Kinship Care Allowance Scotland 2026 Rates

Kinship carers in Scotland are entitled to financial support through the Scottish Recommended Allowance, but the amount that actually lands in your account depends on your child's age, which benefits you're already claiming, and whether the council deducts those benefits before paying you. Here is how the numbers work for the 2026-27 financial year.

What the Scottish Recommended Allowance Pays

The SRA is a national benchmark agreed between the Scottish Government and COSLA. All 32 local authorities are expected to pay at or above these weekly rates:

• Ages 0-4: £177.68 per week (£9,239 per year)
• Ages 5-15: £206.71 per week (£10,749 per year)
• Ages 16-17: £283.35 per week (£14,734 per year)

These rates were up-rated by 3.8% in April 2026, matching CPI inflation. The 16-17 band is roughly 60% higher than the youngest band because older children cost more to feed, clothe, and transport.

The SRA matches the rates paid to foster carers. That parity was a deliberate policy decision when the framework launched in April 2023, and it applies to all eligible kinship carers, not just those with looked-after children.

Gross Rate vs What You Actually Receive

The rates above are gross figures. Most councils pay you a net amount after deducting certain child-related state benefits. Two benefits are routinely deducted:

Child Benefit — £27.05 per week for the eldest or only child, £17.90 for each additional child. Councils deduct this because foster carers cannot claim it, so to maintain parity the deduction keeps total household income equivalent.

Universal Credit child element — £303.94 per month (roughly £70.14 per week). If you receive UC, councils typically deduct this too.

A worked example for a 10-year-old placed under a Section 11 order: the gross SRA is £206.71. Subtract Child Benefit (£27.05) and the UC child element (£70.14), and the council pays you £109.52 per week. Add back the benefits you receive separately, and total income for the child reaches £206.71.

Benefits Councils Cannot Deduct

Several payments are explicitly protected from council offset calculations:

• Scottish Child Payment (£28.20 per week) — ring-fenced by law
• Guardian's Allowance (£22.95 per week) — excluded under national guidance
• Child Disability Payment — both care and mobility components are fully protected
• Best Start Grant and Best Start Foods — protected

The Scottish Child Payment protection matters most in practice. Some councils have historically attempted to treat it as deductible income. If yours does, that is incorrect — CPAG and KCASS can help you challenge it.

A Common Problem: Assumed vs Actual Deductions

Several councils deduct Child Benefit and UC from your allowance immediately on placement, even before HMRC or DWP has processed your claim. That creates an income gap during the first weeks when you're spending the most on emergency clothing, bedding, and food.

National guidance says deductions should reflect actual received income, not assumed awards. If your council is deducting benefits you haven't started receiving, ask the kinship team to adjust the calculation to reflect your actual award dates. Put it in writing so there's a record.

Who Qualifies for the Allowance

Your eligibility depends on your care arrangement:

Looked-after children (placed under Section 25 or a Compulsory Supervision Order) — the council must pay you under Regulation 33 of the Looked After Children Regulations 2009. This is a statutory entitlement.

Section 11 Kinship Care Order or Section 7 guardianship — if you hold a qualifying order or are appointed guardian and the child was previously looked after or assessed by the council as at risk of becoming looked after, you qualify under Part 13 of the Children and Young People (Scotland) Act 2014.

Informal private arrangements — if the child moved in through a family agreement without social work involvement, you are not eligible for the council allowance. Your financial support comes from state benefits directly: Child Benefit, UC, and the Scottish Child Payment.

How the 12-Week Assessment Works

When you apply, the council's kinship team conducts a financial assessment that can take up to 12 weeks. During that period, ask specifically about Section 22 emergency payments — councils have discretionary power to issue interim support while your full application is processed.

Once approved, payments are typically made weekly or every four weeks by direct BACS transfer. The council must send you a written decision notice showing the gross rate, each deduction, and the net amount, along with the start date and review terms.

The Bigger Picture

The kinship allowance is one piece of a system that spans five agencies. Alongside the council payment, you can claim Child Benefit from HMRC, the Scottish Child Payment and Best Start Grants from Social Security Scotland, and Universal Credit or Pension Credit from DWP. Each payment has its own application, its own processing time, and its own rules about how it interacts with the others.

Our Scotland kinship financial help guide maps the full picture: every payment, who administers it, which ones the council can and cannot deduct, and the exact forms and phone numbers for each agency.

See more Scotland guides →