Fees and allowances

We have increased our fees and allowances and now offer council tax exemption to our fully approved Foster Carers who live in or outside of our city. In addition, we are also offering new annual allowances to help our fully approved Foster Carers celebrate significant events in the lives of the children they are caring for.

Our new financial package of rewards was launched in April 2023 and is part of our commitment to financially support our fully approved Foster Carers in recognition of the invaluable care they provide to our city’s most vulnerable children and young adults.

New Council Tax exemption

Our fully approved Foster Carers will be exempt from paying council tax from April 2023 as we try to help make their fostering homes more affordable. This is available to both Southend-on-Sea and out of city residents. For anyone living in Southend City the maximum exemption is up to Band D. For anyone living outside of our city the maximum exemption is up to the Band D equivalent where they live.

*To benefit from this exemption our fully approved in-house Foster Carers have to remain available to provide care, have provided care for a Southend-on-Sea Child for at least 26 weeks in the year and to have met required training, support and development standards.

Fees and allowances

Payments to fully approved Foster Carers are made on a weekly basis.

New weekly payments

The table below shows what fully approved Foster Carers will receive for each child they look after based on their level of experience, the training they have completed and the needs of the children they are caring for.

We pay a fee and allowance for every child you look after so the weekly payments will increase if you are caring for more than one child based on the level of care each child needs.

What's included in these payments:-

These payments include your fee which is paid for every child you look after and care for:

• Foster Care Fee – £200

• Foster Care Enhanced Fee – £300

• Foster Care Specialist Fee - £400

The rest of the weekly payment is an allowance to help cover the cost of caring for a child or young person. You will receive the below allowance as part of your weekly payment for every child you look after (this varies based on the age of the child you are caring for).

Weekly allowance for each child aged:

• 0-4 - £175

• 5-10 - £198

• 11-15 - £239

• 16-18 - £292

New annual allowances

In addition to the weekly allowance our fully approved Foster Carers will also receive allowances paid every year to help towards the cost of celebrating significant events in the lives of the children they are caring for. These payments will automatically be paid on an annual basis for every child our fully approved foster carers care for.  

• To help celebrate religious or cultural festivals e.g., Eid, Diwali, Christmas – £100

• To help with the cost of birthday gifts/celebrations - £200

• Two weeks additional allowances to help contribute to a family holiday

• To help contribute to prom attendance at age 16 - £200 

We review all fees and allowances each year. Most fully approved Foster Carers do not pay tax on their fostering income. Information is available on foster carer tax, benefits and pensions at GOV.UK: Foster carers and The Fostering Network website.