Financial support for kinship carers

As a kinship carer, you may get money from the local council to help with the costs of looking after the child. This is called Kinship Care Allowance.

You may get Kinship Care Allowance if you care for a looked after child.

You may also get the allowance if you have a Kinship Care Order and the child:

has been looked after by the local council in the past
is at risk of becoming looked after

Your Kinship Care Allowance will be paid by the local council of the area where the child originally lived, which may be different from your own local council.

If you're eligible for Kinship Care Allowance, the local council will pay at least the Scottish Recommended Allowance of:

£177.68 per week for children aged 0 to 4
£206.71 per week for children aged 5 to 10
£206.71 per week for children aged 11 to 15
£283.35 per week for children aged 16 and older

These allowance rates apply from 1 April 2026.

Find your local council's Kinship Care Allowance information

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