How Much Do Foster Carers Get Paid in the UK? (2025 Allowances & Pay Guide)

Discover the 2025 foster carer allowances in the UK, including weekly pay rates, tax relief, council examples, and support available for carers.

Sep 22, 2025 - 12:30 Updated: Sep 22, 2025 - 12:49

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How Much Do Foster Carers Get Paid in the UK? (2025 Allowances & Pay Guide)

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Fostering is one of the most rewarding roles anyone can take on, providing a safe and stable home to children who cannot live with their birth families. For those considering fostering, one of the most common questions is: “How much do foster carers get paid in the UK?”

The answer is not simple. Foster carers do not receive a salary in the traditional sense. Instead, they are given foster carer allowances to cover the cost of raising a child, alongside additional fees in many cases to recognise the carer’s skills, commitment, and experience. Payments vary across the country and are influenced by the child’s age, the type of fostering, and whether the carer is registered with a local authority or an independent fostering agency (IFA).

This guide explains the current 2025 allowances, fees, tax benefits, and extra support available to foster carers, helping you understand exactly what financial support is offered in return for this life-changing role.

What Are Foster Carer Allowances?

Foster carer allowances are weekly payments designed to cover the everyday costs of looking after a child. They provide for:

Food and clothing
School supplies and travel
Utilities and household expenses
Leisure activities, hobbies, and pocket money

Alongside allowances, many fostering services provide a fee element, sometimes called a reward or professional payment, which compensates carers for their time and skills.

National Minimum Allowances in 2025

Each year, the government sets national minimum fostering allowances to ensure carers receive at least a baseline level of support. For 2025/26, the weekly minimum rates are:

London: £198 to £299 depending on age
South East England: £189 to £288
Rest of England: £170 to £258
Scotland: £168 (ages 0–4) up to £268 (ages 16–17)
Wales: £224 (ages 0–4) up to £255 (ages 16–17)
Northern Ireland: £149 (ages 0–4) up to £219 (ages 16–17)

These figures are the legal minimums. Many councils and agencies offer more, especially for children with additional needs.

How Much Do Carers Actually Receive?

In practice, the amount a foster carer receives depends on whether they foster through a local authority or an IFA.

Local Authorities: Generally pay just above the minimum. For example, Derby City currently pays £170 to £274 per week depending on age, while Bolton adds a carers’ fee of around £147 per week on top of the allowance, plus birthday and holiday payments.
Independent Fostering Agencies (IFAs): Usually pay higher rates because they often support children with more complex needs. Typical payments range from £400 to £700 per week per child, and specialist placements such as therapeutic fostering or parent and child arrangements can exceed £800 per week.

Extra Support and Benefits

Beyond the standard weekly allowance, foster carers often receive additional support to help cover special occasions and ensure children enjoy a normal family life. These include:

Birthday, holiday, and Christmas/festival allowances
Welcome or loyalty bonuses (offered by some councils and agencies)
Respite care payments for temporary breaks
Skills-based fees linked to training and experience

This additional support can make a significant difference, ensuring that carers are not out of pocket for extra expenses.

Tax Relief for Foster Carers

Foster carers benefit from Qualifying Care Relief, a special tax scheme that allows most of their fostering income to be tax-free. As of April 2025, this includes:

A fixed £18,140 per year per household
£375 per week for each child under 11
£450 per week for each child aged 11 and over

For example, a carer looking after one 12-year-old for a full year could earn £41,540 tax-free. Many carers therefore pay little or no tax on their fostering income, and they also receive National Insurance credits to help towards their state pension.

Can Fostering Be a Full-Time Income?

For many households, fostering becomes their main source of income. Payments are designed to cover both the child’s needs and provide financial recognition for the carer’s work. However, fostering is not always predictable. Payments are only made when a child is placed, and there can be gaps between placements. Rising living costs also affect how far allowances stretch.

Those fostering more than one child or providing specialist care often find that fostering comfortably supports their household. Others may choose to combine fostering with part-time work to maintain financial stability.

Challenges in 2025

Although allowances have increased in line with inflation, many carers still feel that payments do not fully cover the real cost of raising a child, especially with ongoing cost-of-living pressures. Regional variation also creates inequalities: a carer in London may receive far more than someone in Northern Ireland for essentially the same role.

Recruitment shortages add to the challenge. The UK needs thousands more foster carers, and financial support is an important factor in encouraging more people to apply.

Conclusion

So, how much do foster carers get paid in the UK in 2025? At a minimum, carers receive between £170 and £299 per week depending on age and region. In practice, many earn more, with IFAs paying £400 to £700 per week per child and specialist placements offering even higher rates. On top of this, carers benefit from tax relief, extra grants, and professional support.

While fostering should never be seen purely as a financial decision, understanding allowances is essential. These payments ensure that carers are not left out of pocket while providing stability and care to children who need it most.