Fostering fees and allowances

We follow the Department for Education National Minimum Allowance rates that foster carers should receive for looking after a child in their care.

This payment covers the living costs associated with caring for a child and will include food, clothing, pocket money, phone expenses, outings and activities. The amount you will be paid is set by the government and is based on the age of the child in your care. This payment is paid per child per week.

Skill level fee payment

This is the fee we pay to foster carers for doing an outstanding job every day by helping children in our community. It is based on your experience, skills and how long you have been a foster carer. The skill level fee is paid per child per week.

Additional allowances for foster carers

Foster carers receive additional allowances when caring for a child over the summer holidays or on their birthday. You will also receive allowances for religious and cultural celebrations.

The amount you receive will depend on the age of child in your care but is between £130 and £270 for birthday and cultural celebrations and between £255 and £505 for holidays. 

When you are first approved as a foster carer, you can receive a grant up to a maximum of £750 to assist you with purchasing equipment, depending on the age of child you are caring for. 

In some circumstances we pay additional allowances towards the cost of clothing and school uniform.

Transport costs

Sheffield foster carers are paid a mileage allowance for any journeys outside the normal day to day. The current rate is 45p per mile. 

Paid holiday

Sheffield foster carers can access up to 14 nights of paid holiday per year.

Part time fostering

Support carers are paid in line with the mainstream payments and calculated pro-rata for the amount of time you care for the child.

The Short Breaks Scheme is specifically designed for disabled young people and payments are in recognition of the skills and experience needed to care for children with disabilities.

Foster carers are paid £91 for an overnight period of care (up to 24 hours) and £10.43 per hour for additional hours or other daytime care. Foster carers are also paid this rate for any meetings or training they need to attend in relation to the child they care for.

Tax and benefits

Fostering fees and allowances do not count as an income for tax and benefit purposes and therefore don’t affect any benefit entitlement. Full time foster carers may be able to claim a combination of working tax credits, job seekers allowance and/or income support (plus other benefits they may be entitled to) depending on their individual circumstances.

While the introduction of Universal Credit is likely to affect fostering, it will continue to disregard fostering fees and allowances for tax and benefit purposes.