Fostering
2025 Allowance Uplifts Across the UK: England, Wales, Scotland, NI
If you’re weighing up fostering in 2025—or you’re already caring and trying to budget—this is your one-stop overview of the current national minimum (or recommended) fostering allowances across the UK, what’s changed this year, and what it means in practice. We’ll also cover how these child-maintenance allowances differ from any carer fees/skill payments, and the tax relief that sits alongside them.
Quick reminder: “allowance” is money intended to cover a child’s day-to-day costs (food, clothing, transport, utilities, activities). “Fees” or “skill payments” are the bit that recognises your time, skills and professional commitment. Agencies (local authorities or IFAs) can, and often do, pay more than the minimum—but they must at least meet the national minimum (or Scottish recommended) allowance for the child.
At a glance: 2025/26 weekly minimum allowances by nation
England (valid 6 April 2025 – 5 April 2026)
The Department for Education (via GOV.UK) sets the National Minimum Fostering Allowance (NMA), with different rates for London, South East, Rest of England.
| Child’s age | London | South East | Rest of England |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0–2 | £198 | £189 | £170 |
| 3–4 | £201 | £196 | £176 |
| 5–10 | £225 | £216 | £194 |
| 11–15 | £257 | £247 | £220 |
| 16–17 | £299 | £288 | £258 |
What changed: England’s NMA rose by 3.55% for 2025/26, alongside an uprating of the foster-carer tax relief (see below).
Wales (2025/26)
Wales uses a different age-banding (0–4, 5–15, 16+). The Welsh Government’s National Minimum Allowance (NMA) for 2025/26 increased by 2.6%. Current NMA levels referenced in local authority papers and sector summaries are: £224 (0–4), £204 (5–10 and 11–15), £255 (16–17).
Many Welsh councils pay above NMA. For example, Monmouthshire moved to £253 per week (0–15) and £273 (16+), plus higher skill fees from March 2025.
Scotland (from 1 April 2025)
Scotland operates the Scottish Recommended Allowance (SRA)—a national minimum recommended level local authorities should at least meet. The official mygov.scot page confirms updated rates from 1 April 2025: £171.17 (0–4), £199.14 (11–15), £272.97 (16+). (Local pages show the standard three-band model 0–4, 5–15, 16+, with £199.14 applying across 5–15; some councils still display 5–10/11–15 splits but the amounts align.)
Context: Scotland introduced the SRA in 2023. An independent review in 2025 found the SRA has raised many local rates, but also flagged pressure points around implementation.
Northern Ireland (latest published: 2024/25)
Northern Ireland’s Department of Health model scheme (latest published scale) shows: £149 (0–4), £166 (5–10), £187 (11–15), £219 (16+). These apply from 1 April 2024 and remain the latest official table available publicly at time of writing. Sector summaries note NI’s 2024/25 uplift was 3% and that a 2025/26 decision had not yet been published.
What the 2025 changes mean in practice
1) Budgeting for day-to-day costs
Allowances are intended to cover essentials (clothing, food, utilities, school costs, transport, activities/hobbies). If your placement has higher-than-typical needs, talk to your supervising social worker—top-ups/exceptional payments, mileage, and equipment budgets are common, and many authorities list holiday/birthday/festive payments separately. (Northern Ireland’s model scheme is a good example of how additional payments are structured.)
2) Expect local variation above the minimum
- Local authorities often pay the allowance plus a carer fee/skill payment.
- Independent Fostering Agencies (IFAs) typically structure a combined package (child allowance + fee) that can sit above LA totals, depending on child needs and carer skill level. You’ll see public examples from individual councils and providers illustrating this layering.
Tip: When comparing agencies, ask for a written breakdown that separates the child’s allowance from the carer fee—and check add-ons (retainers, respite rates, birthday/holiday payments, training fees and travel reimbursement).
3) England’s regional bands matter
The England NMA varies by region, with London the highest, South East in the middle, and Rest of England the baseline. Always check which band your home address falls into; agencies must at least cover the relevant NMA for each child placed with you.
