Government launches kinship financial allowances pilot

The government has revealed more details about the long-awaited £40 million pilot of financial allowances for kinship carers in up to 10 local authority areas in England.

The Department for Education has confirmed that the pilot due to launch in Autumn will provide some financial support for eligible kinship families for just over a three year period.

The pilot will fund selected local authorities who apply to provide a weekly financial allowance (to be the equivalent of the fostering national minimum allowance) to eligible kinship carers to support them with the additional costs incurred when taking the parental responsibility of a kinship child. Kinship carers with a special guardianship order (SGO), as well as those with a child arrangements order (CAO) where the child would otherwise be in care, will be eligible, though informal kinship carers without a legal order will not qualify.

Kinship Chief Executive, Lucy Peake said: “Kinship families who face immense financial and emotional strain have waited a very long time for details about this pilot and when it will

“We welcome plans to finally move this limited pilot forward to provide lifechanging support to some kinship carers in up to 10 local authorities. However, kinship carers in these areas who do not have a legal order will miss out, as will the majority of kinship carers who are looking after more than 132,000 kinship children in England, who will not feel the benefit.

“This is why it is vital that the trial does not paralyse progress towards a wider rollout of allowances in the future, which we know is desperately needed by all kinship families across the country. 

“We hope that this is a step towards this government delivering on its commitment to widening much needed financial support to all kinship carers. We will continue campaigning on this issue until all kinship families get the financial support they need and deserve.”

Councils have until 15^th July to apply to become part of the pilot. See more here.