Weekly pay for foster carers
Foster carers receive a weekly maintenance allowance to cover the day-to-day expenses of caring for each child.
We will also pay you a professional fostering fee which reflects the needs of the young person. These payments are made per child, per week.
The following table represents these payments combined.
| Age | Weekly payments total |
|---|---|
| 0 to 4 years | £403 to £563 |
| 5 to 10 years | £428 to £588 |
| 11 to 15 years | £458 to £618 |
| 16+ years | £498 to £658 |
| Parent and child fostering | £1,221 (based on 1 parent and 1 child together) |
Additional payments
There are additional payments for festivals like Christmas, birthdays, mileage or day care. Please get in touch for more information regarding any payments which may be available for our foster carers.
Tax, national insurance and benefits
It's important that you understand what fostering will mean for your finances, now and in the future. As a foster carer you may be entitled to claim benefits and tax credits. Foster carers are self-employed and as such, you need to be aware of government requirements for tax and national insurance contributions.
There is a whole range of information to help. As an approved foster carer for ESCC, you will become a member of The Fostering Network who have lots of free resources to help you with advice and information and you can refer to www.gov.uk too.
When you foster with ESCC we provide you with a bespoke calculator tool which you can use to help work out your Qualifying Care Relief (a special tax threshold specifically for foster carers). Each year we provide you with all the annual figures you will need to submit in your tax return too.
Some useful links:
- The Fostering Network
- Foster carer fees and maintenance allowances
- Claiming benefits while you foster
- FAQs about tax
- National insurance and tax
- Mortgage information
Transferring to East Sussex County Council Fostering Service
You can still transfer with a child already in placement, even if they are placed with you by another local authority. We will guarantee that you continue with the same rate of payment for the duration of that placement. We can discuss payment for experienced and transferring foster carers in more detail when you contact us.
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