Transport, Mileage and Holiday Payments: What You Can Claim

Fostering comes with a lot of additional journeys, from school runs and contact sessions to late-notice health appointments. Add in family holidays and day trips and it’s easy to wonder what you can claim, what counts as “reasonable,” and how to evidence everything properly. This guide pulls together the essentials so you can recover fair costs without fuss, and plan ahead for bigger spends like holidays.

What counts as “transport” in fostering?

Most agencies and local authorities (LAs) treat transport as any travel that is necessary for the child’s care plan or your fostering role. That typically includes school and education, contact with birth family, health and therapy, extracurricular activities if agreed, and your own required training or meetings as a foster carer.

School and education

Daily school runs, in-year transfer visits, trips to alternative provision, exams, parents’ evenings and PEP meetings usually qualify when they’re part of the child’s plan. If the child is placed out of normal catchment or has a longer journey due to stability needs, that’s still considered essential.

Contact with birth family

Supervised or supported contact arranged by the child’s social worker is claimable, including travel to contact centres and neutral venues. Where contact changes at short notice, make sure you record the extra mileage and any parking or public transport tickets.

Health, therapy and assessments

Initial health assessments, routine immunisations, CAMHS or counselling sessions, speech and language therapy, EHCP assessments and dental/optical appointments are all within scope when they’re part of the care plan.

Out-of-hours and emergencies

Late-notice collections, hospital checks, or safeguarding-related moves can be claimed. Note the time, reason, who requested the travel, and the exact mileage.

Your fostering role (meetings and training)

Required training, supervision visits (when held off-site), review meetings, and court-ordered attendances connected to the child are generally claimable. Always check your handbook for any “first X miles per week” rule (explained below).

How mileage rates work (and why you keep hearing “45p per mile”)

The HMRC Approved Mileage Allowance Payments (AMAPs) set the tax-free rates many foster services mirror for reimbursing car travel in your own vehicle: 45p per mile for the first 10,000 business miles in a tax year, then 25p per mile thereafter (motorcycles 24p; cycles 20p). These rates have applied since 2011 and continue to be used in 2025/26.

Many LAs/IFAs reimburse at 45p per mile for qualifying fostering travel and also cover parking or public transport where that’s the sensible option. For example, Essex (2025–26) confirms 45p/mile plus parking or public transport costs in defined circumstances; Coventry pays 45p/mile and expects the first 40 miles/week to come from the child’s allowance before additional miles are reimbursed; Cambridgeshire/Peterborough also list 45p/mile for carers. Policies vary, so always follow your local rules.

Tip: AMAPs are a tax framework; foster services can set their own reimbursement policies. If your agency pays a different rate or has thresholds (e.g., only miles beyond 40–50 per week are claimable), the agency policy takes priority.

What else can you claim besides mileage?

Where specified in your handbook, you can claim parking, tolls, bridge charges, and public transport fares for necessary journeys. Some councils allow Congestion/ULEZ charges if unavoidable and pre-agreed for the child’s plan; others expect routes/transport that avoid premium charges. Essex explicitly notes parking or public transport alongside mileage—use that as your rule of thumb unless your handbook says otherwise. Keep all receipts.

Recording and submitting claims without errors

Good records prevent delays and disputes. Many councils require a monthly mileage log and receipts for parking and tickets. Milton Keynes (2025/26) asks carers to keep a Record of Expenditure for holiday/birthday/festival spending too—this mindset applies well to transport: note the date, purpose, start/finish locations, miles, and who authorised the activity. Submit on time each month.

Best practice:

• Use the same odometer/start-finish tool each time to avoid rounding inconsistencies.
• Where two foster children share a journey, record the miles once and, if asked, allocate to the primary purpose (e.g., school vs contact).
• Keep a brief note when plans change (cancelled contact, venue change) so additional miles are explainable.

Worked examples (so you can sense-check your claims)

Example 1: Standard school week

You drive 6 miles each way, twice a day, five days: 60 miles/week. Your LA policy states the first 40 miles/week are covered by the child’s allowance, anything over is reimbursable at 45p/mile.

• Claimable miles = 20
• Reimbursement = 20 × £0.45 = £9.00 (plus any agreed parking)

Example 2: Contact + school on same day

School run totals 12 miles. Contact centre is a further 14-mile round trip. Total 26 miles. If your policy has no first-40 rule, you claim the full 26 × £0.45 = £11.70 (subject to annual AMAP thresholds). If there is a weekly threshold, your finance team totals the week first, then applies the rule.

