfall is affecting the child’s welfare. Ask whether temporary assistance, essential items, a crisis payment or another lawful source of support is available while the payment dispute is considered. Do not borrow money at unaffordable rates or agree to end a placement simply because an allowance has not arrived without first taking advice.

Escalate if the first response does not resolve the issue. The local authority’s complaints policy should explain how to challenge delay, poor administration or an unexplained refusal. A kinship carer may also ask for help from an independent advocate, especially where the child has additional needs, the carer has a disability or communication is difficult. If the complaint process has been completed without a satisfactory outcome, or the authority has failed to deal with the matter properly, the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman may be able to consider complaints about a council in England. Its role is generally to examine administrative fault and injustice, rather than replace a specialist benefits or court appeal.

Take legal advice where the legal status is disputed. Specialist advice is particularly important if the authority is alleging overpayment, seeking recovery of previous allowances, changing support after a special guardianship order, or refusing an amount set out in a court order. A solicitor, law centre or independent kinship care advocate can explain whether there is a right of appeal, judicial review or another remedy. Advice should be obtained before signing a repayment agreement or accepting a change that may affect future support.

Keep the issue separate from other sources of help. A missing local authority allowance may affect household finances, but it does not automatically determine entitlement to benefits, tax credits or other assistance. The carer should check each scheme’s own rules and report changes accurately. If the authority later makes a backdated payment, check the dates and amount against the original agreement and query any continuing shortfall rather than assuming the account is settled.

A useful escalation bundle includes:

• the kinship care, fostering or special guardianship agreement;
• any court order, support plan or allowance assessment;
• bank statements or payment records showing what was received;
• a simple schedule of the amount expected, the amount paid and the dates involved;
• letters, emails and notes of relevant meetings; and
• evidence of essential costs if the missed payment is affecting the child’s care.

Kinship carers should continue to cooperate with required reviews and provide requested information, while asking the authority to explain how those requirements affect payment. If the problem concerns a looked-after child, the child’s social care and fostering teams may each have a role; if it concerns a child subject to a special guardianship order, the post-order support team may be responsible. Identifying the correct route prevents a financial dispute from being passed between departments without a clear decision.