How much is the foster care allowance?

For foster carers, and people thinking about fostering, in England.

Applies to: England Last checked against official sources: 6 October 2026

All foster carers in England get a foster care allowance to help cover the cost of caring for a child.

For 2026/27, the weekly minimum ranges from £176 to £309 per child, depending on the child's age and where you live.
You might get more if the child has specific needs, or because of your skills or fostering service.
Foster carers can earn up to £20,440 a year per household tax free, plus weekly tax relief for each child.
You must tell any benefit office that you get a foster care allowance.

Different in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland

These rates are for England only; the other nations have their own guidance.

Different in Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland

Rules may be different in:

Scotland: Check mygov.scot for Scotland
Wales: Check gov.wales for Wales
Northern Ireland: Check nidirect for Northern Ireland

Key facts

2026/27 minimum: £176 to £309 a week
Higher rates in London
Tax free up to £20,440 per household
England only

Minimum weekly allowance for 2026/27

These are the lowest weekly amounts per child that fostering services in England should pay for the tax year 6 April 2026 to 5 April 2027. Your service can pay more.

Child's age	London	South East	Rest of England
0 to 2	£205	£195	£176
3 to 4	£208	£203	£182
5 to 10	£233	£223	£201
11 to 15	£266	£255	£227
16 to 17	£309	£298	£267

All foster parents get a foster care allowance to help cover the cost of caring for a child.

Worked examples

Example 1: you foster a 7-year-old in Leeds (rest of England). The minimum is £201 a week. Over a full year that is £201 x 52 = £10,452.

Example 2: you foster a 16-year-old in London. The minimum is £309 a week. Over a full year that is £309 x 52 = £16,068.

What can change the amount

You might get extra payments depending on:

whether the child has specific needs
how many children you foster
your skills and experience
your fostering service

You can also ask your service for extra money for things like school trips, holidays, birthdays and religious festivals.

Children stop being in care when they turn 18, even if they still live with you. There is no minimum allowance after that.

Tax on fostering income

You should register as self-employed when you start fostering. You can then claim qualifying care relief. This means part of your fostering income is tax free. It works like this:

Part	Amount
Fixed amount per household, each year	£20,440
Plus, for each child under 11	£435 a week
Plus, for each child aged 11 or over	£515 a week

You only pay tax on fostering income above your total.

Example: you foster a 14-year-old all year, and an 8-year-old for 10 weeks. Your tax free amount is £20,440 + (52 x £515) + (10 x £435) = £51,570.

You may also get National Insurance credits, which count towards your State Pension.

Benefits

If you claim benefits, you must tell the organisation that pays them that you get a foster care allowance. If your foster child gets Disability Living Allowance or Personal Independence Payment, you may be able to claim Carer's Allowance.

If you live in Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland

The rates above apply in England only. Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland each have their own fostering guidance and allowances. Ask your fostering service what it pays.

Related guides

Where these figures come from

Common questions

Do foster carers pay tax on the allowance?

Foster carers get a tax exemption of up to £20,440 per household, plus £435 a week for each child under 11 and £515 a week for each child aged 11 or over.

Does the allowance stop at 18?

Children stop being in care at 18, even if they still live with you, and there is no minimum allowance after that.

Official sources

1.Support for foster parents: help with the cost of fosteringwww.gov.uk/support-for-foster-parents/help-with-the-cost-of-fostering
2.Support for foster parents: tax arrangementswww.gov.uk/support-for-foster-parents/tax-arrangements
3.Support for foster parents: claiming benefitswww.gov.uk/support-for-foster-parents/claiming-benefits

Checked against GOV.UK on 6 October 2026

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