Example 3: Public transport is cheaper

Into a city centre for contact, parking is £10 and traffic is heavy. A train at £6 return may be the better choice and usually claimable (with tickets attached). Essex’s guidance recognises public transport costs alongside mileage—pick the option that’s reasonable for the child’s plan and cost-effective.

Holiday payments: how much, when, and what they cover

In many English councils the holiday allowance is the equivalent of two weeks of the child’s weekly allowance, paid once per year. Birthday and religious festival payments are commonly one week’s allowance each. This structure is published openly by several authorities (exact timing and admin differ): Coventry (2× holiday; 1× birthday/festival), Bradford (holiday = 2 weeks; festival = 1 week), Worcestershire (2× holiday with a potential discretionary top-up), and Rochdale (2× holiday; 1× birthday/festival).

What it’s for: Accommodation, travel, days out, and related expenses to ensure children in care experience normal family holidays. Some councils pay in June/July; others allow requests from April with proof of plans. Always check eligibility dates, pro-rata rules for short placements, and whether unspent funds are recoverable or transferable if a placement ends.

Receipts and proof: Many services ask for receipts and a short post-holiday summary showing how the allowance was spent on the child (photos aren’t required unless your policy says so). MK’s 2025 guidance emphasises recording how holiday/birthday/festival funds were used, which is a good model to adopt.

Taking a foster child abroad: permissions and documents

If you travel outside the UK, you’ll need the placing authority’s written consent and, in practice, a letter from someone with parental responsibility (local authority/parents as applicable). UK guidance notes a consent letter is usually sufficient proof; some destinations or carriers may also request notarised consent, visas, or specific passport validity. Start early so social workers can secure approvals in time.

If plans change last-minute (lost passport, emergency travel), the Emergency Travel Document route has its own consent form requirements—ask the social worker before booking.

How fostering allowances fit alongside transport and holiday claims

The weekly fostering allowance (updated every April) is designed to cover day-to-day costs; many LAs and IFAs top up with claimable mileage and separate lump sums for holiday/birthday/festivals. For 6 April 2025–5 April 2026, the national minimum weekly allowance in England ranges by age and region (London, South East, Rest of England). Your local service may pay more and has its own rules on extras.

Common grey areas—and how to handle them

First miles built into the allowance

Some councils include a set number of weekly miles within the allowance (e.g., Coventry accounts for the first 40 miles/week). Others use distance caps or “reasonable route” assumptions. Ask finance for a one-page summary of your local rules and keep it with your log.

Multiple children in the car

You don’t claim the same miles twice just because two children are on board. Record one journey and attribute it to the primary purpose (e.g., sibling contact). If finance wants a split per child, note the allocation in the comments.

Extracurricular clubs

Clubs are often claimable when agreed in the plan (PEP or social worker email). If in doubt, get written confirmation before you start the routine.

Training and recruitment events

Required training is usually claimable; optional recruitment events might be covered when you’re asked to attend (some services even offer a sessional or ambassador fee plus mileage). Check your handbook or email your supervising social worker (SSW) for pre-approval.

Quick monthly checklist (copy this into your notes app)

• Log every journey: date, purpose, start/finish postcodes, miles.
• Attach receipts for parking/tolls/public transport.
• Note cancellations/venue changes that added miles.
• Tot up weekly mileage if your policy has a threshold.
• Submit by the deadline; keep a copy of everything.

FAQs carers ask us

1) Do I use HMRC rates or my agency’s rate?

Use your agency/LA rate for reimbursement claims. HMRC AMAPs (45p/25p) are the standard reference and many services match them, but your policy governs what’s paid.

2) Can I claim for parking and train fares?

Usually yes, when they’re the sensible option for a necessary journey—keep receipts. Some councils explicitly allow parking or public transport with mileage.

3) How much is the holiday allowance?

Commonly two weeks of the weekly allowance per child per year (with one week for birthday and religious festival), but timing and admin differ locally.

4) What if we’re travelling abroad?

You’ll need written consent from those with parental responsibility and enough time to secure visas/passport checks. Carry the consent letter while travelling.

5) What if I hit 10,000 miles this tax year?

The HMRC rate drops to 25p/mile after 10,000 miles for cars/vans. Your agency may still pay a flat rate, but tax treatment follows AMAPs.

Bottom line

Keep transport simple: follow your local handbook, log everything, and submit claims monthly. Expect 45p/mile (or your handbook’s rate), plus reasonable parking/tickets with receipts. For holidays, plan ahead—most services fund two weeks’ allowance per year for each child so they can enjoy normal family breaks, with birthday and festival top-ups typically at one week each. If you’re ever unsure, ask finance or your SSW for written confirmation before you spend; it saves time later and ensures you’re fully reimbursed.