Foster carers and prospective foster carers sometimes say they feel uncomfortable asking about money. But we’d like to reassure you that it’s fine to ask about pay and allowances – in fact, it’s very important.
Once you’re approved to foster with us, you’ll receive a fostering allowance of around £2,040 per month – that’s approximately £24,500 a year, often tax-free and with no impact on most state benefits.
Because every household is different, our payments are tailored to your circumstances – making sure you have the means to provide consistent, high-quality care for the children placed with you.
We want you to feel financially confident and supported, so you can give your full focus to the children in your care and enjoy a balanced, fulfilling life. That’s why our fostering allowance is well above the government’s recommended weekly allowance.
Here’s what you should know about how fostering pay works:
You’ll receive a generous weekly allowance for each child in your care.
In most cases, your fostering income will be tax-free.
State benefits are usually unaffected by your fostering payments.
You’ll need to register as self-employed and pay National Insurance – Our guide will help you through this.
You may also qualify for Working Tax Credit and other support, depending on your situation.
The fostering allowance is primarily there to support the day-to-day needs of the child in your care — from food and clothing to travel, school supplies, activities, and savings.
We also include a professional fee in recognition of the time, skill and dedication you bring to fostering. Together, these payments ensure you can offer a stable, enriching home environment without being out of pocket.
The amount varies depending on factors like the age and needs of the child, the type of fostering you do, your location, and your experience as a carer. You may receive a higher rate for specialist placements, such as caring for a child with complex needs or who must be the only child in your home.
We pay our carers every two weeks, providing regular, reliable income that supports the child’s care and helps you plan ahead with confidence.
As a foster carer, you'll be classed as self-employed, but in most cases, you won’t pay any income tax on your fostering payments. That’s thanks to a special tax scheme called Qualifying Care Relief, which is designed specifically for foster carers.
This means the income you receive from fostering is usually tax-free, and doesn’t impact most state benefits. For many carers, fostering can feel like the equivalent of earning around £30,000 per year before tax.
However, because every household and fostering arrangement is different, your exact earnings may be above or below the average of £24,500 a year.
In some situations — for example, if you foster multiple children at once, or have other income alongside fostering — you might earn over your tax-free threshold. If this happens, only the profit above the threshold would be taxable.
At the end of each tax year, you’ll do a simple self-assessment to check if you’ve gone over the limit. If you're unsure how it works, don't worry — we’ll guide you through the steps and support you if you need help along the way.
Yes, you can – it all depends on your availability and flexibility. Some foster carers choose to leave their jobs to focus fully on fostering, while others continue working part-time or in flexible roles. What matters most is that you’re able to prioritise the needs of the child in your care.
Here’s how it usually works:
In a couple: One person should be available full time, while the other can work full or part time.
Single carers: You’ll need to be at home full time or have a job with flexible, part-time hours.
We understand that every situation is different. As long as you’re able to meet the needs of the child – including school runs, appointments, meetings and being emotionally available – we’ll support you to balance fostering with work.
Other fostering agencies may require at least one person to give up work entirely. We’re more flexible – if your job allows you to meet all the responsibilities of fostering, we’re happy for you to continue working.
If you’d like more information, just fill out our enquiry form. You can also request a call back – one of our local fostering advisors will be happy to talk you through what fostering involves and answer any questions about financial support.
