Special Guardianship Allowance in Wales: How Much and How It Works

There Is No Single National Rate

Wales has no mandatory flat-rate SGO allowance. Each of the 22 local authorities sets its own policy under the Special Guardianship (Wales) Regulations 2005 and the Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 2014. What a special guardian in Bridgend receives can differ markedly from what someone in Ceredigion or Wrexham gets.

Every Welsh council must publish a transparent SGO financial support policy. If you cannot find yours on the council website, request it in writing from the Children's Social Care team — they are legally required to have one.

How Councils Calculate the Allowance

Most Welsh councils follow a similar formula, even though the amounts differ:

1. Start with the local fostering allowance — the council takes its standard foster care maintenance rate for the child's age band as the baseline. This is the care element only, not any professional foster carer fee.
2. Deduct Child Benefit — the weekly Child Benefit you receive for the child is subtracted. In the 2026/27 tax year that is £27.05 for the eldest or only child and £17.90 for each additional child.
3. Apply a means test — the council assesses your household income, outgoings and savings. Disposable income above a threshold reduces the allowance further.

The net amount after all deductions is what you receive as the regular SGO allowance. Some councils also deduct Universal Credit child elements or tax credits, though the method varies.

The No-Detriment Principle

If you were an approved local authority foster carer before the SGO was granted, several Welsh councils apply a "no detriment" transitional arrangement. Under this principle, your total support should not drop immediately when you move from foster care to an SGO.

In practice, this often means a top-up payment equivalent to the foster carer fee element at the point the order was made. Bridgend County Borough Council, for example, provides this supplementary payment but fixes it at the initial level — it does not increase with inflation. Councils typically review transitional arrangements after two to three years, after which standard means-tested rates apply in full.

Additional Financial Support

Beyond the regular allowance, Welsh local authorities have discretionary powers to offer:

• Settling-in grants — one-off lump sums for bedroom furniture, bedding, car seats or home adaptations when a child first arrives
• Legal fees contributions — help toward solicitor costs or court filing fees, particularly where the child was previously looked after
• Respite care funding — short breaks and respite to prevent carer burnout
• Contact transport costs — travel expenses for maintaining the child's contact with birth parents or siblings

These are not automatic. You must specifically request them as part of your Section 14F support needs assessment or in a separate written request to the SGO team.

How to Request a Full Assessment

Under Section 14F of the Children Act 1989, you have a statutory right to request a support needs assessment from your local authority. This applies whether the SGO has already been granted or you are still in the application process.

Ask the Children's Social Care department for a Special Guardianship Support Needs Assessment under Section 14F. A written request gives you a record of what you asked for. The local authority must assess your needs; if the assessment identifies a need for ongoing support, it must draft a support plan before the order is made and share it with you so you can make representations.

Annual Reviews

Welsh councils must review your financial allowance at least once a year, or sooner if your circumstances change materially. You are required to notify the council promptly about changes in household income, benefits or living arrangements. If you disagree with the outcome of a review, the council's statutory complaints procedure under the Social Services Complaints Procedure (Wales) Regulations applies.

What to Do Next

If you are navigating an SGO application in Wales and need a clear picture of the forms, the assessment process and every type of support you can request, the Kinship Care in Wales guide walks through each stage — from the three-month local authority notice to the post-order benefit claims — in plain language.

See more Wales guides →