4) Scotland’s SRA is now embedded—and uprated for April 2025
After introducing the SRA in 2023 (with three age bands), councils have been aligning their own schemes to those levels; the 2025 update lifts the amounts slightly. If your local rate sits below the SRA, query it—government guidance and most council pages are clear that SRA should be the baseline.
5) Wales’ uplift is smaller than England’s this year
At +2.6%, the Welsh NMA increase is more modest than England’s +3.55%. Advocacy groups say both remain below actual cost. Some councils are therefore setting above-NMA packages (Monmouthshire is a 2025 example).
6) Northern Ireland: check your Trust’s latest circular
NI’s published schedule shows 2024/25 rates. If you’re fostering in NI in late-2025, ask your Trust for any in-year updates or the 2025/26 position—especially if your placement involves additional needs or you’re budgeting for holidays/retainers.
Don’t forget the 2025 tax relief uplift
Alongside allowances, HMRC’s Qualifying Care Relief (QCR) reduces (and often eliminates) tax on fostering income. For 2025/26, HMRC sets:
- a fixed household amount of £19,360 per year, plus
- a weekly amount per person cared for: £405 (under 11), £485 (11 or over/adults).
If your total fostering receipts are below this “qualifying amount”, you owe no income tax on fostering income; above it, you can still opt for a simplified method. (Always follow the HMRC helpsheet or speak to an accountant.)
FAQs carers are asking in 2025
“Is the allowance the same as my take-home pay?”
No. The allowance covers the child’s costs; your fee/skill payment is the element that recognises your role (some LAs call it “professional fee”). Your take-home is often allowance + fee + add-ons, minus any tax/NI after QCR (many carers pay no tax on fostering income thanks to QCR).
“Why do I see different figures online for Scotland?”
Because Scotland talks about the Scottish Recommended Allowance (SRA) rather than a statutory “minimum”, and councils publish additional fee schemes on top. The current (from 1 April 2025) SRA amounts are the mygov.scot figures above; some council pages still show earlier tables or split the 5–15 band into 5–10 and 11–15, but the weekly amounts align.
“Can kinship carers get an allowance equivalent to fostering?”
In England, the Kinship Allowance Pilot launched summer 2025 will pay eligible kinship carers (with SGO or certain CAOs) at least the fostering NMA in up to 10 local authorities—not means-tested. This is a pilot, so availability is limited to participating LAs for now.
How to use this data on your local pages (and keep it fresh)
- Anchor your local guides on the national 2025/26 baselines above, then state how your local authority/nearby IFAs top up the allowance through fees and add-ons (with examples, where public). Monmouthshire’s 2025 decision note is a good model for transparency.
- Date-stamp your facts. In England and Wales, new NMAs usually apply from early April each year; Scotland has updated SRA amounts from 1 April 2025; NI publishes scale rates as circulars—link the current PDF each time you update.
- Explain allowances vs fees clearly on every page. Readers search “how much do foster carers get paid?” but Google rewards clarity: what’s guaranteed (allowance) vs what varies (fees), plus typical ranges in your area (with sources).
- Add a tax box with the current QCR figures for the tax year—this answers “Do foster carers pay tax?” directly and helps win snippets.
The bottom line
- England: NMA up 3.55% for 2025/26, with clear regional bands; see the full weekly table above.
- Wales: NMA up 2.6%; baseline figures now £224 / £204 / £255, but several councils pay above (e.g., Monmouthshire).
- Scotland: SRA updated 1 April 2025: £171.17 / £199.14 / £272.97; many councils layer significant fees on top.
- Northern Ireland: latest published scale remains 2024/25: £149 / £166 / £187 / £219; check your Trust for any 2025/26 update.
- Tax: 2025/26 QCR = £19,360 fixed + £405/£485 per week per person cared for.
As you compare agencies, get everything in writing (allowance, fee, extras), and check the age band and region that apply to you. If you’d like, I can tailor this into a localised “Fostering in [City]” page—complete with your council/IFA contacts, current top-ups, and a calculator that shows take-home after QCR for different placement mixes.