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New data published by the UK’s leading fostering charity has revealed a postcode lottery across the UK in foster care allowances, with some children receiving over £10,000 less per year.
The Northern Ireland Government last week announced a three per cent uplift to allowance rates for foster carers which cover the costs of caring for children and young people. While the uplift is welcome, it falls far short of the 12.43 per cent uplift announced in England earlier this year and rates across the rest of the UK.
The Scottish Government has announced today that foster and kinship carers across Scotland will receive an updated allowance to help them care for the children and young people they look after.
The Fostering Network has campaigned with our foster carer members for this change for many years, so we welcome this long overdue announcement today.
Foster families are currently receiving much less than they need to support the children and young people in their care to achieve their best possible outcomes. The Fostering Network has campaigned for foster care allowances over the course of its nearly 50-year history.
The current national minimum allowances (NMAs) set by governments across the UK are not enough. The rates are based on out-of-date research, have not been keeping pace with inflation and are not aspirational for our young people.
The Department of Health (Northern Ireland) have published details of the uplift to foster care allowances for 2022/23 in Northern Ireland. The increase is on average 3 per cent, comparable to national minimum allowances in England (outside of London and the South East).
It has been well documented that this year, all families are facing unprecedented increases in their cost of living, with inflation currently at 10.1 per cent.
The failure to follow through on the manifesto commitment made by the Scottish Government to end the postcode lottery in foster care allowances could have an impact on children in foster care and foster carers across Scotland.
Research published today by the UK’s leading fostering charity, The Fostering Network, found that the amount foster carers receive to spend on 0-4-year-olds in their care can vary by as much as £6,346 a year even in neighbouring local authorities, ranging from £77.96 to £200 per week.
Northern Ireland’s Health Minister, Robin Swann, on Friday, announced additional funding of £754,800 for all foster carers and approved kinship carers in Northern Ireland.
Details of the additional funding was shared in a thank you letter to foster carers from Minister Swann, and equates to an extra 20 per cent of the weekly food and household elements of the allowance foster carers in Northern Ireland receive for each child they care for, for a limited period.
